First dialation/ Packing removal question.

[Maya101]

Hello again girls! I'm very blessed and fortunate to say that I had srs six days ago! Ive been in alot of pain and discomfort but I'm really really happy I got the surgery at age 18 so it can be out of the way and I can focus on living my life and being happy as a post op-transgender woman! tomorrow I get my vaginal packing and catheter removed, I also start the lifelong task of dilating to retain my depth and width.

I have a question about the actual vagina though......I cant see it! I can see a tiny tiny little hole at the bottom of the vulva, and I know logically that this is my vagina...But its so small! I cant even see the packing thats supposed to be in it! I'm almost worried maybe the packing got removed somewhere in the process...or was never put there at all, as silly as that might sound!

I'm looking for some reassurance from girls who have been through this before. Were you worried about these things your first time dialating or having the packing removed? The vaginal opening just looks so small, like smaller than an eraser head. how painful is this going to be? its normal for it to look this small right?

[Sandy]

Maya:

I didn't worry about it too much.  Also I had packing and bandages down there so I couldn't see anything anyway until the great revealing.

Trust me the packing is in there.  When the doctor removes it, you will feel like they're doing a magic trick.  They'll pull yards and yards of the packing out of you.  Feels weird too.

The first dilation wasn't too bad because we did it right after pulling the packing out so I was already stretched out so it went in pretty easily.

That tiny little hole at the bottom of your vulva is your urethra, not your vagina.  Your vagina is just above your anus.

When you dilate for the first time, use a hand mirror to see where it goes.  It'll make it easier to do it by feel if you have a good mental image of your new plumbing.

-Sandy

[Maya101]

Thank you Sandy, Ive seen everything sense day 3 or maybe 4, I'm not sure if that's typical, they took the dressing off before I left the hostpital and all I've needed to keep from bleeding too much is maxipads. They tiny hole I'm referring too IS my vagina though, Just a bit under my urethra, The only reason I know its not my urethra is because I have a catheter in.

Is the packing just loose bandages? I watched a surgical video once and it was some sort of stuff in what looked like a condom. Which is part of the reason I'm confused, in the video the "condom" was clearly vidsiable from the outside of the vulva.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Do you see any stitches around your vaginal opening?  Sometimes they may stitch the opening to keep the packing in.

[GendrKweer]

Who was your doctor? For example, my doctor (Suporn) leaves the packing in for 7 days, removes it on the 7th, it is not in a condom but looked like loose gauze but enough of it packed in there to be tight (seriously, 2, 3 meters!?!)... you will KNOW when they remove that, because it feels unpleasant to painful to OUCH (not always, but for some). The catheter removal will be attempted when the packing is out usually, unless there was a complication, and if you can't pee after (like I couldn't), they'll put that back in for a few more days. Catheter removal tip: drink a liter or two of water before they do, and once it's out, keep drinking water like your life depends on it for a few days. Often there can be some bleeding when they take it out, and if you don't pee a lot after, that blood in your bladder can form clots in your bladder which you will be unable to pee out. Think wine bottle + cork. Then they have to recatheterize you (ask me how I know).... each time a catheter goes in, you risk the chance of scarring, which you don't want if you don't want dribbly pee for a long time. (again... better yet, don't ask. It's all better now:) Sooooo.....who was yer doctor?? 🙂

[Maya101]

To ms. Obrien. Actually, no, But I can barely see any sutures anywhere. I've certainly felt them at various points, maybe they're clear and I'm not looking hard enough?


to gendrkweer, My doctor was Marci Bowers, and from the way things have gone so far I think she did an amazing job, and the staff have been great too, plus the facility is really accommodating and modern. So far I think everything turned out perfect, obviously as things heal there's still the chance for many aspects of the outcome to change, but I really don't have any reason to think they will. I'm not worried about depth at all, but I still dont know if I'm orgasmic obviously.

I'm glad to hear the packing is usually loose gauze, It makes olot of sense for loose gauze not to be hanging out, so that could explain why I cant see the packing from the surface. Thanks for the tip about drinking a lot of water before, I'll definitely do that.... I hope I don't accidentally pee on the table when they take it out though, I bet that happens all the time, but gosh would that be embarrassing....

[Flan]

Is the packing just loose bandages? I watched a surgical video once and it was some sort of stuff in what looked like a condom. Which is part of the reason I'm confused, in the video the "condom" was clearly vidsiable from the outside of the vulva.

It depends on surgeon as most just use lubricated gauze roll (and a lot of it) held in place by a temporary suture on the labia majora or tight dressing that covers everything.

+1 to GendrKweer's advice on fluid intake not as much bleeding (the urethra opening is where the bad stuff usually happens) as much as to prevent UTI's especially in the time after discontinuing antibiotics but before the body is healed to the point where it can fend itself and recolonize with beneficial bacteria.

edit: when the urinary catheter comes out you will pee a little, don't fret because they will expect it.

[GendrKweer]

Haha, yeah, i warned the doc i was not to be held accountable if i peed on him! As for the bleeding, yeah too, mine was at the opening, but since the doc stopped that bleeding by applying pressure to the opening, the blood flowed back into my bladder. Since I was empty (for fear of peeing on him the first time), it clotted, and well... the second time i was bursting to go, and of course i didn't bleed at all. ah well, better safe than having that damn catheter for a third time! 😉

[Vicky]

Hi Sis -- I am another Bowers Babe from 10 months ago and YES you have an adequate vagina that will still need some care.  It was not until I had my packing removed -- it was just regular gauze that came out, and came out, and came out, even though the night before it was to be removed, the first couple of feet and a "plug" had come out as I was wiping myself from BM #2.  I had made a frantic phone call to Robin at nearly midnight their time asking what to do with two feet of gauze hanging out of me.  "Just cut it off close to your labia majora and get some sleep" was the answer.  The next morning at 10AM the remaining 18 feet of it came out smoothly, but watching it come did make me feel weird and I had to giggle.  Next was the catheter removal where I found that there was an actual balloon up in my bladder, no pain really, but again WEEIRD.

You will do your first dilation there in the office with help from the nurse with a dilator I nicknamed Peter Purple.  It will be easy, but a little uncomfortable wiping the lube off from your new vulva.  In about 4 weeks you will be up to the largest size of dilator in your kit (which you left the hospital with) and about then you will have a variety of sutures dissolving and makeing your much more comfortable.   

I can barely see my Vg even now, but the largest dialtor Marci has us use goes in to the top mark easily, and is a little loose in fact.

Note -- the reason you do not seem to think there is much is you are swollen down there and in time as the swelling goes down it looks much better and you see what really is there.