Vaginoplasty: What to expect?

[ShadowCharms]

Hi everyone, I'm scheduled to have vaginoplasty with Dr. McGinn in February. I'm wondering about how long each little stage of recovery takes. For those of you who have had the surgery, how long was it before:

- you didn't need narcotic/addictive pain medication anymore
- you didn't need any pain medication anymore
- you could walk around without any difficulty or pain
- you felt well enough to take a short walk (like, a quarter mile) once or twice a week
- you weren't tired all the time anymore
- you could sit in a regular chair for more than an hour without a donut pillow
- you were used to dilating and it wasn't scary anymore
- you were totally fed up with dilating
- you weren't having any trouble peeing
- you felt like 80% of your normal self again
- you felt like 100% of your normal self again
- your incisions had fully healed and become scars
- you stopped noticing the swelling
- your scars weren't obvious anymore

You don't have to answer all of them. Any answers you have would be helpful.

Thanks!

[2cherry]

- you didn't need narcotic/addictive pain medication anymore

Morphine pump first two days. After 3 days I could manage it with paracetamol. I used paracetamol for about 1.5 weeks.

- you didn't need any pain medication anymore

Close to two weeks.

- you could walk around without any difficulty or pain

3 days I could walk around the hospital. At day 7 I went home by myself.

- you felt well enough to take a short walk (like, a quarter mile) once or twice a week

9th day.

- you weren't tired all the time anymore

3 months.

- you could sit in a regular chair for more than an hour without a donut pillow

Never used a donut pillow. Just a plain old pillow.

- you were used to dilating and it wasn't scary anymore

Can't remember... but I believe around 3 weeks.

- you were totally fed up with dilating

After about one year.

- you weren't having any trouble peeing

10 days later. Had to wear a new catheter.

- you felt like 80% of your normal self again

7th day I felt pretty good.

- you felt like 100% of your normal self again

3 months.

- your incisions had fully healed and become scars.

3-6 months.

- you stopped noticing the swelling

3-4 months.

- your scars weren't obvious anymore

9-12 months.

[Rachel]

I had vagioplasty with Dr. McGinn 11/15/16


- you didn't need narcotic/addictive pain medication anymore
I as not allowed morphine. I had 2 oxycodone pills in the hospital and one or two oxi pills at my sisters she insisted I take.

- you didn't need any pain medication anymore
I did not need any other than the 2 times in the hospital.

- you could walk around without any difficulty or pain
I still have minor pain now. I walk each day since the 2nd week 1/2 mile and now 1.3 miles. I could walk more but there is minor rubbing of the pad on my legs and I do not want a rash there.


- you felt well enough to take a short walk (like, a quarter mile) once or twice a week
2nd week.

- you weren't tired all the time anymore
3rd week.

- you could sit in a regular chair for more than an hour without a donut pillow
Not there yet.

- you were used to dilating and it wasn't scary anymore
End of 2nd beginning of 3rd week.

- you were totally fed up with dilating
Not there yet.

- you weren't having any trouble peeing
After 2nd week. Lean forward.

- you felt like 80% of your normal self again
2nd week

- you felt like 100% of your normal self again
I am 90% now.

- your incisions had fully healed and become scars
My leg incisions are scars. The VJ is still healing.

- you stopped noticing the swelling
I had a catheter for 2 weeks and I started leaking around the catheter at day 11 which means the swelling was down.

- your scars weren't obvious anymore
Not there yet.

[Mariah]

- you didn't need narcotic/addictive pain medication anymore
Day 1, I was taken off Morphine the morning after and given one Oxycodone and that was it. From there it was ice and Tylenol and the Tylenol was for my stiff knee and not due to the SRS area

- you didn't need any pain medication anymore
Day 1. Pain medication from that point was used for my stiffness in the knee. I just used ice.


- you could walk around without any difficulty or pain
For the most part since about two weeks out I have been able to walk around with little to no pain and that level hasn't changed.


- you felt well enough to take a short walk (like, a quarter mile) once or twice a week
Day 8 or 9 in the hospital. I forget which but it was then.

- you weren't tired all the time anymore
I haven't been tired all of the time since about 3 weeks out.

- you could sit in a regular chair for more than an hour without a donut pillow
I haven't used a pillow in a regular chair for the most part since leaving the hospital on Post op day 9. I mainly used it on buses and extremely hard chairs the remaining 2 weeks in Phoenix.

- you were used to dilating and it wasn't scary anymore.
about 3 weeks out.

- you were totally fed up with dilating
First day I started dilating.

- you weren't having any trouble peeing
Before sutures were out. I was already peeing around the cath.

- you felt like 80% of your normal self again
about a month out.

- you felt like 100% of your normal self again
still not there yet

- your incisions had fully healed and become scars
still healing

- you stopped noticing the swelling
swelling has really decreased but never had a ton of it either.

- your scars weren't obvious anymore
not there yet

[Aria94]

Congratulations. I had my surgery last month on the 16th with Chettawut

Hi everyone, I'm scheduled to have vaginoplasty with Dr. McGinn in February. I'm wondering about how long each little stage of recovery takes. For those of you who have had the surgery, how long was it before:

- you didn't need narcotic/addictive pain medication anymore

        I didn't really need them after a week. I healed extremely fast. I guess because I'm 21.

- you didn't need any pain medication anymore

        I didn't need them after a week or so, but I continued to take them for two more weeks. So three weeks or so all together

- you could walk around without any difficulty or pain
     
         10-12 days after surgery she. I made him take my catheter out because I honestly didn't need it anymore. I literally outgrew it lol.

- you felt well enough to take a short walk (like, a quarter mile) once or twice a week

          Once I got my catheter out.

- you weren't tired all the time anymore

          Three weeks, when I arrived back home. I didn't really take any more naps and I was back to normal

- you could sit in a regular chair for more than an hour without a donut pillow

          Personally I hated the donut. I feel it added to the discomfort and squeezed my butt together . I felt more comfortable just sitting on the back of my calves or just sit on the chair and get use to the discomfort so it's not uncomfortable anymore.

- you were used to dilating and it wasn't scary anymore

       It's been a month and a week since surgery and I'm use to dilating now but I still get a little anxious when I have to first insert it and get past the first muscle at the opening. But once it's in, I'm fine and it's actually a little comforting dilation and that "stuffed" feeling you get.

- you were totally fed up with dilating
     
           Since day one lol

- you weren't having any trouble peeing

          I still sprinkle here and there but most days it goes straight.

- you felt like 80% of your normal self again

        7 days after my packing was removed. I feel like I've always had my vagina.

- you felt like 100% of your normal self again

        When catheter was removed

- your incisions had fully healed and become scars

         I don't have any visible scars anywhere

- you stopped noticing the swelling
 
          About three weeks after surgery

- your scars weren't obvious anymore

          Never were


You're welcome loveeee

[Sophia Sage]

The most significant milestone, I think, is about 2 years post-op, when memory of the before-time has faded, such that it becomes a struggle to remember whether you ever had anything else. 

This is something that will sink deep into the soul. 

[karenpayneoregon]

you didn't need narcotic/addictive pain medication anymore
Didn't need them after leaving the hospital, was there for four days. The pain meds worked so well I never had any pain.

you didn't need any pain medication anymore
Left the hospital, no pain meds

you could walk around without any difficulty or pain
To be honest, don't remember but let's say five days post-op

you felt well enough to take a short walk (like, a quarter mile) once or twice a week
I walked from my hotel to the local mall, over a quarter mile each day starting 7 days post-op

you weren't tired all the time anymore
I think it was about two weeks

you could sit in a regular chair for more than an hour without a donut pillow
Roughly a week

you were used to dilating and it wasn't scary anymore
Well only the largest dilator give me the willies but pushed forward and now using one larger with zero issue

you were totally fed up with dilating
Never, know going in what I needed to do

you weren't having any trouble peeing
Never had issues other than occasional spraying

you felt like 80% of your normal self again
As I see it, afterwards I needed to define normal, it's ongoing :-)

you felt like 100% of your normal self again
Same as the last question but safe to say I'm very happy

your incisions had fully healed and become scars
Don't remember

you stopped noticing the swelling
Don't remember

your scars weren't obvious anymore
Don't remember

[Barb99]

I'm 4 weeks post-op

you didn't need narcotic/addictive pain medication anymore
I could probably have gotten by without them after leaving the hospital (3 days post-op) but I took them an hour or so before bedtime just to re-leave the soreness and get to sleep. Still taking them for that (supply runs out in about a week).

you didn't need any pain medication anymore
See above

you could walk around without any difficulty or pain
Has only been difficult the last 3-4 days due to a small tear in the skin from dilation.

you felt well enough to take a short walk (like, a quarter mile) once or twice a week
If it wasn't for that one sore spot, last week would have been ok.

you weren't tired all the time anymore
About 3 weeks post op.

you could sit in a regular chair for more than an hour without a donut pillow
Not yet.

you were used to dilating and it wasn't scary anymore
About 3 weeks into dilation.

you were totally fed up with dilating
At 4 times a day it got old after 2 weeks.

you weren't having any trouble peeing
Other than spraying now and then, no problems.

you felt like 80% of your normal self again
Hopefully next week when my dilation schedule drops to 3 times a day.

you felt like 100% of your normal self again
In two weeks when I return to work?

your incisions had fully healed and become scars
Not yet

you stopped noticing the swelling
I still have some swelling.

your scars weren't obvious anymore
At 4 weeks the incisions are still obvious but not as obvious as I thought they would be. Only about 50% still obvious.

[mszoey]

thanks for posting this and all the responses, im also having one in early feb and this has helped ease my mind