Dilating Advice - is 4x really necessary

[sweetc]

Hello all,

So I recently underwent GRS about 4 weeks ago and started dilating about 3, my surgeon says that I need to dilate 4x a day for 15 mins each. And I don't know about anyone else but that is a huge nuisance because it totally limits what I can do and weather or not I can hang with friends. I would say that I basically have healed I feel great have my energy back and dont really experience pain. So I was curious as if anyone like knows or has advice about how I can somehow be able to go out and doing things without being limited because I have to dilate? My current schedule is 8am, 1pm, 6pm,10pm, its mostly the 1pm and 6pm that get in the way.

[AnonyMs]

I believe that your body will tell you how much and how often you need to dilate. If things start getting tight and difficult you need to dilate more, otherwise you can experiment with less. The early months are however really critical.

Suporn's dynamic dilation is said to be good for helping things along, just not too early in recovery.

[Dena]

Can some get away with two dilations a day? I did but I didn't intend on doing it. Between sleeping 12 hours a day and holding down a job, I was so exhausted that I didn't even bother to eat dinner at night as I would fall asleep dilating. On the weekends, I would crank out the required numbers and take a little better care of myself.  Was it a smart thing to do? No, and when I lost my job after about a month, I returned to the surgeons schedule. I was very luck that no permeant harm came out of it.

The first year is very critical if you want a functional vagina as scar tissue may form and if it does, it will be difficult to overcome or you may require a second surgery. If you wish to alter the surgeons instruction, talk with your surgeon. At the moment, it's more important that you have proper follow up care than hang out with your friends. If you really want to visit with your friends, see if they can visit at your house or if they have a spare bedroom you can borrow to do your dilation in. On the other hand, you will soon be able to reduce your dilation schedule and you will be able to get your life back.

[elkie-t]

How about doing it at 7am, 11am, 5pm and before bed?


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[Rachel]

I had 5 dilations a day for 30 minutes for the first 3 months. 3/day 3 months to 6 months then 2/day.

I had scar tissue contraction between the 2 and 4 month period which hurt very bad ( I had tears in my eyes and used breathing to get through it) and used a prescription cream to expand the scars. I have no issue today with dilation. 

[Gamergirl]

After surgery, I was told to dilate twice a day for 15 minutes each.  I did it for a month and a half, but now i just dilate once a day for 30 minutes.

Cant speak for anyone else, but nothing bad has happened.  I went up a size in dilators, and currently on a #2. In a couple months ill try the #3 and it will probably be as high as I want to go.

[warlockmaker]

Surgeons differ on this and I know PAI has 20 mins 2x a day. I know Chett requires 3x but the girls I know quickly switched to 2. Dena has a very important point about scar tissue, if you have alot then maybe 4x is necessary but do discuss this openly with your surgeon.

[xFreya]

Surgeons differ on this and I know PAI has 20 mins 2x a day. I know Chett requires 3x but the girls I know quickly switched to 2. Dena has a very important point about scar tissue, if you have alot then maybe 4x is necessary but do discuss this openly with your surgeon.

PAI said 30 mins 2x a day to me. But I sometimes cut short at 20 minutes if I'm in a hurry.

Does dilation help with scar tissue?

After surgery, I was told to dilate twice a day for 15 minutes each.  I did it for a month and a half, but now i just dilate once a day for 30 minutes.

Cant speak for anyone else, but nothing bad has happened.  I went up a size in dilators, and currently on a #2. In a couple months ill try the #3 and it will probably be as high as I want to go.

That PAI #3 seems huge anyway I get scared when I look at it 

[warlockmaker]

"That PAI #3 seems huge anyway I get scared when I look at it  "

The PAI #3 is equivalent to Chetts # 4. My girlfriends used to hang the # 3 on the wall to give them motivation. Best to be able to use # 3 and have comfortable sex. I took 6 months to get to #3.

[xFreya]

"That PAI #3 seems huge anyway I get scared when I look at it  "

The PAI #3 is equivalent to Chetts # 4. My girlfriends used to hang the # 3 on the wall to give them motivation. Best to be able to use # 3 and have comfortable sex. I took 6 months to get to #3.

I'll try it eventually, I'm taking it slow

[jasmine891]

I'm a Brassard girl and really struggling with the 4th dilation. My body seems to shut down after the third and since leaving the clinic I believe I've done 4 dilations maybe 3 days, out of 6. Any advice?

[Nina]

I'm a Brassard girl and really struggling with the 4th dilation. My body seems to shut down after the third and since leaving the clinic I believe I've done 4 dilations maybe 3 days, out of 6. Any advice?

First, congrats on surgery with Brassard. Isn't his team/facility awesome?
Yeah, the first few months dilation are not fun. Between the dilutions, sitz baths, showeres and douching...hard to believe I had time to eat. It does it get better. I'm now 3 years post op...and even once a week sucks. There are times I wish I could do dilutions say every two weeks...but I hate to go off the schedule.

[HappyMoni]

My opinion is dilation is really most beneficial when done before the cement sets up. In other words, I wanted to get my depth and width established before healing was complete and maybe things were  harder to change from scar tissue forming or whatever. This is why I didn't mind the crazy 1/2 hour, 5 times  a day that McGinn wants. Well, at least while I was off work. I am now comfortable with #4 and suspect my pattern is set for the future. Hopefully. I do 3 times now, 4 if I can. Then again I don't mind dilating cause I am kinda nuts. 
Moni

[Gail20]

I'm coming up on 5 weeks this Friday.  I get in 4 everyday. Its gotten much tighter the last 10 days and the bottom of my vagina is pretty sore, but I still get maximum depth. It just takes maybe a minute longer.

I'm a bit concerned that I'm so tight. I think I could have actually started with a larger one.  I'm a bit concerned about stepping up in a week or two.

I am in the habit of dilating and them going to bed and sleeping for 10 hours. When I wake I dilate first thing but there's 10 hours between these dilations. . .  wondering if I need to wake-up to dilate earlier so I don't have this huge gap. . . .

[jasmine891]

Ive just extended my dilation time, not sure where Ill be at 5 weeks post op, as Im a little over two now, but Im happy with my results from having extended by time by almost double.
The first dilation is always the toughest, not sure its worth losing sleepover. Just take a pain med, 30 min before, ice, relax and get to it, and perhaps do it longer, to reestablish the muscle memory from the day before.

[jasmine891]

Is the bottom of your vagina sore cause the skin took longer to close up, due to the constant stretching from dilating?

I'm coming up on 5 weeks this Friday.  I get in 4 everyday. Its gotten much tighter the last 10 days and the bottom of my vagina is pretty sore, but I still get maximum depth. It just takes maybe a minute longer.

I'm a bit concerned that I'm so tight. I think I could have actually started with a larger one.  I'm a bit concerned about stepping up in a week or two.

I am in the habit of dilating and them going to bed and sleeping for 10 hours. When I wake I dilate first thing but there's 10 hours between these dilations. . .  wondering if I need to wake-up to dilate earlier so I don't have this huge gap. . . .

[Gail20]

Its a bit raw.  Seems to be all healed just tired of being stretched 4X a day I guess. I've been putting Aquaphor on it as instructed and that seems to make it a little better. . .

[Gamergirl]

I would not recommend it for people who have recently undergone surgery, but hydrocortizone spray has been absolutely invaluable to fixing the sharp pains and strange skin occurances down below,  during dilation.  I dont know if I had granulation, or maybe scarring, or stretching wounds.. but things were getting worse very quickly until I used the spray. There are no knowledgable doctors where I live, so I was kind of on my own.

I dont recommend it for people newly postop because the spray is known to disolve stitches and that would be horrific and dangerous.

Hope this helps someone, like it did me. 

[Gail20]

I just stepped up after 5 weeks to the Blue dilator. I can get it in but it takes me about 15 minutes to get it in and I lost about half a Dot. The width is not a problem, just the depth. Wondering if I should go back to the 1st Dilator

[Dena]

I just stepped up after 5 weeks to the Blue dilator. I can get it in but it takes me about 15 minutes to get it in and I lost about half a Dot. The width is not a problem, just the depth. Wondering if I should go back to the 1st Dilator

Make sure your keeping about 4 pounds of pressure on the dilator. You should be healed enough that you can be a bit more forceful though you aren't ready for sex yet. A big problem is that we are worried about hurting or hurting something so we don't use the pressure needed to get all the depth. I am fully healed but it still takes about a minute to get everything properly stretched out when I dilate.