Dilation post 6 months

[Megan.]

OK,  so by all accounts it ain't fun at the start, but what is the reality of dilation at 6, 12 or 24+ months. Does it particularly impinge on your life in any meaningful way, or does it just fade into the background?

Would love to hear from those with experience [emoji846]

Tnx. X


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[Dena]

Depending on the doctor, somewhere around a year or two your down to once a week. It goes a little by feel as some are fine with once every two weeks or even more. After some point it's possible to stop dilating and if you return to it, it may take a couple of months  of two or three times a week to recover what you had previously. I went about 10 year without dilating and after a couple of month, I am back were I was after surgery. The main issues is dilating long enough for all of the healing to complete and for the formation of scar tissue to stop. Once you reach that point, it possible to be carless with the dilation schedule as long as your willing to go through a more intense recovery period.

[SadieBlake]

from 6 months I was down to daily, I generally enjoy my dilation, finish with a sex toy. being as aroused as I can makes it a lot easier. Even a little bit tense and it takes longer to insert dilators.

[Maybebaby56]

Hi Megan,

It wasn't fun at the start, no. In fact it was awful. I am now ten months post-op and it has improved to unenjoyable. I am non-orgasmic, so arousal is difficult, although I have experimented with using porn during dilation. It does sometimes help. I have plenty of feeling in my vagina, so it is not a nerve issue. A male friend says I do get wet when he fingers me. On the other hand, my clitoral region seems mostly numb, except when he is right on my clitoris.

My surgeon has a very rigorous dilation schedule (some say insane) that I wasn't able to comply with.  She wanted five times a day, 30 minutes each time, for the first six weeks, and I could barely manage three.  I had to go back to work after six weeks. After three months, she wanted three times a day, and I did two.  After six months she wanted twice a day and I went to once daily.  It still hurts, and I have been around the barn with my surgeon and a gynecological surgeon here in the Washington, DC area who treats transgenders, to no avail. They can't find anything significantly wrong with me.

Ironically, it was a transgender girlfriend of mine who probably found the problem, or least verified what I suspected it could be - a ring of scar tissue where the penile and scrotal grafts were joined. I know scar tissue is often a source of post-operative pain, and I will be asking my surgeon about that when I go for my one-year follow-up in August. Hopefully she can do something, maybe steroid injections or something.

I have just started becoming sexually active, and it is definitely a problem.  Sex hurts, even though I am careful to pick smaller guys. Large cocks are a non-starter for me.  I am only about 4 1/2 inches deep. I can take a green Soul Source dilator, which is what, 1 3/8 inches in diameter?, but it's a struggle. I usually only do the purple and blue ones (you'll have to look up the sizes on line at soulsource.com).  It's a process, for sure.

With kindness,

Terri

[Megan.]

Dena,  Sadie, Terry, thank you all for sharing.

I'm trying to be honest with myself. I know I can stick out alot as long it's not indefinitely. More to mull over!

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[Michelle_P]

I had initially 5 dilations the first day the packing was out, while in hospital, then 4 a day for several weeks, then three, and after about 10 weeks was at 2 a day.  I'm over 8 months out and still at 2 a day.  The schedule calls for 1 a day after a year, and as I recall, 4-5 times a week after that.

The initial several weeks at 4 a day was hard, because of the scheduling dominating my life, but it is easier than most physical rehab schedules I've seen for major injuries.  Once I got to 2 a day it's been pretty straightforward. Get up, start coffee and oatmeal, dilate, tidy up, go have breakfast.  At bedtime, strip down, dilate, clean up, put on sleep ware, etc.  It's about as onerous as brushing and flossing, just another 15 minutes (plus 3 for setup and takedown) each morning and evening.

I'm just using the largest dilator in my kit, the Orange Soul Source one.  That's the only one I take when I travel.  My kit includes paper towels, a chux pad that I can put a paper towel atop and usually re-use, 'flushable' baby wipes, my lube of choice (SurgiLube), and a travel mirror with light.  I've dilated in sleeping bags and in the back of vans.   [emoji50] 

It became less uncomfortable once I got past the 2 month point where scar tissue contraction tries to shrink things, and is now no big deal.  Sensation is returning to much of the region as healing goes on. 

My biggest issue is the missing clitoral hood, so I can have some chafing during the day which leads to soreness at night.  I really, REALLY need a revision, AKA Stage 2 surgery.  (I had an early attempt at single stage, and I was one of the 1 in 4 that it failed for, with the clitoral hood and labia minor vanishing like rolled up window shades in the first 2 months.)

[Rachel]

I had some issues with my first operation. My graft did not take on the bottom front part and I had a ring. My urethra had to be repositioned and the bottom of my vagina made and vagina made deeper. Granulation was an issue too. I had GCS, an in office clitoral hood made (not bad) and a second operation. I am extremely happy with my vagina now.

I just started with T (first blood test and I am not detectable and started to use a bit more 150%). T helps with libido, yup. I need it for bone health because I am on an anti viral and it can soften bone, so I had to use T. My  prostate had disappeared so I need some T to make it come back a bit. 

Dr. McGinn had me dilate 5 times a day. I want back to work at 3.5 weeks and dilated in my office twice a day. Once when I awoke, once when I got home and once at bed time. At 6 weeks it was 3 times a day and at 6 months 1  time a day.

I was able to go to orange very quickly. I had I thing 3.5 inches to start ( I was 2 weeks no dilation and 1 week just placing the dilator in the canal but no pushing). My scar tissue contracted and orange cause tears every time. I used prescription hydroquarterzone cream and still do. I had steroid injections several times and they helped. The rework got rid of all the scar tissue and dilation is a non-issue, just a full feeling. My vaginal canal is very soft and warm and well what it should be .

Anyhow, I got through dilation and the rework. I managed the pain and the disappointment. Now I am very happy with the results. The rework was more than I thought it was going to be but less than GCS.

My anterior scars hyper pigmented and had not changed much in color. We do not know why. I have two posterior scars from the second operation. Dr. McGinn gave me a free butt lift. She removed a lot of extra skin I had and moved a lot of skin to finish the bottom of my vagina. Many thanks for the butt lift She got rid of a lot of stretch marks.

I was mid way between the 5th and 6th dot on orange before my last operation. I was at 4 dots after my second operation. I was 2 weeks with no dilation. Orange caused blood and pain but I have been through worse (not too funny story some day I will share). Anyhow I am about 5.25 dots on orange now. That is the wet line on the dilator (TMI I am sorry). Because I lost depth when my vagina was created ( the vagina is open area and does not cause a wet line where before there was skin there).  I am deeper now than before I had my rework. I would estimate 1.5 inches at least of open area where there was once skin.

Dilation is not fun. It is a job for me with a point to gain depth. I apply force and keep it constant with an occasional slight twist. My goal is 6 dots wet at the dot and I will get it. It takes time and consistent force. One thing to keep in mind is the angel.  Be very carful of the angle the dilators are placed when you apply force. My vaginal canal goes past the pelvic bone and angles upward a bit. Do not cause a tear in your rectal canal. Follow your doctors instructions. Do not angle to your rectum !

I think Dr. McGinn should have T shirts at the 6 week checkup that say I survived 6 times a day for 6 weeks.

  I survived
6 times a day
  for 6 weeks
       

Funny story, I travel for work a few times a year and I put my dilators and lube in my carry on. I love it when TSA takes my purple and orange dilators (5 minutes purple and 25 minutes orange a day) out of the purple sleeve and hold them up and ask what are these. I look them in the eye and say my vaginal dilators. That ends the TSA inspection every time. The looks on their faces are priceless. Seriously though, why do they not pull me aside and ask.

[Megan.]

Michelle/Rachel, some very useful detail thank you! The travelling thing is something I've wondered about, and also the practicality of fitting in dilation around the care of my two small children and a career.

In the UK, the standard seems to be three times a day at the start, so six certainly deserves a t-shirt!

Hugs. X

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