Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I know I HAVE to do it, im just wondering, it wont really bother me since I have an unnusually high endurance for pain.

Some it does and others it doesn't.  I never had much pain dilating at all, a bit of discomfort but nothing I would call pain.  Others seem to have a very difficult time, probably something you won't know until the time arrives.

There was a time, between 2 to 3 months after surgery, that it hurt me for a while but my surgeon fully expected this and even gave me advanced warning about it.  Apparently it was just a contraction phase of the healing.  I am all good for dilating now and it doesn't hurt at all.  The general rule is that it hurts because you aren't dilating it enough.

For me it's never been pain, unless I went too deep.  I would use the term "discomfort" to describe it.  Pleasure is only fleeting and never from full penetration.

I'm 33 days post op and "thinking" about dilating usually gives me anxiety. I'm up to the Number 3 dilator and not to eager yet to jump to the number 4 dilator or the final one Number 5.

When i just go dilate, (without thinking) everything is fine and i only experience mild discomfort and no pain.

Close to six weeks since surgery - five dilating. Not been yet any real pain, sometimes fleeting stabs but no real hurties. I often get #4 in there - as for #5, well that one scares me a bit and the doctor says don't worry about it. It's certainly at times been uncomfortable, and most surely a drag; four times a day and you think that the day is one continuous dilation session, with coffee breaks! Just cutting back to three helps a great deal, and another week it goes to two - Yahoo!

As Valerie says, it's the associated trauma that's healing that dilating interacts with. Also as she says,

Quote from: Valeriedances on July 09, 2011, 08:47:08 AM

While it can hurt, knowing you are taking care of your vagina more than makes up for any pain.

That it is, my very own vagina. I am so pleased to be taking care of one that is all mine that all the pain, agravation and, yes, mess are mere inconviences, to be almost cherished. Except for the mess.

Susan Kay

Quote from: Susan Kay on July 09, 2011, 02:09:55 PM
... four times a day and you think that the day is one continuous dilation session, with coffee breaks!

Susan, did anyone tell you how funny you can be? :-)

Axelle

From what I recall, no it didn't hurt. But then I was sexually active shortly after surgery so I didn't actually dilate much and when I did it usually turned into something else  ::)

Quote from: Julie Marie on July 09, 2011, 09:47:24 AM
I would use the term "discomfort" to describe it.

Whenever a doctor says that to me, it sounds like a euphemism.

I am 2 months post-op, i am weaning myself from 5x a day dilation's to 3x a day by doing 3 one day then 4 the next if i am too tight the previous day, i have reached a point where i am getting allot tighter and from what i hear get tighter still, at this point it takes more time to get to full depth using #1, i stay there for 15 minutes then change to #2 for the next 15 minutes, i have a high pain tolerance but do not find dilation painfull.

Paula

Quote from: Axelle on July 10, 2011, 02:51:19 AM
Susan, did anyone tell you how funny you can be? :-)
Axelle

Yes; me.

Actually, probably 15 years ago we got a new Superintendent of Schools. After a fairly short time on the job, he started getting questions about his cutting sense of humor. He responded to the effect of "Yeah, I guess I do have sort of a strange sense of humor, but I amuse myself." I agreed with nothing else he said or did, but that struck me as a useable philosphy.

Sorry for the topic diversion approaching a hijack here. On the subject, yesterday, for the first time approaching five weeks I had no blood on the tip. There may a light at the end of that tunnel! (Did I just write that?)

Susan Kay

For me just a little soreness not really painful. I had the swelling issue 2-3 months in. I've started Dilator #4 and that can be a little bit of an ouch at first but it is getting easier

At almost 4 months post-op, it really depends for me. It takes some work and very small pain to get #2 in, then #3 doesnt take too much but #4 always always always seems to hurt a bit to get in...once it's in there for a good minute or so, it's at least bearable.

There are times though when it hurts LIKE HELL and it doesnt stop hurting till I take it out...but I think some of that is the last of my granulation tissue and silver nitrate treatments too

Quote from: Northern Jane on July 10, 2011, 06:31:32 AM
From what I recall, no it didn't hurt. But then I was sexually active shortly after surgery so I didn't actually dilate much and when I did it usually turned into something else  ::)

Ditto, as I recall, dilating didn't hurt much, was mostly worried about popping a suture.

And for me a dilating session often turned into a masturbating session as well.