Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I'm 3 months post op and I still haven't fully healed. I know that some people heal quicker than others.

I'm just wondering, does anyone know the max time for being fully healed?

The reason I am asking is because according to my surgery guidelines it says that sexual intercourse can happen 3 months after grs gently and slowly but i'm not healed so it wouldn't be a possibility for me yet.

i didn't really want to have sex until about 6 months after surgery, despite being cleared at 3 months. don't be surprised if it takes a year to get back to feeling entirely normal, i know little things still felt a bit off until then.

This is scary. If in 3 months I don't heal my 'business' will go bankrupt!  :o

Quote from: transtrender on October 03, 2013, 02:23:58 PM
i didn't really want to have sex until about 6 months after surgery, despite being cleared at 3 months. don't be surprised if it takes a year to get back to feeling entirely normal, i know little things still felt a bit off until then.

Thanks for this transtrender. I still don't feel 100% normal at the moment but anyway, there's no rush lol

My surgeon gave three months, too, and I was still too generally tender down there to even think of it. I had confirmation from my GP that I was basically fully healed by four months, if that helps.

I also had some issues with chafing the delicate skin raw that weren't a case of *not* healing, per se, but were darned uncomfortable! I'd say six months is around when I started to feel like everything was solidly ready for more "enthusiastic" activity, too.

I just hit my six month post mark yesterday. I am now just thinking i might give it a try if it is done very slow. I still hate the dilations but my mind is starting to feel i have healed enough to maybe give it a try.

Healing after surgery total, i mean where the body is done trying to fix anything could take up to 2 years.
When i seen my doctor at my 4 month post mark and he said everything was healing well and to the point if i wanted it was ok for sex.

It comes down to how you feel. You kinda know how the dilations feel. Sex will be more out of your control so you kinda have to judge your own body to the known act. If it is to soon and you damage something it will take even longer to get things back in healing order.

Izzy

Quote from: mind is quiet now on October 03, 2013, 05:44:31 PM
I just hit my six month post mark yesterday. I am now just thinking i might give it a try if it is done very slow. I still hate the dilations but my mind is starting to feel i have healed enough to maybe give it a try.

Healing after surgery total, i mean where the body is done trying to fix anything could take up to 2 years.
When i seen my doctor at my 4 month post mark and he said everything was healing well and to the point if i wanted it was ok for sex.

It comes down to how you feel. You kinda know how the dilations feel. Sex will be more out of your control so you kinda have to judge your own body to the known act. If it is to soon and you damage something it will take even longer to get things back in healing order.

Izzy

I honestly don't think I've healed fully to have sex. It might take me 2 years to fully heal but its not surprising due to two minor complications I had after my surgery. e.g. A prolapse and a right labia haematoma too. I can still dilate even with the large one but the scarring hasn't gone yet either from the haematoma, hopefully it heals on its own though without the need to go for further surgery. I've an appointment to see the surgeon again on Monday, so I will mention all my concerns etc... to him then.

I gyno said that it takes 6 months to get back to normal and the way I'm healing I can believe her on it. X)

Thanks for your answers, I appreciate it  :)   It might also depend on what technique the surgeon did that determines the length of time for healing, mine was a penile inversion that was performed on me.  Oh well, i'm in no rush for sex because that's last on my agenda for now lol

Just an update on the scar from the haematoma. Its fully healed up now, with the help of salted baths i'd imagine and its just got a pink/reddish line. I'm to have surgery to fix the prolapse & to see what depth I've got too once i'm under anaesthetic. I'll start to use anti scar cream then, since I feel that it will be okay to do so. Things are getting better, slowly but surely  :) 

I'd +1 the 6 month healing period. After 3 months I was maybe 80% there... but by 6 months it was almost completely back to preop status as far as physical stuff went.

Quote from: JennX on October 22, 2013, 10:33:20 PM
I'd +1 the 6 month healing period. After 3 months I was maybe 80% there... but by 6 months it was almost completely back to preop status as far as physical stuff went.

JennX that's good that your fully healed now. Patience is the key to see the final result  :)

My hospital discharge packet said intercourse was possible and not dangerous after 6 weeks, and could replace one dilation per session. (At 6 weeks I was at 3 dilations per day.)  It did not happen that way for the obvious reason, no partner.  Full healing of the deep tissue was not absolutely necessary for me though per written orders.  I wish I had had a chance to test it out, but oh no!!  Dilation is now like brushing my hair, which can be a bit of a tangle too, but no serious healing issues. 

I'd also agree 6 months, but my doc said 1 year to be fully healed, at 3.5 I started having intercourse, I'm now 7 months p/o and wow what a difference from then to now, the body is very amazing in how it jumps back, but this is considering no problems , etc .
I also take a large regimen of vitamins and am watched over by 3 doctors pretty much so it might be a contributing factor.

I will note as everyday, week and month pass it just seems to be getting better  :laugh: :o ;D

Quote from: calico on October 23, 2013, 07:01:27 PM
I'd also agree 6 months, but my doc said 1 year to be fully healed, at 3.5 I started having intercourse, I'm now 7 months p/o and wow what a difference from then to now, the body is very amazing in how it jumps back, but this is considering no problems , etc .
I also take a large regimen of vitamins and am watched over by 3 doctors pretty much so it might be a contributing factor.

I will note as everyday, week and month pass it just seems to be getting better  :laugh: :o ;D

What vitamins do you take? Might give them a try if it helps with healing  :)

Quote from: nessa76 on October 24, 2013, 09:15:33 PM
What vitamins do you take? Might give them a try if it helps with healing  :)

I take b-complex, omega 3 6 9 complex, 2000iu vit d, iron, I was taking collagen but stoped because I was said it can cause additional scar tissue.
The vit b complex and iron was told for me to take because of anemia, the vitmin d was because I was very deficient, 3 6 9 complex was recomended for breast health collagen was for support bon and nails but it can cause scar tissue overgrowth, and I pretty much drink 3 to 4 bottles of vitamin water zero a day and eat lots of fruits an also eat vitamin c drops
Be careful of just grabbing vitamins as if take something your body doesn't need it can make you sick, such as the high vit d and iron, these are not for everyone , I would ask your doc/endo for recemendations.

I'm sorry if you already addressed this issue, but I would say if you happen to smoke, quit. I was horrified to see many fresh post SRS girls when I had my procedure with dr suporn (an otherwise brilliant experience, btw) outside on the deck of the hotel puffing away as though they had not been thoroughly warned against doing so! Nothing is as bad for healing as cigarettes, because it constricts capillaries, without which you cannot heal, period. Anywhoodle, hope this was a needless rant! :D

Quote from: GendrKweer on October 27, 2013, 01:17:35 PM
I'm sorry if you already addressed this issue, but I would say if you happen to smoke, quit. I was horrified to see many fresh post SRS girls when I had my procedure with dr suporn (an otherwise brilliant experience, btw) outside on the deck of the hotel puffing away as though they had not been thoroughly warned against doing so! Nothing is as bad for healing as cigarettes, because it constricts capillaries, without which you cannot heal, period. Anywhoodle, hope this was a needless rant! :D

I saw the same as well, and also I bet its one of the main reasons for post op complication. So yea for anyone out there that smokes. Don't blame your doc if you get complication!

Quote from: mind is quiet now on October 03, 2013, 05:44:31 PM
It comes down to how you feel. You kinda know how the dilations feel. Sex will be more out of your control so you kinda have to judge your own body to the known act. If it is to soon and you damage something it will take even longer to get things back in healing order.

It can and will take up to a year to fully heal, I was over 14 months till I had sex with my boyfriend, the first few times I was very nervous he would do damage as I had a little bleeding, Izzy is correct, sex is very much out of our control, I was lucky I had an understanding boyfriend that was gentle, a year or more may seem a long time, but its worth the wait getting things right.

Quote from: pretty pauline on October 28, 2013, 05:16:43 PM
It can and will take up to a year to fully heal, I was over 14 months till I had sex with my boyfriend, the first few times I was very nervous he would do damage as I had a little bleeding, Izzy is correct, sex is very much out of our control, I was lucky I had an understanding boyfriend that was gentle, a year or more may seem a long time, but its worth the wait getting things right.

I totally understand this, sex is last on my agenda for now because I need revision surgery to correct the few complications I have. To the comment above made by Gendrkweer & Calico, I do smoke which is bad I know. I think I should give up, luckily I do have lozengers & patches too, so I better start giving up.

Calico, I've not blamed the surgeon for my complications. Apart from the few complications, he has done a good job as far as i'm concerned  :)

I wonder what complications you mention.  I took a long time to heal, due to complications.  I had wound dehiscence and healed by Secondary Intention, rather than the preferable Primary Intention.   I was significantly overweight, and this increases wound healing problems, so I'm told.   As someone said here, smoking hampers healing.  Being overweight can also hinder healing.  Exercise is proven to assist with wound healing, and also a healthy diet will help you heal.   If you are overweight currently, it may not be encouraged to lose weight whilst healing.  You will need nutrients, and calorie-restricted diets may not  give you all you need.   Could you get a referral to a dietician perhaps?  Or maybe you eat healthily?   I hope this helps you.   

  do bear in mind that everyone heals differently and there are several factors which affect this.    Could you maybe be more specific on your problems?     Hope you are ok.

Quote from: nessa76 on October 29, 2013, 07:01:33 PM
Calico, I've not blamed the surgeon for my complications. Apart from the few complications, he has done a good job as far as i'm concerned  :)

I am sorry I didn't mean that to seem as though it was directed at you, it was posted more as a general knowledge post, as gendrkweer noted it restricts capalaries, which in turn starves the healing tissue of much needed oxygen and other nutrients and can cause necrosis. I have heard on occasion of a horror story abouts ones exprience and how they had complication including necrosis, where the doctor was blamed, the people were all smokers

Quote from: calico on October 29, 2013, 07:41:20 PM
I am sorry I didn't mean that to seem as though it was directed at you, it was posted more as a general knowledge post, as gendrkweer noted it restricts capalaries, which in turn starves the healing tissue of much needed oxygen and other nutrients and can cause necrosis. I have heard on occasion of a horror story abouts ones exprience and how they had complication including necrosis, where the doctor was blamed, the people were all smokers

That's bad luck for them but your right, the surgeon isn't to blame because its self inflicted by smoking  :)  Sounds hypocritical of me to say it but I know its true. I will definitely give up smoking, with the help of willpower as well as patches etc...

I know that the complications I have can be fixed somehow  :)

I know it weren't directed at me, as in you having a go but you are right in the knowledge you have regarding this issue  :)

Smoking is a huge complication for any surgery, and as Yul Brinner (famous bald actor) said (before he died) "just don't do it"

Yul never had a sex change, but he died of lung cancer from smoking and he knew smoking was going to be the cause of his death.

Any surgical procedure is going to be followed with post-op recommendations.  Smoking is such a big no-no because it robs the blood supply of so much oxygen and nutrients.  Your body needs those...

Smoking has so many negative outcomes.

A cream such as Premarin will keep vaginas healthy and reasonably nourished, whether you are active or not.

When I had intercourse the pain was so lovely I enjoyed it LOL (after surgery)

Smoking's true damage is not just in the diminished oxygen in the blood; it constricts, hardens and inhibits capillary health. Without those little blood vessels, healing is not possible. I smoked for two decades before quitting four months prior to SRS. It's been 19 months or so of being quits, and I credit my surgery for saving my life, as this is the only think I could have imagined quitting for!

I didn't see a narrow definition of healed.  With that said It took the better part of two years to fell 100% normal.