Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hi all. Currently I'm currently dilating twice a day using KY and cleaning up with Betadine afterwards. Consequently my new nethers (surgery was 31 Oct) smell like Betadine, discharge Betadine post-dilation and smell somewhat like urine as I'm still swollen and my stream likes to go different places like inside my vagina. Any suggestions for handling this issue? A different method of cleanup afterwards or a different lubricant for dilation. I'd like to have a nicer scent than Betadine and urine so any info would be most appreciated.

It's still so close after your surgery that you really need to follow the regimen your doc advises. You want to be like your doc's other patients to get the results they know how to work with. After everything is healed inside (or at least no open wounding remains), you'll likely get different direction. Whether you'll be sexually active to where condoms are needed or not will likely drive what lube options then become best.

Two things you could ask your docs about for lube might be Surgilube, and SSD (silversulfadiazene). But I would def agree to go with what your docs suggest, at least for now.

I agree, go with doctor's recommendations. After all, that is who you deal with with any follow ups. I will tell you my regiment for reference. I use Surgilube, bought on the internet. I use mild liquid soap on a finger and never douche. I was told if I wanted to douche, to use water. I have never had any issues. These were doctor's instructions. Again, congrats on getting her done.

I probably should add my experience with douches. (I am 45y post op)  For perhaps the last 10-20 years I douched every morning with very weak vinegar and water. Much to my gyn's objections.   I had long ago stopped dilating...  Been getting slowly increasing rate of UTIs over that period and recently about 1 every 2-3 weeks. very serenditidously(sp?) at/after flexcysto (showed urethra and bladder were very healthy) with trans-aware urologist I discovered/realized it was all coming from my clean vagina.  A little dab of surgilube in there cleared it all.  Of course at that time I jumped back on the wagon and started dilating and that goes on to another (good) story(here), but now if I need to clean myself, I only use water, and do it probably no more often than once every 2-3 weeks. Thought I was clean! LOL. My gyn will have a laugh when I see her again in a year and a half for my 2yr checkup. It did make me realize though, that once we have a vaginoplasty, it's a forever thing, no matter how little we put into it - may be only manitenance dilation, but needs to be something, and i had done nothing. and wondered why urethra opening and clioris were hurting. LOL on me!!!

My Doctor at the Women's Clinic told me today not to ever use Douche. I wish I would have thought to ask her what to do about my own unpleasant scent. I will call tomorrow and ask her.

Quote from: Violet on January 14, 2019, 11:24:07 PM
My Doctor at the Women's Clinic told me today not to ever use Douche. I wish I would have thought to ask her what to do about my own unpleasant scent. I will call tomorrow and ask her.

do let us know please! :)

That's a beautiful pic in your avatar!!!

Quote from: Marcie237 on December 08, 2018, 09:50:55 AM
It did make me realize though, that once we have a vaginoplasty, it's a forever thing, no matter how little we put into it - may be only manitenance dilation, but needs to be something, and i had done nothing. and wondered why urethra opening and clioris were hurting. LOL on me!!!

Hi Marcie
I have a question regarding your comment about "maintenance dilation."
I'm about to hike the Appalachian Trail in April. My plan was to get off trail every 8-10 days or so and get a motel to dilate. I had also planned to take just two of the dilators rather than 3.
FYI, I'm 4 years postop.
Do you think I could get away with taking just one dilator?
Do you think it's necessary to dilate every 8-10 days, or could I go longer?
Friggin dilators + lube add extra weight to my pack.

Quote from: Nina on January 15, 2019, 10:00:26 AM
Hi Marcie
I have a question regarding your comment about "maintenance dilation."
I'm about to hike the Appalachian Trail in April. My plan was to get off trail every 8-10 days or so and get a motel to dilate. I had also planned to take just two of the dilators rather than 3.
FYI, I'm 4 years postop.
Do you think I could get away with taking just one dilator?
Do you think it's necessary to dilate every 8-10 days, or could I go longer?
Friggin dilators + lube add extra weight to my pack.

Sorry, Nina, but of course I wouldn't know, I could only suggest, and it would depend on what you have been able to do in the past, and what type of vaginoplasty you had (this one was 2nd so split thickness skin graft), and, I suppose, just exactly how the doc splits/opened the muscle wall when they do it - some folks seem to have trouble putting in a tiny one right after whereas I had no problem with 1" 45 years later - I am guessing that different docs open the muscle walls in different ways, and some seem to think that dilation alone is going to do it (HA!!!) (OUCH!!!) where apparently mine felt that better open it wider now while I'm under full anesthesia... :)  I do notice that now while I am doing "maintenance" for me(1 1/8 SoulSource)(I was unable to get to 1 1/4 so I will leave that for maybe later) , I find that if I only do it once a day for 1 hour, I quickly notice a bit of difficulty putting it through the muscle, whereas if I do it 2x 1hr a day, the muscle wall is only noticed a little. After 10 days, I am guessing, that for me, I would have to use something that is 7/8 to start.  It totally depends on you as an individual and how quickly your muscle wall contracts. Something you could easily test at home, which I would sure do before you get out on the trail.  (we used to test tents and bags and stuff at home before depending on them on the trail.) You could also think of wearing one at night using a long lasting lube like SSD. Test at home!!! Do let us know what you experience!! :)

Best of luck on your upcoming long trip!!! :)

@Violet I think something might be wrong if your dealing with an odor originating from inside your vagina. I haven't douched in years and there isn't any odor. It could be hair growing inside or possibly an infection. Have it checked out and see if you can locate the source of it as I suspect you have a problem that needs to be addressed.

@Nina You should be far enough out that dilation shouldn't be critical. Probably what you should do is as you have a few months, you should experiment with extending the time between dilations. I don't need to dilate however I would have a temporary loss of size. To regain it I would need to return to a regular dilation schedule of twice a week for a couple of months. After leaving my starting dilator, I have exclusively used one dilator which is 1.5 inches in diameter, once a week. I could probably go longer between dilations however once a week ensures that I don't forget to do it.

The best advice is listen to you body to determine just how much dilation you need to maintain what you have.

Thank you Dena.