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Now that I am past 3 weeks from surgery, the focus of my daily life has shifted from the surgery itself and immediate aftercare to dilation. It is now the center of my world, something I think about from waking to bedtime.

I am amazed at how much time I spend on dilation preparation, dilation itself, cleaning and restocking all the materials, bathing, air drying, additional care for my fourchette wound requiring me to be on my back for extended time, dressing, eating, resting, then repeating the process again and again throughout the day and evening. It is all consuming, at least for now.

I do have discomfort when dilating at this stage. I have found that lubrication is my friend. One thing I am trying to find a good solution for is the best method for applying gel to the dilator. The recommended way is to put some on the tip without touching the dilator with your hand. I found this to be very inefficient, so much of the gel hits the sides of my labia and is wasted.

So I decided to scrub my hands extra well and spread the gel manually on the dilator. This is helping me tremendously, I am much more comfortable and am obtaining depth easier.

Does anyone have a better way to apply the lubricant? The concern using the hands is bacteria. My Dr. office did approve as long as I wash my hands well.

Thanks,

Valerie

Quote from: Valeriedances on May 13, 2010, 08:09:21 PM

I am amazed at how much time I spend on dilation preparation, dilation itself, cleaning and restocking all the materials, bathing, air drying, additional care for my fourchette wound requiring me to be on my back for extended time, dressing, eating, resting, then repeating the process again and again throughout the day and evening. It is all consuming, at least for now.

Hi Valerie What are you doing to tend to the Fourchette wound and how long did Dr. Brassard say it would take to heal?

Quote from: Valeriedances on May 13, 2010, 08:32:38 PM
The only thing to do is keep it dry as much as possible and let it heal on it's own. It's a fairly common complication.

What I am doing specifically is spending alot of time in bed on my back letting the ceiling fan keep it dry. Since I figured that out yesterday it is healing faster. It is no longer raw or bleeding, but begun growing some tissue. I put a pillow under me so there is no drainage from the vagina hitting it. Once I get up of the bed, though, all bets are off, heh.

With all the dilation it is impossible to keep it dry. I do the best I can, after each dilation I go back to drying it out again. I am spending alot of time in bed.

Dr. Brassard's office told me it could take 4-6 weeks.

Does the stretching from dilating affect it at all?  Couldn't you put some of that liquid band-aid on it?

Valerie,
I'm sorry I missed this thread.  I hope you are healing well.  Between the BA and torn fourchette, you have a lot more to contend with than I do.

I have a big knot of stitches at my fourchette.  Sometimes I brush against it when inserting the dilator (#3) and sometimes not.  (It stings when I do.)  I think the advice to keep it clean and dry is probably best.  My nurse said to keep the whole area as dry as possible (hence cotton panties instead of nylon, etc.).  My daughter told me that when she was young her mother told her not to wear panties to bed because "you've got to let that stuff air out."  I have been sleeping without anything around there other than the sheets and blankets.  (I've gotten a little staining of the bottom sheet, but Spray'n Wash takes care of it.)

The way I was taught to put the lube on has worked for me.  I have never gotten binding of the dilator due to a dry area.  I put a ring of Surgilube around the dilator just below the curve of the tip.  I then put a dollop of Metrogel about the size of a pea on the tip.  Then I take a clean finger and gently smooth it all out so it is even, covering the top inch and a half of the dilator with gel less than an eighth inch thick, wiping the excess that ends up on my finger on a clean paper towel.  I sometimes but not always get a dribble of excess when I insert the dilator.

I hope this helps.

- Kate

I had the same concerns when I was dilating. The lube wasn't spreading properly but I didn't want to touch the dilator with my bare fingers. My solution was to buy a big box of food handling gloves (you can get them in boxes of 100 from the supermarket) and just wear one to spread the lube. It's worked for me so far.

Good luck with the healing Valerie, I hope it gets better soon!

Quote from: Valeriedances on May 15, 2010, 09:28:28 PM


I am getting granulation tissue growing there now, I don't know if that is good or not. It doesn't look right at the moment. Will see how it heals in a few days then I will update my Dr. office with a new pic. I don't know why they couldn't re-sew it when I was there, but then I'm not a medical professional. Dr. B. told me at the time it would trap germs if he did something then.

Granulation tissue is a good sign--it means that the wound is healing

The appearance of granulation tissue is a good sign. When a wound starts granulating, it means that the body is starting to rebuild after the injury. This highly fibrous tissue is usually pink because the body produces numerous small blood vessels to provide a supply of oxygen and nutrients to remove waste. It is also commonly bumpy and uneven, and may be moist to the touch. In the beginning, granulation tissue can look reddened and irritated, but this is simply because of the numerous blood vessels it contains.

In the case of proud flesh, the tissue overgrows. Doctors often treat this problem with topical applications which cauterize the granulation tissue so that it will stop growing, encouraging the body to move on to the next stage in healing. Sometimes more aggressive tactics such as surgery to remove the excess tissue may be necessary, depending on the specifics of the situation. A doctor can evaluate a given case and determine the most appropriate course for treatment.

I'd call Brassards office on Monday and let him advise you on the next plan of action.  The important thing is to let the area breathe because the cells that develop granulation tissue need oxygen to create the extracellular matrix which is necessary for wound healing--so sleep raw honey.  Your body needs collagen and one of the precursors to collagen in the body is vitamin c.  So , if you have supplements, high doses are fine as vit c is water soluable.  Time released ascorbic acid should not be taken in high doses as it is fat soluable

hi hope your doing well   I  use a small shampo bottle (travel size) with a cap and mineral oil and i drizzle some on the lower half of the dialator over a small glass to catch the extra this works for me both at home and when I had to do it at work  glad that part is overwith  any way give it a try hope it works for you
bethany

Quote from: Valeriedances on May 26, 2010, 09:53:49 PM
I'm returning to work next week after the holiday. I think I'll be ready.

It sounds like you are, Valerie.  Congratulations! :eusa_dance:  (Oh.  Work?  Really?)

- Kate

Quote from: bethanypahl on May 26, 2010, 08:49:48 PM
hi hope your doing well   I  use a small shampo bottle (travel size) with a cap and mineral oil and i drizzle some on the lower half of the dialator over a small glass to catch the extra this works for me both at home and when I had to do it at work  glad that part is overwith  any way give it a try hope it works for you
bethany

I use the same method, and rather than cases of K-Y I got a couple $8 quart bottles of pure mineral oil (the drinkable kind) which at the rate I'm using it should last me several months lol I use my hands to oil up the dilator after cleaning them with Germ-X (kills 99.9% of germs) and touching nothing else.

Dr. McGinn took her first look with the speculum today and told me everything looked really good in there, which was a relief.

I'm curious about the messiness of mineral oil, too.

Quote from: Valeriedances on July 08, 2010, 08:41:41 PM
My surgeon came by my room several times before I left Montreal but there was no internal exam. Just a quick check, how are you feeling, do you have any questions sort of thing.

Me too.  The only ones who've looked at all were the nurse who unpacked me and my family doctor when I thought I wasn't healing properly - and both of those just looked at the outside.  No one's looked inside, but it feels great so I'm not concerned.  (But it would have been nice to have the surgeon review her work, y'know? :-\)

- Kate

Quote from: K8 on July 08, 2010, 08:58:40 PM
(But it would have been nice to have the surgeon review her work, y'know? :-\)

I wonder if any of the Thai doctors do?

the messiness is not that bad. I dribble the oil on the dilator from a little dispenser bottle over a small plastic cup (really only a few drops drip off) and then smooth it around with my index and middle finger. I then use a feminine wipe or a clean paper towel to wipe my fingers, which is easy. Right now it's taking me about 5-7 minutes to achieve full depth with the #2, then the rest of 30 minutes just pushing on it. I'm still pretty sore down there but it is getting better, and the mineral oil seems to be working just fine for lubrication.

Also right now I'm getting into this whole feminine energy aspect of dilation, and how it represents such a passive acceptance into your body yet with the quiet strength required just to get through it 5 times a day. Hope that doesn't sound too dumb but what I mean is, it's really great just to be here.

Over the long term, mineral oil (or anything else not meant as a female personal lubricant) *may* be a bad idea. From what I understand, post-SRS you ladies begin to develop mucosal tissue on the inside similar to what other women are born with, and oil in general is bad for that tissue, like any fluid that's not a water-based pH-balanced body-fluid mimic.

But in the short term after SRS, you probably want to use whatever reduces irritation the most, so if that's an oil and your doctor's ok with it, it's probably fine.

actually mineral oil is the only thing Dr. Mcginn wants her patients to use. She says other lubricants such as K-Y can dry in there and cause a buildup over time. Mineral oil is absorbed into the skin but you're right Kyril, too much of anything is prolly not good and I would love to become self lubricating! lol

Quote from: FairyGirl on July 09, 2010, 05:33:30 AM
Also right now I'm getting into this whole feminine energy aspect of dilation, and how it represents such a passive acceptance into your body yet with the quiet strength required just to get through it 5 times a day. Hope that doesn't sound too dumb but what I mean is, it's really great just to be here.

I hadn't thought of it that way, Chloe, but you're right.  It doesn't sound at all dumb to me - I know what you mean and agree.  I think that it is in a way related to that little secret nod that women exchange - that acknowledgment that I've experienced from other women that I never got when I was pretending to be a guy.  You are a wise woman, Chloe.

And the tenderness will moderate and then disappear.  And then... >:-)

- Kate

When I was using the smaller dilators they slid right in until I hit a ring of tissue about 4 inches in.  Once past that they would slide in the rest of the way no problem.  With the #4 I have problems toward the beginning – more like muscles for the tops of my thighs that I need to relax – and then it slides in pretty well with a little tightness through the ring until about half an inch from full depth.  Then I spin it, kind of screwing it in, and can hold it in place.  If I don't keep pressure on it then it comes out about a quarter inch.  I'm at full depth at the end of the insertion process, which takes perhaps a minute.

(I think the ring of tissue about four inches in may be the end of my penile tissue and the beginning of tissue from the scrotum.  There seems to be more room – more girth – available past that point.  If I try to spin the dilator before passing that point it hurts, but after that it just feels ... interesting – neither bad nor wonderful.)

In the beginning of the process, I have to aim the dilator down.  Once it gets started, it slides more horizontally with a downward slant.  I kind of let it find its own way.

I don't know if any of this is helpful to you, Valerie.  Are you still getting pain or tenderness from your fissure?  My clitoris still has a bit of white tissue on its tip and the hood is still a bit swollen, but the rest of the stuff is feeling pretty natural now.  I think any tenderness/pain from your fissure will go away eventually as the tissue heals.

- Kate

K8, that ring of tissue is where the penile skin graft meets the scrotal graft, it is one area that can retract and cause issues if not properly dilated to full depth. I recently found, after struggling with my #3 for weeks, that it was all about the angle I was sitting at. I always had a difficult time with getting number three in, often taking five minutes or so. Now, in a more reclined position, with less or almost no tension on abdominal and pelvic muscles, the dilator slips right in without pain and without occasional bleeding.

Valerie, the resistance you experience right as you insert the dilator is in fact a ring of muscles. Those are the muscles that gave me a lot of resistance until I found the current position that I am using now. I prop up a few pillows on my bed, and dilate while at about a 30 degree angle, and my legs slightly apart and bent about 45 degrees. This seems to be ideal and allows for the most effortless insertion of my dilators.

Quote from: katgirl74 on July 09, 2010, 09:35:27 PM
K8, that ring of tissue is where the penile skin graft meets the scrotal graft, it is one area that can retract and cause issues if not properly dilated to full depth. I recently found, after struggling with my #3 for weeks, that it was all about the angle I was sitting at. I always had a difficult time with getting number three in, often taking five minutes or so. Now, in a more reclined position, with less or almost no tension on abdominal and pelvic muscles, the dilator slips right in without pain and without occasional bleeding.

Valerie, the resistance you experience right as you insert the dilator is in fact a ring of muscles. Those are the muscles that gave me a lot of resistance until I found the current position that I am using now. I prop up a few pillows on my bed, and dilate while at about a 30 degree angle, and my legs slightly apart and bent about 45 degrees. This seems to be ideal and allows for the most effortless insertion of my dilators.

How do you know you've gone as far as you can go?

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Post Merge: July 10, 2010, 06:42:45 AM

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Quote from: Kristyn on July 09, 2010, 09:49:15 PM
How do you know you've gone as far as you can go?

Oh well.  I guess I'll find out soon enough.  Thanks for your help  ::)

Quote from: Kristyn on July 09, 2010, 09:49:15 PM
How do you know you've gone as far as you can go?

I can tell when I get to the end – it no longer feels like it's trying to squeeze through but is bouncing off resilient tissue at the end. :-\

Katgirl, I lie on my back with my upper back and head supported by a couple of pillows.  My legs are spread about 45 degrees.  Sometimes to ease it past that middle ring of tissue I raise my pelvis up to angle it more.  I've always been able to ease it in gradually, achieving full depth during the first minute.  I have never tried another position, but this one seems to work for me.

I haven't had any bleeding or spots of other stuff on the dilator since about the second or third week. 

I guess we're all built a little differently and we each have to find what works for us.

- Kate

dilator #4?? :icon_yikes: I'm still on #2 but plan to start on #3 in a few days. I'm only one week and 2 days into dilating so far. It seems the last inch or so in is very stretchy, almost like it's rubber in there lol But you can definitely tell when you "hit bottom". There is also the pelvic bone in there a couple inches in which you have to get under. I start at a steeper angle and then angle it more upwards toward my belly button once I'm past that front area. In the beginning when things are healing it's a bit tight and sore, but it gets better every day.

I remember how nervous I was about moving to #2 at first. #3 terrified me, and now I feel totally ready for #4. Now the #1 just looks so small compared to the rest. I start with #1 every time to ensure I reach depth, and then work up the sizes. It may be more work and cleaning, but it seems to make each one easier to insert and now I reach full depth with #3.

As for internal exams with a speculum, Dr McGinn also examined me, she did that on my second follow up appointment. She does it to check on how the skin graft is taking, and was able to confirm that all of the graft had taken. I thought it was a standard thing to do. I just went back for 7 week check up and she did another speculum exam then too. All is healing well. I do have some granulation tissue around the vaginal entrance and on my labia. I'm trying to be patient with that healing and going away. I guess it takes some time.

hmmm...i'm 6 weeks post op now...(pinches herself)

i found the dilator went all the way in and hit hard tissue literally the first time i dilated...i'm up to #3 now and don't feel any less or more depth...
it takes me a deep nose breath, then i blow out the candle and slowly enter and i pretty much get it in about 10 seconds

my depth is about 5 3/4- 6 1/4 " depending on where you measure...but its adequate depth..

i feel like pushed pretty hard and there was just nowhere to go, but based on some of the messages i'm wondering if i missed something and should be searching for that add'l depth..

my surgery was with dr meltzer btw...

btw
i'm pretty sure i'll be able to do #4 soon, and my best post op friend tells me not to worry about depth as much as working up to #4...


any tthoughts??

Quote from: kaitlynm999 on July 14, 2010, 03:16:23 PM
hmmm...i'm 6 weeks post op now...(pinches herself)

i found the dilator went all the way in and hit hard tissue literally the first time i dilated...i'm up to #3 now and don't feel any less or more depth...
it takes me a deep nose breath, then i blow out the candle and slowly enter and i pretty much get it in about 10 seconds

my depth is about 5 3/4- 6 1/4 " depending on where you measure...but its adequate depth..

i feel like pushed pretty hard and there was just nowhere to go, but based on some of the messages i'm wondering if i missed something and should be searching for that add'l depth..

Kaitlyn, it sounds like you are getting it in all the way.  Your description matches my experience pretty much.  I know when it's in all the way because it won't go in any more.  Before I used #4 it was pretty easy, but #4 is still often difficult for me to get started.  Once I get it started it slides snuggly in.  I have to rotate it to get that last quarter inch, though.  I stopped using the smaller ones more than 7 weeks ago.  I'm looking forward to being able to just slide the #4 in the way I did the smaller ones, but I'm beginning to think it just isn't going to happen. :P

- Kate

um... I think I've fallen in love with my #3. lol It's just the right size to fill me up now, it never lays out drunk all night or runs around with other women, and it always respects me in the morning. :)

I'm currently getting the most soreness in the deep end where I'm pushing against it. But truthfully it's still pretty sore all over at this point :-\

Hi FairyGirl

So bloody funny:

Quote from: FairyGirl on July 14, 2010, 06:32:20 PM
um... I think I've fallen in love with my #3. lol It's just the right size to fill me up now, it never lays out drunk all night or runs around with other women, and it always respects me in the morning. :)

Just be careful it does not get the shakes. ;D

Kind regards
Sarah B

Hi all, well the time will come for me to dilate and as far as I understand my surgeon only gives two sizes. Not sure what size they are. My question then is where could I get the other sizes and what sizes are these? I want to get the best depth and width possible with what I have.

Also does the depth increase with dilation or remain the same as at the beginning. I have also heard of some women decreasing in depth.

Many thanks

stardust

all of mine came from http://www.soulsourceenterprises.com (http://www.soulsourceenterprises.com) (the GRS dilators)

I got the first two from Dr. McGinn and purchased the #3 and #4 directly. They include the carrying pouch free with any order. The ones I have don't look like the ones online, but are solid pastel colors.  The sizes are:

1 1/8" diameter x 9" length (circumference 3.5")
1 1/4" diameter x 9" length (circumference 3.9")
1 3/8" diameter x 9" length (circumference 4.3")
1 1/2" diameter x 9" length (circumference 4.7")

So far no complaints, other than owie :)

Hi K8

I liked what you wrote so I finished it off.

Quote from: K8 on July 09, 2010, 07:36:28 AM
And the tenderness will moderate and then disappear.  And then...You will be swinging from the chandelier  >:-)

- Kate

Kind regards
Sarah B

Thanks, Sarah B.  I can't wait. ;D

Stardust, Bowers gave me only the three larger sizes (blue, green, and orange).  They came from the same place as Chloe's.  I'd be curious to know which sizes you get.  As you work up to being able to accept larger sizes, the girth of your vagina will increase but my understanding is that it will never get longer.  It can decrease in length, especially if you don't dilate regularly.  Bowers claims that once you lose it it's gone - so follow directions and dilate.

- Kate

very very important to keep to the schedule given to you  even after 1 1/2 yr I went back to every other day it just seemed better only using the blue and orange the green is just a bit to big for me  as for the depth it is was the surg got when the srs was done you lose it if you dont dialate and the only way you get it back is more surg. so at min listen to your doctor  have a great day
Bethany :) :)

I just begun with dilating two days ago (my surgery was three weeks ago). I did not believe something so painful exists! I followed all recommendations of my doctor, apply lot of Aquagel for lubrication and go inside gradually. It took about 5 minutes to go completely inside (Perspex No.1), then I take it there with a small pressure fr 15 minutes. I am doing the prcedure 3 times per day.  I squize my "vagina" with Betadine solution. Still, there are some traces of blood in my panties (not real bleeding, but just traces), not every time, but often. Is it normal?

Quote from: George on August 07, 2010, 12:01:27 AM
I just begun with dilating two days ago (my surgery was three weeks ago). I did not believe something so painful exists! I followed all recommendations of my doctor, apply lot of Aquagel for lubrication and go inside gradually. It took about 5 minutes to go completely inside (Perspex No.1), then I take it there with a small pressure fr 15 minutes. I am doing the prcedure 3 times per day.  I squize my "vagina" with Betadine solution. Still, there are some traces of blood in my panties (not real bleeding, but just traces), not every time, but often. Is it normal?

The dilating will get easier over time.  Some blood spoting is fairly common.  Nothing to worry about to  much at this stage unless you actually start bleeding.

Quote from: Dee_pntx on August 07, 2010, 12:14:42 AM
Dear goddess, I am soooo not looking forward to a lifetime of this.  I am going to get so tired and so disgusted with dilation soooo fast.

I wish there was a way out of that.  I mean really.  I just don't even like to think about having to do this several times a day, every day for life.  Gawd....  Why can't they come up with a better surgery so you don't have to suffer through this for life??  Ugh......

This will be the one thing I am going to resent and eventually hate about being post op.   :-\

Don't worry Dee. By the time you are a year postop as long as you are having some sort of sex life you can drop the frquency down to once a week or less. It isn't a life sentence.

Hi all,

I didn't have a good start to dilation after about ten days it began to get really tight and I phoned the hospital and they told me that the lube was probably being rubbed off as I pushed the stent into the vagina. They recommended a ortho vaginal applicator so I got one of those the next day and it has been so much better. You use the applicator because this puts some lube well inside the vagina. I only was given two sizes of dilators from the hospital

1. 2.5cm x 22cm
2. 3.0cm x 22cm

They go in fairly easy but the large one takes me about a minute of two to get full depth which I have been told is five inches which seems to be right with what I can see protruding out side of the vagina.

I dilate three times a day and douche after each dilation.

I to don't relish dilation and I am always glad the last one of the day is done but then only leave me a couple of hours. I suppose when I drop down to twice a day that will seem better and less invasive on my life. I think its the afternoon one that gets in the way of things. It seems to take up so much of my life at the moment.

Stardust

Quote from: George on August 07, 2010, 12:01:27 AM
I just begun with dilating two days ago (my surgery was three weeks ago). I did not believe something so painful exists! I followed all recommendations of my doctor, apply lot of Aquagel for lubrication and go inside gradually. It took about 5 minutes to go completely inside (Perspex No.1), then I take it there with a small pressure fr 15 minutes. I am doing the prcedure 3 times per day.  I squize my "vagina" with Betadine solution. Still, there are some traces of blood in my panties (not real bleeding, but just traces), not every time, but often. Is it normal?

yes it's very normal and may occur for a while. I'm 5 1/2 weeks into dilating and I still wear an ultrathin pad all the time. Not for bleeding because its all healed up inside now, but just because I seem to be very wet down there. According to my surgeon this is normal if you have an internal scrotal skin graft, as the outer (inner now) layer of skin sloughs off and it becomes inside skin instead of outside skin.

I don't get 3 times a day for another 2 1/2 weeks! Dr. McGinn's schedule is 5 times/day for the first 8 weeks of dilating (I'm 7 weeks post-op but only 5 1/2 weeks dilating) It will be a relief to cut down to just 3! lol Then it goes to once a day after 6 months, once a week after a year. It is a pain in the... well, you know, but it gets better after a while... and I'm hoping of course to have a nice helpful man to assist me in that regard by then ;) Honestly I've been using the big #4 (1.5", or 3.8 cm) and it gets quite erotic at times being all filled up like that... once you get past the sore stage, dilating is really not nearly as bad as you might think  >:-)

Quote from: Dee_pntx on August 07, 2010, 10:39:19 AM

Sex life?  What's that?

I went 15 years without so much as a kiss after my divorce.
No sex, no kiss, no hug, no contact.  I had given up and didn't care anymore.
Then I dated a guy for a few months and we um, yeah.  A few times.
And now it's been almost 18 months since the last time with no relief in sight.

I really don't see the situation improving any.   :-\

Hi Dee.  Seems like you and I are in the same boat, although I never really wanted any human contact as long as I was pre-op.  There were some things that I did early on in my transition 15 years ago that I'm not too proud of that really put me off about relationships as a pre-op.  However now, as my date approaches, I've taken on a new perspective and am willing to chance things once more once I am post.  Please don't give up entirely as things may definitely change after your surgery.   :)

When I dilate I just add lube to the top of the dilator from a pump bottle and then insert it.  If it seems a little tight then I just apply a little more and try again.

Kind regards
Sarah B

So one thing I'm curious about, what if you don't ever heal up?

What I mean is, I pierced my tongue over 14 years ago, and took it out after less then 5 months. Now once every few years I will put the same size gauge that it was pierced with through and sure enough it always goes through with little to no effort.

Same for my ears, I pierced my own ears when I was 7, my dad would never allow me to wear earrings so for most of my childhood I would have them out for months at a time. After I joined the military I never wore them. I can still put an earring in without issue even if I go without earrings for literally a year or longer.

So I guess my question is, what type of effect will this likely have on dilation?? I'm really hoping that when I get the surgery it's like every other hole in my body and heals as is...

Think it's possible or no?

Stay with it Stardust, it does get easier.  I went through a period where there was no pain at all achieving full depth but using the larger dialtors was quite painful because of the width then all of a sudden I had no pain at all with width but started experiencing pain achieving full depth.  It's all part of the healing process and breaking down scar tissue. 

Yes I also found three times a day became very cumbersome, I couldn't imaging what it would be like 5 times a day.  Cutting back to twice a day seems to give you back some of your life and it becomes a lot easier to juggle your life around dilating.

Hang in there things are getting better every day that passes.

It's amazing how the different surgeons have different dilation requirements. My surgeon requires 2 dilation sessions per day each lasting 10 mins from the time you reach full depth. The stp up in size is also progressive. Dilator #1 (25mm) for the first month, dilator #2 (28mm) for the second month and dilator #3 (34mm) for the rest of your life.

I am only a month post op and I'm just starting on dilator #2 . I still find that I get a flood of light pink ( presumably mixed with a little blood) discharge that has a distinctive  smell when I remove the dilator and a slight seepage for the rest of the day. As for lubrication, I use either KY jelly (as initially provided by my surgeon) or a mineral base vaginal moisturiser. In order to get started I lubricate my index finger and place it into my vagina in order to massage the PC muscle. This has the effect of relaxing it and making the passage of the dilator that much easier. Although twisting it on it's way in is also a big help.

Quote from: Dinky_Di on August 08, 2010, 12:39:21 AM
Stay with it Stardust, it does get easier.  I went through a period where there was no pain at all achieving full depth but using the larger dialtors was quite painful because of the width then all of a sudden I had no pain at all with width but started experiencing pain achieving full depth.  It's all part of the healing process and breaking down scar tissue. 

Yes I also found three times a day became very cumbersome, I couldn't imaging what it would be like 5 times a day.  Cutting back to twice a day seems to give you back some of your life and it becomes a lot easier to juggle your life around dilating.

Hang in there things are getting better every day that passes.

Hi Dinky Di,

Many thanks, post op nearly six weeks now and things are so much better, reaching full depth with second one and no pain or bleeding and its kind of routine now.

Stadust