Hi
I want to ask, I slowly planning op date to winter 2013/2014
So I want to ask you who are already done, how long should I plan until return to work?
How usable is one after releasing from hospital after that two weeks?
I can do almost everything from home, laying at computer (real working time like 3-4 hours day, but must be accessible 8 hours)
Is realistic to expect I will be 2 weeks off, then take 1 month homeworking and then return to work?
What is you experiences?

I took 6 weeks off from work when I had m SRS surgery. The surgery is one thing, but the after care is quite another, and remember you will be incredibly weak while your body is recovering from the surgery. Even after 6 weeks I could drive myself to work but for a few weeks after that it was hard to go up and down stairs, a real struggle I remember. Even after 6 weeks trying to fit the dilating schedule in with a work life was pretty tough going for quite some time after surgery. The dilating schedule afterwards is pretty important and also time consuming especially in the beginning. Keep all that in mind when considering how long after the surgery your life will stop while you need to focus on your vagina every 5 minutes.

My wife took a month off and then returned to the office. She ended up doing OK, but wished she'd had 6 weeks. Frankly, that first month was ridiculous - I had to draw up a spreadsheet to keep track of all the stuff she needed to do. It was literally about 45 minutes to an hour of "vagina-related care" out of every 2 hours, except when she slept. She tried to work a bit from home in order to catch up, and could manage maybe half an hour before she got too tired (mentally as well as physically).

Do you think everyone would be fairly weak due to healing during those 4-6 weeks(at least) regardless of whether they're really peppy and fit before surgery? Just wondering if there's any tips people can take before hand to help your body heal faster and regain your strength and uh vitality.

Also one other question, I talked to someone about the dilating schedule since I was wondering how that would be possible everyday with an office job and she suggested that it would be possible to have a slight decrease in frequency during the day but it would be mean increasing the total time before dilation(more months) needs ease. Does that sound possible at all? Any other tips for having an office job(with only one bathroom on site) and dilation post-surgery?

Quote from: sarahbear on January 04, 2013, 08:49:48 AM
whether they're really peppy and fit before surgery?

I'm a health nut and by the time I was going for my surgery I was really into mountain biking and was in really good shape physically.

I can only relate my own experience. I was able to take the pain but in all honesty do not underestimate the after care. It's messy and a total pain. It gets easier. But for that first month the dilating is a royal pain.

When I was a newbie post-op surgery, I remember getting up really early in the morning. Dilating and then showering and going to work. Then I worked all day and dilated as soon as I get home. I just remember being over joyed being 6 months post-op and dropping to one a day. But for those few months I had to dilate for a good 60-90 minutes which is an utter pain early in the morning. I'd need 3 cups of coffee as soon as I reached the office.

My wife was in excellent health right before, super energetic, and exercised a lot - the doctor even wrote a letter saying that she was among the best candidates for major surgery he'd ever treated. She was still knocked flat for most of the 4 weeks (and it was an unpleasant surprise!). However, she does think that she got back to normal faster and with fewer issues because she'd worked so hard to be fit and ready beforehand.

Also, dilation in a bathroom might be possible, depending on your flexibility, but it is NOT recommended for that first month. At that point it's still an open surgical site, and getting bathroom bacteria in or around there is a truly terrible idea. Also, waiting too long between dilations when it's "new" will often mean that the vagina will actually start to heal closed slightly before the next session. It's not necessarily a dealbreaker, but it's not a great idea.

Is there any way for you to go home at lunchtime? Honestly, that ended up being the only way my wife could swing it for the remainder of the first month (Brassard recommends 4X daily for 20 minutes for month 1, then 3X daily for 30 minutes  for 2 months, etc. but other doctors' schedules obviously vary).

Quote from: blueconstancy on January 04, 2013, 09:37:15 AM
the first month (Brassard recommends 4X daily for 20 minutes for month 1, then 3X daily for 30 minutes  for 2 months, etc. but other doctors' schedules obviously vary).

What I did when I hit the 3x was to dilate for 60 minutes in the morning and 60 minutes when I got home at night. I was literally half undressed 30 seconds after walking in the door. Keep in mind 60 means the number of minutes the dilator is in. I still had to everything ready, then dilate, then clean everything up for the next day. I ended up using a rubber bulb, I think it's called a rubber syringe to clean up the downstairs bits afterwards. A nice squirt of sterile water worked. My regular doctor was a great help after my surgery telling what I should do for best healing and writing prescriptions.

In the end I turned out okay but I wouldn't recommend trying to dilate at work unless you have your own private bathroom and can disappear for 1-1.5 hours.

six weeks for me on and then back on light duty and by week 10 I was ok