Quote from: Clara Kay on January 02, 2016, 02:40:22 PM
I noticed that the largest dilators for sale commercially top out at 1-1/2" in diameter.  I'm able to take this size with no difficulty (just a few minutes to relax the pelvic muscles that constrict the vaginal entrance).  Have any of you gone to larger sizes?   Like with a sex toy or something?  Is there any advantage to going beyond the 1-1/2" (38mm) size dilator?

here are larger ones :
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,193587.msg1726705.html#msg1726705

Some people in the thread there said they like larger ones...

well its up to you.. I'd say all at your own risk
be careful and watch how the tissue reacts... how long it remains stretched... etc...


*hugs*

Hmmmm....that link (to larger dilators) is no longer valid.

My experience with dilation to date (I'm 2 months post-op) is that it's the stretching of the entrance to my vagina which resists the dilator.  Once past these pelvic muscles, the dilator slips in with no problem all the way to full depth (6").  I've noticed that as I've progressed to the largest dilator (Dr. Chet's #4 at 1-1/2" diameter), penetration with the smaller dilators is a lot easier.  The #2 slides right in with no resistance at all.  I don't bother using #1 and #2 anymore for that reason.  So, my thought was the stretching the entrance as much as possible will result over time in reduced initial penetration resistance for dilators #3 and #4, and also for the average to above average male erect penis.  Thoughts?

Dr. Suporn suggests using a stirring action to widen the vaginal entrance.  I assume that he is concerned about stretching the stitching around the entrance though, not so much training the muscles to give way more easily.

Quote from: Clara Kay on January 03, 2016, 10:15:29 AM
Hmmmm....that link (to larger dilators) is no longer valid.

The links are valid... just without www so they need to be copied...

www.rpdinc.com/rounded-nylon-dilator-4743.html
www.phoenixsurgical.co.uk/shop/4-0-charing-cross-dilators-40mm-dia-ph810086


hugs

Got it!  Thanks, Laura.  Wow! Up to 50mm = ~2"

Quote from: Clara Kay on January 04, 2016, 09:32:00 AM
Got it!  Thanks, Laura.  Wow! Up to 50mm = ~2"

Hi Girls

NOW that is Scary OUCH not for me.

Lyndsey

My GRS recovery has been surprisingly easy.  At week 10 post-op, I'd swear I was completely healed already.  I take long walks, go bowling, feel no discomfort, and don't even experience pain when dilating.  As you would expect, I am very delighted and thankful for the way things have gone.  The only really consequence of having had GRS recently is the need to dilate twice a day.  Even that's not a hardship.  I actually enjoy it.  It's a chance to get away to my room, relax, enjoy my finally having a vagina, and read a good book.  The only discomfort, if I can call it that, is the initial insertion of the stent (dilator).  The strong muscles at the entrance to my vagina have to be encouraged to relax by placing the stent at a 45 deg angle and pressing down on the taut muscle at the floor of my vagina (between the vagina and anus).  Firm pressure will eventually cause the muscle to stretch and relax allowing the stent to be inserted.  Once past this muscular restriction, the stent slips in easily with feelings of pressure that border on pleasure.  I don't have any sense of having to stretch the vaginal lining, and full depth is quickly achieved.  I have not achieved orgasm yet, but I'm exploring my capacity for it with gentle massage. 

Is my experience atypical?  I don't what to set an expectation which is unlikely to happen.  I know that some girls have had horrendously difficult recoveries, but I have to assume they, too, were atypical.

I just wanted to update my status at 11 months since my GRS with Dr. Chettawut.  In general, recovery has gone exceedingly well.  I have experience no complications to speak of.   I did contract a UTI three months ago that required going on an antibiotic for a week, but that's it. 

I recently started dilating once in the evening every other day which is much less than Dr. Chettawut's dilation schedule chart which calls for 3 dilations each day for 50 minutes each at this point.  Why would there be such a large disparity between his recommendation vs. my needs?  I really don't know, unless his recommendation is purposely conservative in order to cover a worst case recovery scenario.  Might I be making a mistake reducing my dilation frequency so much?  Really, I don't see how.   I have maintained my original depth of 6 inches, and have no pain or difficulty inserting the largest (1-1/4") dilator with only a short two finger warmup beforehand.  It's true that my vaginal opening contracts to being almost closed between dilations, but that's always been the case.  It stretches open painlessly with a little coaxing.  The scar around the vaginal opening (characteristic of the non-penile inversion GRS method that Chettawut does) is still evident.  I was anticipating that the scar would soften and become smooth over time, but that has not happened. 

BTW, I use Dr. Suporn's dynamic dilation technique when I dilate.  It appears to achieve the needed stretch in much less time than simply inserting the stent and leaving it there (with some inward pressure) for a longer period. 

Comments anyone? 

Quote from: Clara Kay on October 01, 2016, 09:18:29 AM
I just wanted to update my status at 11 months since my GRS with Dr. Chettawut.  In general, recovery has gone exceedingly well.  I have experience no complications to speak of.   I did contract a UTI three months ago that required going on an antibiotic for a week, but that's it. 

I recently started dilating once in the evening every other day which is much less than Dr. Chettawut's dilation schedule chart which calls for 3 dilations each day for 50 minutes each at this point.  Why would there be such a large disparity between his recommendation vs. my needs?  I really don't know, unless his recommendation is purposely conservative in order to cover a worst case recovery scenario.  Might I be making a mistake reducing my dilation frequency so much?  Really, I don't see how.   I have maintained my original depth of 6 inches, and have no pain or difficulty inserting the largest (1-1/4") dilator with only a short two finger warmup beforehand.  It's true that my vaginal opening contracts to being almost closed between dilations, but that's always been the case.  It stretches open painlessly with a little coaxing.  The scar around the vaginal opening (characteristic of the non-penile inversion GRS method that Chettawut does) is still evident.  I was anticipating that the scar would soften and become smooth over time, but that has not happened. 

BTW, I use Dr. Suporn's dynamic dilation technique when I dilate.  It appears to achieve the needed stretch in much less time than simply inserting the stent and leaving it there (with some inward pressure) for a longer period. 

Comments anyone?

I'm really happy to hear that you've recovered well. I'm having srs with Chet in November of this year, on my birthday actually lol, and your experience has been a wonderful insight, truly.

Quote from: Aria94 on October 03, 2016, 07:40:58 PM
I'm really happy to hear that you've recovered well. I'm having srs with Chet in November of this year, on my birthday actually lol, and your experience has been a wonderful insight, truly.

I'm glad my experience was helpful to you, Aria.  Having your surgery on your birthday is awesome!  My re-birthday is in the same month, but a different day.  PM me if you have any questions.  Good luck, hon.

I'm approaching my 1 year post-op GRS anniversary,  and I wanted to say something about my results.  If it wasn't against the rules here, I'd just post a photo of my neo-vulva, but I'll have to make due with words.  First, I want to say that in the first few months after surgery, I wasn't completely satisfied with the way things looked down there.  The clitoris, clitoral hood and vestibule were fine, imo.  My labia majora, however, looked too loose -- like more skin should have been removed.  The labia minora, on the other hand, were not at all prominent.  I was also not expecting  the vaginal introitus (entrance to of the vagina) to be so far in. 

None of this was a real concern to me.  I was basically happy with the results.  I wasn't planning to star in a porno film, after all.  I was convinced, however, that any gynecologist would realize right away that mine is not the genitalia of a natal woman, and that was a bit disappointing.  That's probably still be true, but over the course of time things have come to look much more 'normal'.   

The surface surgical scars are barely visible.  The labia majora look more normal, and the labia minora more apparent although not altogether obvious.  The vaginal introitus is still where is always was, but with the shrinkage of the labia majora, it's position doesn't seems so deep.  Speaking of the vagina, the opening of mine still closes up between dilations.  I can't insert the largest stent without a couple of minutes of digital warmup.  But, on the positive side, dilations are completely painless, I've maintained full depth (6"), and I now dilate every other day for about 30 minutes.

Thank you Clara for this update. What about the "functional" side ?

Quote from: Clara Kay on October 09, 2016, 06:20:19 PM
I'm approaching my 1 year post-op GRS anniversary,  and I wanted to say something about my results.  If it wasn't against the rules here, I'd just post a photo of my neo-vulva, but I'll have to make due with words.  First, I want to say that in the first few months after surgery, I wasn't completely satisfied with the way things looked down there.  The clitoris, clitoral hood and vestibule were fine, imo.  My labia majora, however, looked too loose -- like more skin should have been removed.  The labia minora, on the other hand, were not at all prominent.  I was also not expecting  the vaginal introitus (entrance to of the vagina) to be so far in. 

None of this was a real concern to me.  I was basically happy with the results.  I wasn't planning to star in a porno film, after all.  I was convinced, however, that any gynecologist would realize right away that mine is not the genitalia of a natal woman, and that was a bit disappointing.  That's probably still be true, but over the course of time things have come to look much more 'normal'. 

REALLY good to know, because I had the exact same aesthetic concerns immediately post-op. Outside was really really loose, inside was really tight, vagina was way back deep. Good to know that it gets better.

Quote from: Lucie on October 10, 2016, 12:54:58 AM
Thank you Clara for this update. What about the "functional" side ?

Well, I'm in a same-sex relationship so the functional aspects are of minor importance.  I can say that if I was having male-female sex, I would need lubrication and a warmup before penetration.  I'm not quite 1 year post-op, so I expect that the vaginal opening will become easier to stretch open a year from now.  I've tried using a dildo  (1-1/2" width at the base by 6" length).  It offers a different feeling than the hard, smooth stents that Dr. Chettawut provides for dilation, the largest being 1-1/4" in diameter.  My vagina isn't that sensate really, the sensations are due mainly to pressure, and there is strong feeling when the dildo presses on my prostate gland which is very small now, but still serves as a kind of G spot.

Quote from: Clara Kay on October 15, 2016, 12:21:13 PM
Well, I'm in a same-sex relationship so the functional aspects are of minor importance.  I can say that if I was having male-female sex, I would need lubrication and a warmup before penetration.  I'm not quite 1 year post-op, so I expect that the vaginal opening will become easier to stretch open a year from now.  I've tried using a dildo  (1-1/2" width at the base by 6" length).  It offers a different feeling than the hard, smooth stents that Dr. Chettawut provides for dilation, the largest being 1-1/4" in diameter.  My vagina isn't that sensate really, the sensations are due mainly to pressure, and there is strong feeling when the dildo presses on my prostate gland which is very small now, but still serves as a kind of G spot.

I thank you a lot Clara for giving these "technical details". It's a bit embarrassing to ask about such a subject, but for my part it's a point which is at least as important as the aesthetic one, though I am also in a lesbian relationship (being a lesbian do not preclude loving penetration...).

Hi Clara
so I'm planning on having surgery with Chett some time next year. would you feel comfortable sharing a picture of your results? and have you been able to orgasm yet?

thanks

Hi Clara,

Am really happy for your results. I have visited Dr. Chettawut last year and had planned to get operated by him in the month of Feb 2017. He is a wonderful doctor. So patient and caring. I however stay in India and was a little concerned about dilating every day to maintain the depth. Will mostly get sigmoid colon vaginoplasty by Dr. Narendra Kaushik, an experienced surgeon in sigmoid vaginoplasty. But given the results you have had will keep my option with Dr. Chettawut open.

Thank you so much for this post. Very helpful!

Yashika

Quote from: jenn90210 on October 24, 2016, 01:00:07 AM
Hi Clara
so I'm planning on having surgery with Chett some time next year. would you feel comfortable sharing a picture of your results? and have you been able to orgasm yet?

thanks

I'd be curious on an initial, few months out, and year out picture myself as I'm stuck between Suporn and Chett, however Chett draws me in for some reason no matter how many horror stories I read between each one. I understand my post count is low, though that's due to me not having too much to talk about as I'm not that far on the transgender scale. No transition for me or hormones for example.

There's independant photo posted for both Chett and Suporn if you search for them.

Quote from: AnonyMs on November 03, 2016, 09:46:59 PM
There's independant photo posted for both Chett and Suporn if you search for them.

it's hard to find any pictures of their results besides whatever is posted on their websites.
do you have links you can share?

Quote from: jenn90210 on November 04, 2016, 12:37:02 AM
it's hard to find any pictures of their results besides whatever is posted on their websites.
do you have links you can share?

I sent you a pm. Can't post that kind of thing here.