Here's some of the things I did or wished I did to make my return home after GRS a little easier.  If you have any ideas, please post them so we can help others preparing to do the same.

Set up a dilation station - Since you'll be dilating up to four times a day it's important to create a comfortable environment. 

- Purchase a hospital bed pad (about 30"x30" minimum) and smaller disposable pads.  The bed pad keeps the furniture clean and allows you to use smaller (and cheaper) disposable pads to catch any mess.

- I found a plastic storage container that I used to hold the dilators, KY jelly and a tube of neosporin.  Once I've finished with one size I use a paper towel to clean it off and place it in an unused section of the container.  Then I clean up any overage before going on to the next size.  It keeps the mess to a minimum.  I keep a garbage bag next to me for disposing the paper towels.

- Whether you like to read, listen to music or watch TV, the time goes by faster if your preoccupied.  One hand will almost always be on the dilator so flipping pages in a book or magazine is harder but it can be done.  Music and the TV should have remote controls.

- Being close to a bathroom helps for cleaning the dilators and doing the sitz bath and douching.  Have old towels ready for drying yourself off so you don't stain any new towels. 

- I use one of those cushions with the arms on it for my back support while dilating.  The arms have pockets and you can use them for a cell phone or cheater glasses.  Have a mirror handy too.

- Have a digital clock positioned so you can see it easily.  This will make sure you at least get in the minimum time for each size as established by your doctor.

Hygene

- Buy a sitz bath if you don't already have one.  Your new vagina will love you if you keep it clean.  Lots of water soaking is good for the healing but you should be dry before donning underwear.  Since most pads are wider than what is comfortable for us (narrower hips), try trimming them down so they don't bunch up between your legs.  I also crumble them up while still in the package to take the stiffness out of the paper.

- If you don't already have a hand-held shower head, replace your existing shower head with one.  Make sure the hose is nice and flexible.  If you can find the spray adjustable type, they are preferable to the fixed type so you can find just the right spray for focusing on your vagina.  While a lot of you will be numb there will be other parts VERY sensitive.  The adjustable spray can make the experience more pleasant.

Set up a comfy veg out place

- Sitting upright applies a lot of pressure on the wound and can become uncomfortable very quickly, even with a donut.  If you have a recliner you'll find that best since it takes pressure off your tush. 

- Speaking of donuts, the one you get after surgery is pretty industrial looking and UGLY so taking that out to dinner is well...  What I found is the neck support you see advertised for travelers is better looking, less obvious and more comfortable than the industrial donut.  It's horseshoe shaped and felt covered and comes in different colors.  I can carry it with my purse and hardly anyone notices it. 

Ceiling fans can make your dilation station more comfortable too.

That's all from the top of my head.  If anyone has other ideas please feel free to share them.

Julie

Quote from: Julie Marie on April 30, 2009, 09:56:42 AM


- Speaking of donuts, the one you get after surgery is pretty industrial looking and UGLY so taking that out to dinner is well...  What I found is the neck support you see advertised for travelers is better looking, less obvious and more comfortable than the industrial donut.  It's horseshoe shaped and felt coverfed and comes in different colors.  I can carry it with my purse and hardly anyone notices it. 

Julie

OK, gotta chime in here:   No one notices it especially when she has her GF or visiting friend carry it around for her!

Sorry....couldn't resist! 

Great post, Julie, and very helpful.

Kristi

Thanks for starting this thread Julie. Hmmm...the hand held shower head is a good idea. I think I'll install one.

One of the things that I did was to make meals before I went for surgery. My freezer is stocked with homemade, easy to reheat meals. I also stocked up on canned goods and shelf stable prepared meals. There are days that I don't want to go outside right now. It makes things easier when meal time comes around.

Also make sure that personal care items and lube are well stocked before you go for surgery. It will make life easier post op.

I've thought about buying a stainless steel chafing dish with cover for soaking dilators.
If you can find one just big enough for the job and cheap enough that would be nice.
A discount restaurant supply place might have them.
Since I didn't look in time I make do with a cheap plastic food container.

I like the hand sanitizers like "Purell". They're mostly alcohol with some moisturizers.
Drugs stores like CVS make their own knock-offs.

For cleaning dilators I use Hibiclens, available in the US.
In Canada Dexidin is the same stuff.
They're both 4% Chlorhexidine gluconate + 4% isopropyl alcohol + red food coloring.

A reusable douche is handy. Faultless TinyKit is one.
Mix up your own solution 1/4 cup kitchen white vinegar, one gallon distilled water.

Stock up on KY jelly (or its generic), good quality toilet paper and distilled water for mixing douche solution.

cool, thnx for sharing.

As for lube, generic works -- although, you won't wanna stick with that forever. I'm using O'My Natural right now. It has hemp in it, and it's not uber liquidy all over the place (more gel like). It works well, and moisturizes. I love it. But, for the first 3 months, it's best to stay with what the doc says, just in case.

Here in Alberta, I know a lot of people have had a hard time finding Hibiclens or would have to special order Dexidin. I found at Shoppers and London Drugs generic Chlorhexidine gluconate 2% (According to Brassard, it's okay to use that percentage).

you won't need a lot, 'cause I still have stuff left over and still use it from time to time to disinfect things -- and this is a year with one regular sized bottle! I still have a huge vinagar container -- I think it's going to take a zillion years to use since I have no use for it now. LOL

I actually ended up throwing out my sitz bath after unsuccessfully finding someone to save their money and take mine. Even though I told them they'll have one that's been used many times at Brassards. *shrugs*  And yeah, it was clean, disinfected, etc.


--natalie

I found the standard Sitz bath to be too shallow to fully immerse all the healing areas.
I was told at the clinic that the only objection to a bathtub with a few inches of water
was the fact that at the clinic they were concerned about multiple users of bathtubs.
At home and with a bit of hygiene this would not be a problem.

I've thought about getting just a round plastic basin a bit bigger than a Sitz bath.
If instead of sitting on it, you sat in it, it would be easier to soak everything.

I can has Lysol.  I used the bath all of the time, but first sprayed it with Lysol and then turned the shower on for a little bit to rinse it out after I let it soak and kill all of the germs for a few mins.  I was a lysol freak. I didn't get any infections. Well, after 3 months I got a yeast infection some how -- even though I was pretty damn clean. Yeast infections are evil, and they don't produce beer from your vagina (LOL).

--natalie

Quote from: gothique11 on May 01, 2009, 03:33:18 AM
I actually ended up throwing out my sitz bath after unsuccessfully finding someone to save their money and take mine. Even though I told them they'll have one that's been used many times at Brassards. *shrugs*  And yeah, it was clean, disinfected, etc.


--natalie

Thinking there was no way they would reuse the sitz bath (it's cheap so why take the chance?), I packed mine and took it with me.  I thought they gave a new one to every patient and it was ours to take home.  I also thought the same with the stainless steel containers used to disinfect the dilators.  I had it next to my bags to pack away when the nurse came in and told me they were to stay.

As for soaking the dilators, I never did because I couldn't find the solution.  My GF didn't either.  I keep the dilators in a container and never handle them with my hands after I've washed them.  So far, no problems.

Julie

What a marvelous thread Julie Marie. Very helpful information. Thank you all very kindly for sharing your experiences. At least now I've got some idea about the things I ought to prepare before my big day.

Good thread, Julie!  I wish I had that idea about the donut early on.  I kept mine (big orange thing) in a plastic shopping bag that I carried around.  It wasn't that visible but I was always embarrassed by it when people would see me sit on it at restaurants and such.

I don't have any insights to add, but having something distracting while dilating is very helpful.  But since you spend much of the time one handed it is awkward to read a book or type.  I brought cable into the bedroom and hooked a television up to it and just vegged out.

My doctor insisted on mineral based lube not KY because it is inert and while I have used that it was very messy.  I finally found a gel version and it made dilating and clean up much easier.

All very good ideas. Thanks!

-Sandy

Wipes. I got hooked on them while in Thailand and still use them to clean up the vagina right before dilating and use them to wipe down the dilators before they are washed.

Lube. Buy extra and keep on hand. KY was staining some of my sheets and stuff ( I somehow managed to get it everywhere, every time) so I switched off to Wet Original which is water based, inexpensive, and can be found at wally world and big lots. Sign up on their site for the occasional coupon.

Today I use Lever 2000 to scrub down the dilators.

For those on the road a lot, make a kit and put it in a ziplock. Wash the dilators before putting them into it and before dilation. I have a thing of wipes, a hand held mirror (my third), dilators, and lube. Dilators into their own bag.

I was permitted to take ibuprofen along with my meds (complications during surgery, much pain after, ate a variety of prescribed pain pills for 8 months after surgery) so I made sure to pick up a huge bottle and kept it on me at all times.

A friend who can run to the store for extra dilation supplies!