I see it as just something that comes with the package. If it were not necessary, of course none of us would do it (other than for pleasure, which is called masturbation). But at this point, I can't wait to have the necessity to dilate, no matter how tedious it is! The things I'm giving up in return for a rigorous dilation schedule is worth it.

~Sarah

I dont "hate" it too, but getting up at 5am, do dilation, sometimes with pain, sometimes Im soooo tired i could fall asleep. Then going to work, going home, doing dilation again. well its VERY timeconsuming and I need 30min of preparation (waking up, cleaning, throwing the cats out of my sleeping room  etc etc) and then 1,5h ours of dilation, same in the evening.

its much easier if you dont have to go to work and sit/stand for hours and can stay in bed.
so im getting up early and to bed very late. there is only little time for anything else.

"pain" isnt uncommon but i can deal with it as it is only in the beginning.

after six months I can reduce it to once a day! hooray! 2hours more of sleep!

Kerstin

once a day still sounds a lot O_o

I am not all that crazy about sex though I'd love to be able to do that and the thing I have right now is just.. disgusting.
I don't want this obsession but I also don't want to have the wrong part/not to have that. Also want to be able to try and enjoy that thing every seems to be so excited about with my boyfriend one day O_o

Well, on average I already "spend" about 20 minutes a day on that area, so when I get to the once-a-day level I imagine it won't be very burdensome to me.

Quote from: KerstinVienna on March 15, 2010, 10:46:01 AM
I dont "hate" it too, but getting up at 5am, do dilation, sometimes with pain, sometimes Im soooo tired i could fall asleep. Then going to work, going home, doing dilation again.
Kerstin

Yikes!  Today is my first day back at work after SRS (week 8 post-op), and this sounds exactly like the journey I'm about to start... I set my alarm for 5:30 am this morning.. to dilate before work.. Then a full work day, and race home to do a 2nd dilation.   Then do a midnight dilation before bed, then rinse and repeat... 5 days a week.   Oh well, it's only for a 4 more months... ouch   


Melan

Quote from: Melan on March 15, 2010, 01:07:08 PM
Yikes!  Today is my first day back at work after SRS (week 8 post-op),

im 15 weeks post op and yes the first week was really awful. the busride was terrible and all i had inmind was to do dilation again

its like a routine now, a boring, time consuming and nothing you can share with others thats why I'm chatting with skype or watching television.
I cant await being 6 months post op although Im sure I wont reduce it to once a day immediatly. I will see how it feels and i will decide it somewhere far far away in the future.
cant remember what life was like without my new best friends the pillow and the dilators. we are a winning team!:)
yes it is hard work and even dont think of having sex but i hope it will be worth doing it now

Kerstin

Quote from: Myself on February 21, 2010, 01:27:38 AM
I just hate it.
I want to have the surgery but the idea of dilating sounds like a most annoying and unnatural chore.

When I've procrastinated too long and I realize I had better dilate or part of the surgery I paid for with my hard earned dollars will be lost, I reluctantly retreat to the "dilation room". 

The 23rd of this month will mark my one year anniversary and things are starting to "feel" down there.  I can actually experience sensual feelings with that white plastic missile.  When that happens I ask myself why I dread dilation?  I guess I'm reminded of the surgery and the intensive dilation schedule after that.  I guess the first impression became a lasting impression.

I seemed to fight the dilation schedule of 3x day from the get go. I think it was the whole icky/sticky matter for me. I was using up a lot of pads to contain the gel leakage when I first began the process. We used to even joke about it, making up a name for the experience-"Doing the Nasty." It then became known as, "doing the D".

I was on two a days probably 3 weeks after surgery, and kept that for a couple of months. It went down to 1/day when I had to go for facial surgery only 3 months post GRS. After 4 months it got down to dilating maybe once every couple 3 days.

At this point, almost 2 years post-op, I dilate maybe once a week. It's not bad really at all, and isn't really messy. I can usually go through the 3 largest dilators over the course of 30 minutes. I just put on the radio, read or watch tv. It's really nice now having a fair amount of feelings and sensations down there. Every so often, even when I don't try, I've been paid a visit by my friend 'O'. That's the best part!

So for someone who wasn't the best, most methodical dilator, I've managed to keep 90%+ of my depth and remain sensate. I guess I'll take that any day.

I'm feeling seriously like the odd one out here. 

I did find the schedule annoying in the early days, but for me, dilation was always quite pleasurable, I don't recall ever having any pain even when I was healing, and the big O has always been pretty common, I think the first happend after about a fortnight.

Sure these days other "devices" are far better for pleasure and I use the dilators at most once a week (and often more like once a month or less) to make sure the depth is all still there... So maybe I really am weird but I don't get why everone else finds it so nasty. I can't be THAT different surely?

Quote from: rejennyrated on March 16, 2010, 03:00:08 PM

I did find the schedule annoying in the early days, but for me, dilation was always quite pleasurable, I don't recall ever having any pain even when I was healing ....

That was over two decades ago ... memories do erode over time    .. just kidding. 

Perhaps it's some of the relatively "newer" techniques at SRS (like Suporn employs) or something different...  or maybe global warming is making dilation harder, and more uncomfortable 

Quote from: Melan on March 16, 2010, 07:03:45 PM
That was over two decades ago ... memories do erode over time    .. just kidding. 

Perhaps it's some of the relatively "newer" techniques at SRS (like Suporn employs) or something different...  or maybe global warming is making dilation harder, and more uncomfortable 

Well, I was sent home a ball peen hammer to help me dilate.  It did sting the first few times, but after a few taps, it slides right in! 

-Sandy(*wince*)

Quote from: Sandy on March 16, 2010, 07:43:50 PM
Well, I was sent home a ball peen hammer to help me dilate.  It did sting the first few times, but after a few taps, it slides right in! 

-Sandy(*wince*)

lol since I have the same surgeon does that mean I get one of those too? lol As if our doctor's tortuous dilation schedule for the first 8 weeks wasn't enough... Thanks to you Sandy, I know it's possible to survive it, but I plan to keep in mind the alternative and I'm thinking that will ease the discomfort considerably

Quote from: FairyGirl on March 16, 2010, 07:53:08 PM
lol since I have the same surgeon does that mean I get one of those too? lol As if our doctor's tortuous dilation schedule for the first 8 weeks wasn't enough... Thanks to you Sandy, I know it's possible to survive it, but I plan to keep in mind the alternative and I'm thinking that will ease the discomfort considerably

Well, if she forgot to send you home with the hammer, you could always just take a running start and jump on it...

-Sandy(*double wince*)

Quote from: FlanHusky on February 21, 2010, 01:45:02 AM
It's (dilating) as exciting as watching paint dry, but it's the price of freedom to have "indoor" plumbing.

"Flan" I just had to quote you here, "INDOOR PLUMBING."

Sounds like a small price to pay.

Quote from: michellesofl on March 17, 2010, 01:33:35 AM

Sounds like a small price to pay.

It is a small price to pay.. but it is pretty much all-consuming for the first two - six months, so I'm definitely going to bitch about it through clenched teeth, and a smile on my face 

My main fear with it all is more the fear that it will close up or get infected and kill me.  I've not had the best luck with piercings.  My body is a little too good at healing wounds.

The risk scares me.  But I think surgeries in general scare me.  I don't like having my body cut up.

If there was a way that I could have a vagina without surgery I would go through walls to get that done.

Sarah Don't worry - healing well and fast is a good thing in this. I too heal incredibly quickly. When I had my first op it was pretty well all healed within three weeks, which (if I'm honest) is probably why I had so little trouble with dilation. When I went back to see the surgeon after two months he was astonished and said it looked as if I was easily six months postop already.

It won't heal over, it will just mean that the skin will adhere well and fast. So don't worry yourself. Just follow your surgeons instructions properly, keep everything clean, and things will be fine. Oh - and you don't have to worry about infection - they usually give you an iodine based antiseptic gel or douche to use when dilating for the first month or so... and that kind of takes care of that.