I am 4 days post-op today. That means it was time to remove the packing. That means I could finally take a shower again! I had breakfast at 8am as usual. Afterwards, a nurse came to my room to finally remove the packing. She started by snipping the 5 stiches holding it firmly in place. I was expecting some pain as the pressure was released, but it was surprisingly pain free. With each snip I could feel the pressure wane. After they were all cut she began to remove the packing layer by layer. When she was done I was told I could take a shower in 10 minutes.
About 15 minutes later I hopped in the shower. It felt great to finally cleanse myself again. I shampooed and conditioned my hair, I washed my body with the antibacterial soap they provided, I shaved various bodily areas that needed shaving. I stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and rejuvinated. I was told to start applying the polysporin as well after each shower and sitz (?) bath. It is strange looking into the mirror and seeing the beginnings of a vagina now. For the past days I've only seen packing and gauze. Now I could see the labia majora, labia minora, vaginal cavity, urethra, and somewhere beneath all the swelling was the clitoris.
It does not looking appealing in the least right now. But I can see the overall appearance of it and can envision its future as a quaint vagina. It's strange looking down and seeing that, yet still able to feel the same muscles I've always known in that general area. I wonder how long it'll take before it starts to look more like its final outcome.
With each change there comes another set of challenges. After they removed the layer of padding sitting on top of the packing when I left the hospital I had to get used to walking again, sitting again, getting up and down again. The same thing happened when they removed the packing. You have to learn the most effective ways of doing those things again to minimize the pain with the newly exposed areas. It would make sense that it would become less and less painful with each layer they remove, but I'm finding it quite the opposite. It's now harder than before to sit, to get up, to stand. It's more painful as well. My guess would be that it is because I no longer have the protection of the additional layers and padding that cushioned me before.
For those who are soon to be arriving in Montreal, I'll provide an outline of the schedule. After the surgery you will stay in the hospital for another day and a half. On the morning of day 2 you are wheelchaired back to the residence. They remove the top layer of padding and you are free to walk now on your own schedule, and are encouraged to do so. On the second day after arriving back at the residence your packing is removed and you are able to begin taking showers again, and now have to start doing the sitz baths twice daily as well as apply the polysporin. Two days after that you will have the stent removed, at which point you will begin the rigorous dilation schedule. The next day the final piece of the puzzle is removed...the catheter. You are now on your own, which is something you will most likely be extremely happy about, except the mess you will likely make. The only exception to this schedule is if you do not have a boul movement within the first 5 days. I'm not sure why, but if you don't then you will have to leave the catheter in for another week I think, and your GP at home will then need to remove it.
~Sarah
