Hi

I am almost 7 weeks post op now and all seems ok still but am now thinking of the dilation routine once back to work fulltime.

I usually get up at 5.30am ish, leave for work about 7am and return home about 6.15pm, at this stage i am advised i should be able to dilate twice a day. This will probably mean waking up a bit earlier to have enough time but generally, i dont expect my times to be too unique in the world of working.

Whats best? Keep dilations as close to an even time apart or will it be ok with am being 5ish and pm being 7ish? Meaning 14hrs apart in the day and 10 over night.

Does the body need these at regular times or is it ok to vary the times? Currently where i am doing 3 a day i tend to do one at 7am, second at between 2pm and 3pm and the third about 9pm. I usually watch an episode of something and thats usually 43 minutes long so i tend to leave the larger stent in until the episode finishes so it could be in for around 30mins or more, i am hoping this will help me get to a time when its once a week or per day much sooner than if i only do the stated 20mins. Does this thought have much support?

And slightly off topic, i read in another post about these dilators breaking, when i mentioned this in the hospital i was politely laughed at but since reading the post i am wondering just how common breakages are?

Ta

Nat

Quote from: Buuuug on March 26, 2011, 07:31:17 AM
Hi
And slightly off topic, i read in another post about these dilators breaking, when i mentioned this in the hospital i was politely laughed at but since reading the post i am wondering just how common breakages are?

Ta

Nat

Nat:

We won't laugh at you here, we welcome all questions.  If you think about it, your dilator is a cylinder of hard solid plastic.  I suppose there are ways to damage them, such as throwing them hard or perhaps putting them in the dishwasher, but under normal use they should last for a very long time.

Most of them have care instructions that say that to clean them use mild soapy water or sanitizing gel.  Do not put them in a dishwasher or boil them as the heat or strong detergents would damage them.

So you should have no worries in that regard.

-Sandy

I wouldn't worry about dialting 14 hours apart.  As you heal, you can be more flexible with the timing.  I too lost almost a half inch but it was in the beginning on the trip home when I couldn't dilate during the day.  Since then the depth has been pretty consistent.  I'm 11 months now and it finally seems to be where it will be for the rest of my life.  I'll still dilate once a day, though, until my anniversary.

I've worried about dropping a dilator and getting a nick in it that would make the surface rough, but otherwise they seem tougher than my body is.  As long as you aren't careless with them, they should last you as long as you need them.

Heal well.

- Kate

I think as long as you get your twice a day, a couple hours difference here and there shouldn't matter. With twice a day I would say the longer sessions are better so you're doing good on that. I lost some width rather than depth due to healing contraction, but have since gained it back as everything has softened up and settled in. My doctor's dilation schedule for the first 3 months was brutal- because of complications I had I was dilating half an hour 5 times a day for the full 3 months which was a month longer than she usually required, and which left little time for anything else!

Congratulations on your surgery and good healing!

I work very odd hours and various shift lengths and like you was concerned about a regular dilation regime when returning to work.  Upon return I found as long as I fitted in two dilations during a 24 hour period all remained well.  One thing I did do though would be to make the second dilation of the day longer if it was more than about 12 hours after the first dilation.  It will be a bit of trial and error to start with to see what works best for you.  If you feel things are getting tight increase the dilation time.

Can't say I have heard of dilators breaking.  Mine are also a hard poly substance and have been knocked and dropped without problem.

Good luck, hope all goes well.

Quote from: Buuuug on March 26, 2011, 07:31:17 AM
I read in another post about these dilators breaking...

You do have to be careful.

If you throw a party at your place and somebody wants to borrow one of your dilators
to break up a 50 pound block of ice, there is a very small chance that it could break.

Quote from: Renate on March 27, 2011, 06:24:59 AM
You do have to be careful.

If you throw a party at your place and somebody wants to borrow one of your dilators
to break up a 50 pound block of ice, there is a very small chance that it could break.

This could inspire a whole new thread!

Other uses for a dilator...

-Sandy

When I went back to work at 9 weeks or so, I was dilating 3x a day.  Once in the morning around 6 am, once when I got home around 6 pm, and once before bed around 10 pm.  As far as I know I didn't lose any depth by following this schedule.  I have heard of lots of girls following this schedule if they work the regular daytime grind.  If the doctor recommends 3x a day, my advice is to follow as closely as you can.

As for having dilators breaking, I have never heard of this personally.  All I can say is if you do break one, we want pictures!! 

Ha ha, well, i'm glad the breaking is an unlikely scenario! I thought they felt pretty solid and sturdy, CHx perspex that look like they could take out the odd mutant vampire or two.

I am a bit relieved about the dilating routine too.  At the end of the eight week (this time next week almost) i am supposedly able to try twice a day and if ok continue like that, if its not then remain at 3 a day for another two weeks.  Whilst i'm tempted to do only 2 a day as soon as possible i think i will try and stick with 3 a day until i have to go back to work (mid April as CHx mandatoriliy do a 12 week sign off (although i am fortunate that i am currently remote working via VPN in the mornings until i return)) unless thats a bad thing? 

I do find 3 a day a drag but i try to be optimistic and think this is the bike ride up hill bit, its for my own good, tiring but almost near 'the' end as much as this process can be and if 3 a day for some extra weeks can help me get to a better place once back to work then i can put up with the 3 a day routine. 

I'm glad so many of you had no problems with such a long interval during the day, i hadnt thought that i could just leave it in much longer in the evening session if needbe.  I had been hoping if i could get in by 6ish and do it straight away that it would have to do, although i know i would be much more uptight as my dog would want to go out, traffic jams would make me more anxious that i'll be late etc so perhaps an evening 8 or 9pm but 40 minutes or so will be fine.

I'm unsure if i have lost depth, i think its again, less swelling.  First off i was about 5 1/2, i think i am a bit less now, will have to measure again as my line has come off the stents.

I've been surprised how 'easy' its all been really except for soreness at times perhaps because of dilating, i usually feel a bit tender around the skin that rubs against the stents and it sometimes stings for a while after or during the night as i imagine i am leaking a bit and that exacerbates the tenderness.  I have taken to dabbing it once in a while and putting some talc on to help it feel less 'rubbing'.  Nothing major, just an observation at how things have been for me and been a wow really!

Nat.

Yeah I'd think you'd really have to be hard on them to break them. Using them to break open ice...probably not recommended

I dont think the 10 hrs vs 14 hrs is going to make a huge difference. I myself have been slacking a bit on that.....if I dilate at 11pm and sleep till 10am and dilate then, that's 11 hours but then I'll dilate again at 11pm and I try to dilate in the middle around 4pm.

When I go back to work, I'm not sure what to do. I go in at 8am usually so I could dilate at 6am when I get up (takes me a while to get ready and then dilate when I get home at 4pm (so that's 10 hrs?) and then again at bedtime around 9 or 10pm which is only like 6 hours. Then till morning at 6am again , it's like 8 hrs. So it's a bit of a mismatched schedule even then. 10 hrs, 6 hrs, 8 hrs.

Hi,

I had my 8 week post op checkup yesterday, seemingly usual granulation to contend with, otherwise all well.

I asked Dr Thomas if there was merit in me continuing the 3x daily dilation and would it speed up progress to the 9-12mth goal of 1-2 times a week and he replied no.  To reach that point sooner i should try dropping to 2x after 8 weeks and if a problem go back to 3x and try again a month later.

He didnt explain why, he isnt the chattiest of the 2 but my idea of doing it 3x as long as possible before going back to work later this month would appear flawed!

Ah well, yesterday was 2x by default as i had to attend hospital, today seemed ok too.  The smallest was awkward at first as it had to ease the passage open but i wouldnt say anything negative other than it took a minute or so and more gel than usual, fine to move it about once open. Shall continue being a bit eeked by it for some days yet but hopefully if it was going to be bad then i would have known by now wouldnt i?

Yay if its ok, that 1 hour or so slap bang in early afternoon  was starting to be a bit frustrating as it restricted me (s'funny how we constantly change our goalposts)

Nat

I was doing 3x's daily since my surgery in early November '10. A few weeks ago the nurse said I could go down to once daily (Yay!), so I did. Then I noticed bleeding (not so Yay!), and the nurse advised me to go back to more frequent dilation, and see what happens after a couple weeks. There may be some granulated tissue in there, and I'll have to find someone to take a look in there.

Also, I've been feeling that it's gotten harder to get past that band of muscle about 3 inches in, and I'm bummed about that, so it's back to as many times a day as I can manage for now. I can still get my depth, though.

Hi,

Could you not get a steroid cream? Thats what i have been told to use (not got it yet) after dilation to help the internal granulation.

Thats a long time at 3x to just 1x in one drop, i hope you manage to get a good balance and i hope mine gets better.  I do feel sore a lot because of this granulation apparently so am looking forward to this cream.  This was seen by some forcep device being inserted and opened then Dr peered in.

That band you mention is a pain, some days it slips right past, others its a bit of wiggling to get right angle, sometimes i am pushing and then notice its all way in already so really variable for me.  I still get anxious until its in, hopefully one day it will slip in as easy as it now pops out (originally used to worry about it being stuck but not anymore)

Nat

Quote from: Buuuug on April 05, 2011, 04:25:17 PMCould you not get a steroid cream? Thats what i have been told to use (not got it yet) after dilation to help the internal granulation.

I have a little granulation too. I had it cauterised by the surgeon but that didn't work so I'll give setroid cream a try. I've not heard of it before.
I've tried Tea Tree oil which seems to help, but hasn't got rid of it.

Hi Siren,

I'll let you know what its called when i get it.

I think he said Beta Steroid but i couldnt find anything direct based on that, certainly lots of medical things but nothing directly relevant, i had better results by searching on Steroid only but shall wait, shouldnt be long in the grand scheme of things.

Nat

Thanks Nat, I'd be really grateful for that info. I feel like my dilation is going OK apart from this one tiny (but very sore) spot of granulation.

I also have that same tight band just near the vaginal entrance but once I'm past that things get easier.

I agree that going from 3 dilations a day to 1 is a big drop. My surgeon advised dropping from 3 to 2 and then to 1.
I'm currently on 2 a day but if I can get rid of this granulation I want to go back up to 3 a day.

My nurse did say that now that's it's 6 months since the surgery, I should get Premarin cream prescribed. I went to my doctor, and she suggested an Estrodial preparatin instead (which is fine with me, having recently discontinued Premarin in favor of sub-lingual estrodial pills). What she has prescribed for me is in a suppository (vaginal) form, and I will pick it up from the pharmacy this evening. The nurse had recommended it to keep the vaginal vault supple though, so I'm interested that some of you have gotten it for the granulation.

Thanks for your comments Buuuug, I had to skip my morning dilation today, as I had to get an MRI of my knee done, but I'm going to do it as so as I get home, and again before bed. I find my #3 dilator really fitting tight, and getting it out is a bit difficult. Thank goodness my surgeon's office said they didn't expect anyone to use the #4!!

My doctor also prescribed Estrace (pure estradiol) cream for insertion inside my vagina, actually to help the skin stay supple but tough enough to handle dilation. She also recommended using pure lanolin cream (available at Wal-Mart in the baby section for nursing mothers) around the vaginal opening for softening the skin and making it more pliable.

OK, well, I picked up my prescription last night, and it turned out to be Vagifem....basically an estrodial pill in an "injector" that goes in my vagina.

I'm not sure this is what my surgeon's nurse wanted, so I'm going to call her today and check it out. I'm afraid of taking too much estrodial this way. And i don't see how this is gonna make the vault "supple". This may be a fail on my doctor's part, as good as she is.
On edit, talked to my surgeon's nurse and she said the Vagifem would indeed be OK to help thicken the skin in the vagina and make it more resistant to fissures, etc. She said there are no studies on some of these things, and sometimes it becomes a situation of "try this" and if it doesn't work, to pursue something else. So I feel better.

Oh, and I had an MRI of my right knee yesterday, so I may be in for some sort of knee procedure....that's gonna make dilation fun!

Dammit.

Also on edit: I feel better today, my office is not shutting down next week, there was some risk of that.

I couldn't tell it helped a lot either and quit using it after a while. The lanolin cream had a better effect.

Good luck with your knee