Went to Dr. Bowers office today. Her office assistant took out my catheter which hurt quite a bit, but was over quick. She then took out the packing. It felt REALLY weird coming out. I could feel things I had never felt before and it felt uncomfortable. I was tense and she told me that it would go easier if I relaxed. This immediately made me laugh as it reminded me of my ex Trish telling me about her gynecological visits from the past. Anyway, I was able to relax and it did go easier. Finally it was time for dilation. She took out the smallest dilator and put lube on it and pushed it inside me. It was very bizarre to see and feel about six inches of this thing slowly push inside. She then took it out and had me do it. It took a lot more effort to push in than I thought, but I got it in and kept pressure on it and held it there for 15 minutes. My very first dilation. Like the packing, it wasn't quite pain, but I would term it uncomfortable. Definitely not pleasurable in any way. Of course it is still a work in progress. When I got back to the hotel I went to the bathroom and was able to pee on my own for the very first time. Yay me! Good thing too because if I hadn't before the end of the day, I would have been forced to return to Dr. Bowers' office for a new catheter. So, not exactly the type of pre-Valentines romance I was looking for, but a very successful day nonetheless!

  too cool!!! you will do great 

I'm not sure exactly what it is, but reading your experiences is very inspirational. Like how it is possible for everything to work out and be ok.

Dilation is the act of putting a penis shaped piece of polyurethane into your new vaginal canal to keep it from closing up over time. The body would otherwise try to heal the "wound" and your vagina would collapse. It also keeps the tissues in there stretched and helps with scar tissue break-down etc. It is something that must be done after sex reassignment surgery or all that effort will be wasted. In the beginning three times a day for 15 minutes (with Dr. Bowers at least) and tapering off to once a day. Maybe less later as well.

That is totally awesome Melody,

Just telling the way it is, as shortNsweet said is, inspirational.

Cindy mentioned you've been playing with your Birthday present.     Good to see it's all unpacked and working fine. Did you get batteries with it?? .... or are they extra??   

But that is really good you can pee by yourself. I've heard it so many times, it's one of the recovery benchmarks you have to pass.

Hope there are a few surprises for you on VD day. (St Valentines Day that is.  )

Keep going and keep growing

Lotsa huggs
Catherine

Sounds all good to me,
keep up the good 'work' hon.

Hug,
Axélle
PS: Welcome to the 'full enchilada'... or was it taco... ? :-)

Hi Melody, that is real good news, you must be so very happy, I know I am happy for you.  Good luck and stay happy and healthy, aloha.

Jennie

Good to hear that things are going well.. Hope it continues to go well.. 

Hugs,
Kelly

Cool, I wanna know how that discomfort feels I love discomfort. XD

Pulling the packing out is really weird.   The first dilation is really a strange and very uncomfortable experience.

       I just kept saying whoa and it continued in.   I wanted to jump off the table, but I knew the Doctor knew what she was doing.

      Dr. McGinn had me dilating 5 times a day for the first several months.    Sheesh, there's not much time left for much of anything else.   The first month of dilating is reasonably easy.     After that, you're fighting scar tissue and the pain can be quite noticeable.   You have to push through it and overcome it. 

      It eventually is quite easy to do, but there is an ordeal in there and can be very discouraging to the faint of heart.

      I'm very happy that you're doing so well. 

       Keep it up.

  I see that you're healing soon enough after your GRS.  Hugs,
  Joelene

   LOL, that feeling when the packing is removed is unique, isn't it? The nurses told me it was going to feel unusual before they did it.

I had 3 'unpackings' with Dr. Sanguan.
One was under general anaesthetic changing of packing and checking for 'leaks' inside vj-channel blood-vessels, after 4 days.
Then 7 day after main op, before 'wall papering" vj-channel-lining (from saved scrotal tissue) also being 'under'.
Last one around 10 days after main-op, getting 'un-packed' for good, followed by first dilating the day after.
All I recall was the young female nurse looking up my vj - and her face said: "I'm so happy this it not mine...! "
It was not painful at all, just momentarily leaving behind one big open hole.

Of all the rest I have no recollection. Only that dilators went in VERY easy up to #5 (1¼") and about 5½" deep. That of course included the swollen perineum of some 1" swelling.

Axélle