It’s really, really hard to believe that I’ve been post-op for six months. Sometimes I want to shout to the world that I’m a woman. I’ve got my drivers license, US passport and birth certificate to prove it.
I thought I would write some comments about what happens to me during the months after GRS and the various procedures, which I followed.
First of all there is the word “commitment”. If you are going to have GRS then you must be willing to commit to the follow up procedure required as a woman.
Each physician who performs this type of operation has their own instruction on Dilating, Baths, Douching, etc… It is not a smart idea to deviate from your own doctor’s orders and follow someone else’s advice. Also, as I’ve said before, if you are in good physical shape, exercise regularly and are not overweight, the whole post-op period will be a lot easier.
We hear and read so much about this subject that I can only tell you about my own personal experience having had surgery from Dr Menard. At his residency, he wanted me to dilate 5 times a day, then 4 times a day at home for the next three weeks; then 3 times a day for the next two months; 2 times a day for the next month or so; 1 time a day at around the six month mark. After that depending on how easy the stents are to go in and out of your new vagina, you can either go to once a week for the rest of you life or once every other day, then once every third day, once every fourth day and so forth, timing each reduction to a monthly length.
I tried to religiously follow his schedule. Yes there were 3 or 4 times that I missed a dilation session but for the most part I was right on schedule. The only time I had difficulty with stents was when I went from a smaller to the next largest size. I was able to get the stent inside me all right but it felt like I was going to die from the size and discomfort. However, after the second session using the same stents it got much easier and continued being that way.
The first dilation with the first stent of the day was always the most difficult. However, every other session of the day went very well. The first week home from Montreal I noted a bit of something coming out on the stent and on rare occasions some very small traces of blood. But as I continued the blood went away and the various pieces of me from within decreased.
I had a 30-day leave of absence from work, which gave me two weeks at home to commit to 4 a day dilations. That was very good and got me off to the right start after leaving Montreal where health care professions were available to help you if need be.
Also, I tried to be very careful to wash my hands with antibacterial soap as well as each stent. The whole dilation session that Dr Menard recommends takes about 23 minutes although after two months I lengthen the time to 30 minutes. In Montreal each stent was marked at 5 inches. Thus I was able to insert the stent 5 inches every time I dilated. I was very satisfied with this depth and to this day was able to keep this level. I used KY lubricate on the first and third stent that went inside me. I dilated three times a day. I didn’t put anything on the second stent, as there was enough KY jelly inside me. When I went to two stents per session I used the KY jelly on both stents.
I never found the dilation sessions boring because I always had a book to read. In recent years I got out of the habit of reading books and this was a great way to get back into the habit. Telephones and people interruptions are hard to avoid but I tried as much as possible to keep them to a minimum.
This is a quick 15-20 second operation. I got a permanent douche kit to use. It is in the long run less costly. I filled the bag with a white vinegar and water mixture and douched twice a day for the first two months. After that it was as needed.
For the first month, Dr Menard recommends two baths a day for 10-15 minute lengths. The morning bath was a bit of a shore for me because of my arrival time at work, however, I quickly got to love the evening bath. You see by the time you have done 3 or 4 dilations per day, a bath in the evening is such a delight. Even after the first month, I showered in the morning but still took an evening bath (with antibacterial soap). It felt so good. After the first two months I pretty much just showered.
You need to wear them unless you like to do laundry. This was the one area that surprised me. I did not realize that I would need to wear pantiliners both day and night for the first three months. Then during the day only for the next month or so and finally only after each dilation sessions. I have to wear them because of the liquid that drops down in the vaginal canal. Dr Menard told me that he had created a hole, i.e. vagina, thus I had to except the fact that no matter how well I cleaned myself after dilating there would be some discharge. Somehow I never quite got use to wearing pantiliners.
That’s my story folk’s. I hope you enjoyed this semi diary story of my live. At this point I’m as much of a women as I can get. I may have some other surgical procedure, i.e. breast implants but that’s another story for another time.