After Care

[IwishIwasTracy]

I hope I don't offend anyone with this question but I have always been curious about this.

Once you have had SRS surgery, how long do you have to dilate? Is this something you have to do forever or just until you are fully healed?

Thanks for answering.


Tracy

[Shikyo]

From what I have understood you'll have to keep doing it for the rest of your life. After the beginning you will only have to do it occasionally, though.

[GypsyKaren]

Dilation is a life long commitment and each surgeon has their own instructions to follow, but we all go about it differently in a way that suits us individually. It is very important that you follow them to the letter in the beginning, you'll be devoting about 2 hours a day total over 3 or 4 daily sessions, after a few months you can then start adjusting to a way that better suits you. I'm now 16 months post-op and I only dilate once every two weeks for 20 minutes or so, but that's just me, every postie goes about it differently.

Karen :g2:

[Rachel A V]

I am just about at six months post op and I am down to once a week for an hour long session. Seems to be more than enough at this point, I may even stretch it out a few more days in the next few months like Karen to every two weeks.

[tori-e]

For Dr. Brassard it is 5 times per day while still in Montreal, then 4 times per day for a month, 3 per day for 2 months, 2 for three months. At 6 month it is once per day and as you progress towards the one year mark you work down to once per week. There are 5 stents numbered 0,1,2,3,4. (smallest to largest) In the beginning you use 0,1,2 for 3,5 and 15 minutes. At six months, I'm using 3 & 4 for 5 and 15 mins. But I just do it in bed in the evening while watching TV, so it's really no trouble.

If you are getting ready for GRS, I'd suggest you count on being off work for 6 weeks. In the begin you really can't move around too quickly and need lots of rest. For the first while there lots of other maintenance beside dilating and you really need to bit of a germophobe during the initial healing.

Terri

[Rachel A V]

It's funny how different surgeons have such different dialating schedules. I never dialated more than twice a day, an hour each time. That was in Thailand during the five weeks I was there. When I got home that lasted maybe two weeks before I went back to work. Twice a day was just to inconvenient so it was once a day for about the next two months then every other day for a few weeks and so-on. I was supplied with a set of six dialators and have only been using number six for the almost 4 months so the five smaller ones are not really needed anymore and have maintained the same six inch depth throughout.

[Diane24]

Tori-e has it described very well. Since I had my SRS in '98, the procedure is pretty much the same. I still dilate but not on a regular schedule. Arlene and I make it part of our sex play and use our favorite vibrators. Don't forget to use lube! our "VeJays" (to use Oprah's term!) don't lubricate themselves. It was a chore and a real pain during the early days, but eventually, when in the right frame of mind and with the right person helping, it actually became fun.

Diane