I had my one week post op a couple of days ago. I wanted to just share my experience with how things have been going so far!

For those who haven't read my last post, I went to Dr. K. Ashley Brandt in Reading, PA (10/10 recommend!) I got a full depth vaginoplasty using the single stage penile inversion method.

Things at this point are honestly smooth sailing. I will say, my case is sort of outside the standard, if you will. By that I mean, instead of having the catheter in for a week, my surgeon suggested we keep it in for two weeks since my urethra is super narrow. This being said, I'm coming up on two weeks post-op and haven't dilated yet, which is just fine with me. At my one week post-op, she removed the packing that was originally in there from surgery and put some fresh packing in. This did cause some discomfort because she had to use a speculum, but it was only for maybe 30-45 seconds. The catheter is really annoying, I won't sugar coat it. I'm really looking forward to having the feeling of relief after I pee, instead of just having something up there 24/7. My pain is mostly gone. There are moments where my vagina aches a little bit or the urethra throbs because it has something inside of it. But nothing really past that. The recovery game is probably 80% mental and 20% physical. Make it a point to give yourself a routine, keep yourself clean, change your clothes daily, do something that feels productive, and make sure you eat meals when you're hungry! I've been reading a lot, writing, playing video games, watching boat loads of my favorite shows and movies, and keeping in touch with my friends.

I have yet to decide if I want to post pictures of my results publicly. At first I was all for it and really felt good about sharing for educational purposes, however I have started to feel differently about it, considering that I still have the catheter and packing in me. Also, it feels like a much more intimate and personal healing process than I thought it would be.

I'll be making an update post at my one month post-op! By that time I should have more to say about learning to dilate and what it feels like without the catheter and packing. As always feel free to ask me absolutely any questions at all.