| When they create the clitoris
a portion of the glans on the penis is saved as well as the nerve bundle leading to it. That nerve bundle is fairly long and there has to be a place to tuck it into to preserve one�s ability to feel sexual pleasure. An incision is made in the lower part of the abdomen, just above the clitoris where they tuck the nerve bundle. After the surgery everyone notices this very swollen area, for it feels as hard as a rubber ball. That incision is also where most of the blood comes from that discolors your entire groin area, according to Dr. M�nard. I was black, blue, and yellow in the groin area for quite awhile after the surgery. I often wondered if that swollen ball-like area and the discoloration would ever go away. It did eventually happen, but the process was agonizingly slow. After 3 to 4 weeks I was told I could massage the ball-like mound to speed up the healing. I was amazed at how sensitive the entire groin area was while I waited to see some progress in finally becoming normal. The healing process was indeed like watching molasses drip from a jar, slow and steady. It was also a messy process as well. Wearing a sanitary pad was necessary for about the first 5-6 weeks before everything more or less seemed to dry up. It was an inconvenience at first, but like anything else, you get use to it. Perhaps there is one way of looking at it---it was the only time in my life where I could actually feel like it was my time of the month. I was left to my own devices to figure out if my healing was going well or not. At times it was frustrating not knowing if I was doing the right things, but overall I accepted the challenge and marveled at the progress a few months down the road. Home Again The first month after my SRS went by rather slowly, but I didn�t have time to really think about. I was very busy tending to myself and dealing with the emotional roller-coaster I was on. Eventually the time came for me to move back into my own domicile. Staying with Jodie for that entire month was a real blessing for me, and for her as well. I benefitted immensely from having someone close to me who was going through the same thing as I was. We helped each other in every aspect of our post-operative infancy. I really couldn�t imagine going through that period of time without someone there to support me every step of the way. I remember leaving her house without the intent of coming immediately back, how strange and sad it was. We promised to be there for each other as our lives continued on their separate ways. I knew I was going to miss our chat sessions, and just being able to see a friendly face on a daily basis. My biggest concern at that time was getting used to the second largest stent in the set. I�ll freely admit I was a wuss when it came to enduring the pain associated with stretching myself out even further when I had to move up one size in the set. It was, without a doubt, quite painful for me. That didn�t keep me from persevering and sticking to the schedule. Due to my trials so far, I doubted I would ever get to the point where I would be ever using the largest stent without any struggle. Based upon your progress, going up in size usually meant the frequency became less. I was certainly looking forward to dilating only three times a day. Knocking off 25% of the time I spent dilating seemed like it would certainly free me up to spend more time at work. Besides, I was feeling stronger as each day went by. I was at the point where I wanted to become more active and see how my body reacted to the added stress. <<BACK<< >>NEXT>> |