Honestly, it's amazing how fast the year has gone by. It's already been a year since I had sex reassignment surgery in September 2018. So, the one year report:
Recovery has gone great. The first weekend after surgery in September 2018 I suffered a complication, an infection of the skin in my abdomen. The cellulitis infection was treated with IV antibiotics and I recovered in full. Pain medication was no longer needed after week three. Bleeding ceased by the end of the month. Minor bleeding from dilation continued into month two. One incident of bleeding occurred in month three, the result of a common and minor complication known as granulation tissue. No further bleeding of any form was experienced by month six. I was able to walk around by week two and driving my car on week three. Discomfort when sitting resolved by month two, which I no longer needed a butt donut to sit on.
Dilation has gone well. I started at once a day for a week, seven days after surgery. Then I began dilating twice and then three times a day. By six months I had reduced the dilation sessions to twice a day. At month ten I was able to reduce it further to once a day. At one year, I am currently able to miss or skip a day if necessary. In another month or two, I should be able to fully begin alternating dilation days to once every other day. I was provided four dilators by the hospital, each one thicker in size. The smallest one was purple. The next size up was blue. Then green, then orange. I am not capable of fitting the green or orange. Unfortunately, the blue dilator's thickness (1.25 inches/3.175cm) is my girth limit.
Dilators: https://imgur.com/ndD8v1V
Sexual function and sensation are incredible. Everything works wonderfully. Orgasms are strong, pleasure sensation can be intense. I have no noticeable numbness or nerve damage. For the first few months there were bits of numbness in some places, but with time, everything recovered. The prostate was left intact, so upon orgasm, I also occasionally leak prostate fluids. The peritoneal graft maintains interior moisture, producing peritoneal fluid to keep the vaginal canal lubricated. At a year, it is not enough natural lubrication for sex or for dilation however, but enough to ensure that water-based lubricant I use does not dry out.
For the first month after surgery I needed to use menstrual pads to help absorb bleeding. From then on I needed panty liners to absorb fluids from the peritoneal graft that would leak out over the course of the day. At a year later, I use one panty liner per day, instead of two initially. The amount of peritoneal fluid leakage has decreased with time.
On Day 365, September 12, 2019, I met with Dr. Ting for my one year follow-up appointment. Once again, journeying into New York City, Dr. Ting asked how everything is doing and inspected my vagina. Everything has been recovering great. I mentioned again the urination issue which causes the stream to spray a bit off to the left and can occasionally make using the bathroom messy. There is a bit of excess skin near the urethra causing this issue. It would require a surgery and it is something I should think about whether I'd want to go through a whole operation to tweak a bit of skin. Not sure it's worth it, but we'll see. I'd have to also weigh the out-of-pocket costs and insurance coverage of a second-stage labiaplasty to adjust the clitoris for realism. I'd rather get it all done in one single procedure but if I'd have to pay myself, it will have to wait, as I have many other out-of-pocket cosmetic priorities. Besides the minor urination issue and a revision as something to consider, all else is well. I am scheduled to see the surgeon again in September 2020.
