T-plus 6d 9h. "Grand Opening"

It's the sixth day, which means the packing comes out. So people have told me I won't be able to describe the sensation of when the packing comes out and they're right. On one hand it feels like anything being retracted from that area, including the dilator. (oh yeah, that started today too) But there's something else in the sensation I couldn't quite my finger on at the time, and it's kinda fading from memory somewhat because of that. It's a little treat I suppose, after all I've been through.

Getting the packing taken out is great. I no longer have to deal with those piercing sutures. Ouch. Ouch I say. There's still a level of chronic pain in me and it's the same 3-4 I experienced this morning, but it's easier to sit and walk around and I can 100% identify the sutures as the reason. After first dilation I did a quick feel of the sutures (which were lying on the chux pad) with my fingers. They're not too prickly to the fingers but they're firm enough to irritate an area that underwent 4 hours of surgery.

Dilation is interesting. It's not so annoying now but I expect it to be when I start trying to have a life. It's not really as bad as everyone makes it out to be, but I have little pain/trouble inserting #1. I take a deep breath and hold to get a muscle, one that blocks the dilator around 2", out of the way, allowing me to insert the dilator all the way.
Another one of those thing no one will ever tell you: Dilation plays mind games on your bowels. When you insert the dilator it puts a tiny (almost negligible) amount of pressure on the bladder but a lot on the colon. After my first dilation I had the feeling of a bowel movement when I probably didn't need it. It was very minor. Then after the second dilation I had a more considerable one but I'm feeling a bit funny right now. (either minor cold/flu symptoms or a side-effect of the Dilaudid) I'm worried that I may be taking too many painkillers, I may be developing some kind of dependancy.

So how does the vagina look on day 6? I'd recommend looking for post-op pictures (mine is in line with the ones I've seen) but I dub mine the zombie vagina. :P It's so obviously wounded in so many places that it'd look fitting on a zombie chick. In that way it's a little hard to look at but you have to when dilating. At least it looks way more normal than the psychotic mental patient vagina of day 1, but I guess it'll be a long time before it looks indistinguishable from that of a natal female.

A little tired now, but I have two dilations to go before I can sleep uninterrupted. Sigh...