As I have mentioned both here and on my website, I am a post op transgender. Some of the misconceptions are surprising, some I think are through people just not understanding. Just recently I recieved an e mail from a guy who had visited my website. 'Surely though the op is just a quick snip!' was hisunderstanding of things. Well the actual operation is far more complex than that. It is considered major surgery and there are risks involved. Basically I have fashioned a complete vagina. In theory I can have full penatrative sex. Indeed, quite a few who have had the op do so quite easily and happily. It is after surgery that the work begins.After six days an internal pack is removed, and it hurts. This is initially left in to keep the new vagina open. When it was removed I was presented with two dilators, one thin, one much thicker. They look similar to a vibrator, however, these are made of clear medical grade plastic. I took one look at them thinking, 'no way, absolutely no way am I going to get those into me. They are used to keep the vagina open and to keep things flexible. It was sore and uncomfortable for some time afterwards and even today I am still having some problems. Some people think once surgery is over everything is done and dusted. Well, not quite, to start with I had to dilate three times a day. at first I still had masses of stiching in, I was on my own, there is no help service, no visiting nurse. it is a case of sitting in my flat and making the best of it. Fifteen minutes with the thin dilator, twenty with the big one. Much time is spent clock watching. Lying on my bed timing things, I try reading, watching tv, anything. My eyes are drawn back to the clock, surely I have been going now for the full length of time? Nope, only five minutes have passed. Lubricant is something I have to use. suffling down to the local chemist, unsure how much KY jelly to buy I end buying a dozen tubes, strange, but folks sort of backed away from me and there was a raised eyebrow at the till. Now I am dilating twice a day. One of main interests is hill walking. At present I am trying to get my head around how I am going to manage my dilations in a tent? Oh and by the way, being gender disphoric is not considered a mental illness. Another popular misconception. Really, I am just a normal person. If anyone reads this, wants to ask questions, please free to do so. Fell free to visit my website as well. Look it up on google, brenda dawns personal pages. it would be nice to hear from a few folks out there and thanks for reading my scribblings.