New Glass Dilators!!!!

[Heather34]

Hi ladies. Congrats to Dr. P and the ladies on another very successful week. In an earlier post, Dr. P wrote the following:

“This week marked another success, the delivery of our glass dilators to make dilation more comfortable. Three sizes identical to the Pure Romance purple #4, pink #5 and blue #6 are now available through our office. Because they are 1/2 the length of the pink dilator they are much more comfortable. It is easy to walk around with these in place and sleeping is more comfortable. Two of our women tested them overnight, and they were a hit. Gone is the disc which rubs against the inner thighs, replaced with a flange that looks like the brim of a hat. These are now available through the office. They are made of tempered glass and can withstand 2000 pounds per square inch, therefore do not break even if they fall on a floor. They are very smooth and easy to insert.
The dilators are the result of a collaboration between Shellie form Crystal Delights, Ellen and myself , designing what we felt was needed and was missing from other designs. These dilators are made in New Hampshire by a local glass blower. More can be read http://www.vaginismusmd.com/?s=crystal”

This is very exciting news ladies. Have any of you personally tried the glass dilators out yet? If so, can you tell the rest of us what they feel like???

[salvarez91]

I LOVE the new glass dilators, they are so much more comfortable than the plastic ones.I could walk normally and sit in them more comfortable than the plastic ones. They are also very easy to just slip out. They don’t tug or pinch the skin while coming out. Thank you, all of you who helped making something that makes our lives and the dilating process much easier!

[mshopgirl]

This is a copy of a post I created elsewhere.

Dr. Pacik has asked me to start a discussion about the glass dilators that are now available to patients. I know that the use of glass dilators is very new in terms of the use in Dr. P’s office, but apparently glass dilators have been used for years to help treat vaginismus (thanks for the bit of history Dr. P!). At first, I was really, really nervous about the idea of using glass to dilate, but after using them for almost 2 weeks, I feel like they are the best fit for me.

I am currently 13 days post procedure (the big day was February 14) and have been exclusively dilating with the glass dilators. Dr. P used the silicone dilators during my procedure and I woke up with the Big Blue inserted. I used the silicone purple, pink and blue to dilate right after my procedure, but I was very uncomfortable with the length of the silicone (especially the pink and blue). Dr. P had a few glass dilators in the purple size at the office and suggested that I try one at the hotel that evening to see how it worked for me. I was very uncomfortable (sharp pains) the remainder of the day and night of the procedure and switched between the purple silicone and its glass counterpart. The following morning, I arrived at the office with the glass dilator (purple) as I found it was more comfortable to sit. On day 2 (the day following the procedure) I used only glass dilators during my dilation sessions at the office. Dr. P happened to have a few full sets of glass dilators (purple, pink and blue) available for purchase ($160 for the set, I believe), and my husband and I immediately jumped on the chance to allow me to dilate with glass.

Like I stated above, I really believe that the glass dilators are the best fit for me, but they may not be right for everyone. Ideally I think anyone who is close enough to Dr. P’s office or is going to have the procedure in the future should try dilating with glass, even for just a bit, to see how it feels for them. For me, the two things that make glass good for me is that (1) they are a few inches shorter than the silicone (they don’t stick out at all once they are inserted, at least for me) and have a base that is ergonomic on the bottom to fit well into the vag opening (thanks Ellen!), and (2) the glass is slippery so insertion and removal is much easier (I found that the silicone dilators, at least for me, tended to stick to my skin when inserting and removing).

The glass dilators, like the silicone ones, are non-porous so there is no risk for TSS. I have been using Slippery Stuff lube which Ellen talks about in the DVD (you will get it post-procedure); we purchased it from Amazon. I wash the glass with mild soap and water after each use and then let them air dry (I am looking for some kind of drying rack as the glass dilators are hollow on the inside).

My complaints about the glass dilators are limited, but there are a few: (1) the dilators, since they are hollow, tend to hold water inside that takes a while to dry (I am dilating enough that there isn’t time for it to dry between sessions) and it makes my underwear a little damp after wearing a dilator, and (2) the dilators are slippery enough that some times they slide out really fast if there is nothing there to hold it in place (underwear or shorts). As for the first complaint, I think a better drying method would help (like drying rack or something). I have briefly considered a hair dryer, but the glass tends to get warm and I would be afraid of burning myself. I also live in Seattle where the air is damp, so that might also contribute. As for the second complaint, I just have learned that as soon as I am ready to remove the dilator, I have to have a hand in place to catch the dilator as soon as my underwear come down.

The only other thing I had an issue with, in terms of the glass dilators, was that the first night I slept with the glass in (the night of the procedure), I found it a bit painful to remove in the morning; the glass seemed to be sticking to my skin (much like my experience with the silicone). I found that slowly turning the dilator as I was slowly removing it really helped. I think that there were a lot of factors in play at this time – 24 hours post-procedure, local anesthetic had just worn off, still using lube with lidocaine – and I haven’t had the issue since. I also think using the Slippery Stuff lube helps; I have found insertion and removal much more bearable since I started using Slippery Stuff, I really can’t say enough about it!

Sorry for the novel, but I hope it helps!

[salvarez91]

HI mshopgirl, I have been using the glass dilators for 40 days and I also experienced the same thing on how you say that the glass dilators hold water. I use a blow dryer to dry them in between when I am not using them, just put your dryer on a lower heat setting or even on cool. If you still experience slight dampness just wear a pad or panty liner . Also if the dilators tend to slip right out of you, you can buy surgical dressing pads or wear a thick maxi pad. I usually always do this since I dilate and do chores around the house or even go shopping 🙂 .
I hope this helps and make things easier…and Congratulations on your progress! it will only get better!

[mlrchi]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new glass dilators! I have only had them a few days, but they seem to do exactly what I wanted them to do. The issue I have with dilating is the time commitment and having to lay around for over 2 hours. You can totally multi-task with these things. I like sleeping with one in and it got to be a bit uncomfortable with the purple Pure Romance dilator. The first night I slept with the similar sized glass dilator and the 2nd night I slept with the next size up. After I woke up I came downstairs, made a nice breakfast, did laundry, and started my work day. All while dilating! How is that for productivity?! As the other ladies said the main advantage is the short length and the design at the opening. Since they don’t narrow at the end I do have a bit more issues inserting them, but I need more practice. I got a bit aggressive and tried the biggest one, but that guy didn’t budge. I think I will stick with the middle one for a week or 2. I also agree that you need to wear tighter fitting pants with these dilators. I got away with loose clothes with the Pure Romance, but these do slide out a bit. No issues though with tight biker shorts,yoga pants or granny panties! I even like the look of them. Kind of classy (if that is possible with dilators!) and they come in a nice, velvet case.

I feel like a dilator addict because I have the plastic ones, the Pure Romance and now these. I think the plastic ones are good for rapid insertions because of the handle, but not sure I will use Pure Romance any longer. Is there any information on the web site about the dilators? I can post something to the vaginismus.com site and let the gals there know there is a good complementary product to the plastic kit. While I wish I had the Botox, I am trying to get through with dilators first, so I can be an advocate for those just dilating right now.

I am glad I found this forum so I can try another approach to solving my issue. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks.

mlrchi

[Heather34]

Hi ladies. I, too, love the glass dilators. I still use them in advance of ob/gyn visits and find them to be so much more comfortable to sit with than the pure romance ones, probably because they are much shorter in length. I also like how they do not burn your inner thighs with walking like the handle did on the pure romance ones. I have actually worn the larger glass dilator throughout my whole work day, drove to my appointment with it in, and simply removed it before going into the office. For the newly treated patients, what advice do you have for the girls awaiting their treatments concerning the new glass dilators?