Panties, pads, and ointments – which worked for me

[Leena]

Hi, ladies. I just wanted to pass on some information following my May 4th procedure, which went better than I could have ever imagined, ditto for the post-procedure self-dilating.

I bought a few different kinds of snug undies and found that the high-waisted swim brief from Blair catalogue to be by far the best for me in terms of comfort and snugness to keep the dilator in place. I had bought a couple of different sizes due to customer reviews that indicated they run large, and indeed the ones that fit are one size less than my normal size. Here is the link, fyi: http://www.blair.com/p/high-waisted-swim-brief/73603.uts (Check the homepage for savings codes, which they often have – either free shipping or a percentage off.) I’ve now bought several additional since they work so well, and the feel like undies.

I also found that thinner feminine napkins were the way to go. I used Always Ultra Thin Overnight Pads with wings. These kept the blood and lubricant safely off my panties. I had also brought maxi pads with me, thinking that they are so cushiony they would make me more comfortable, but actually they were too thick and caused unnecessary pressure against the dilator, which caused discomfort.

I bought the cortisone ointment and cream but ended up not needing either of them. If you are on a tight budget, you might consider waiting to see if you need one or the other. There are drug stores in walking distance from Dr. Pacik’s office and the Radisson and your caregiver (husband, friend) could get it for you if you need it.

Hope this helps. If I think of anything else, I will post.

Best wishes,
Michele

[Dr. Pacik]

Thanks Leena for sharing these valuable comments. I checked the link and feel that these panties would be helpful and seem to be reasonably priced. Flimsy panties is an issue for patients who need to maintain the dilator for a period of time. The vaginal contractions cause the dilator to get pushed out, so it needs to be held in place with snug fitting panties.

[Heather34]

Hi Leena. This is an excellent post. I have shared your tip and link to the tight fitting panties that worked best for you. I think the idea of using thinner pads is also excellent. I, too, initially thought that using the thicker pads would add comfort while dilating and it did just the opposite. It caused them to push up further and caused a ton of added pressure. The thinner the pad, the better it felt!!!!