Labiaplasty- trim of the minora and majora

At 32 years of enjoying life, I finally got to a point where I wasn’t willing to be self-conscious about my Labia any more, not to mention deal with the pain. I have raced mountain bikes on and off over the last 6 years, I have an active job, and I run or ski on days that I don’t ride a bike. I’m sure all this activity has contributed to the problem but dang, some things just don’t seem fair.
I have a stable boyfriend. Funny thing to say, we actually just bought a house together and it took me a year to tell him about this little surgery for my “she-bits,” only two days before it happened. It’s embarrassing. We’ve always been an oral-friendly couple, and while it hasn’t seemed to bother him, his mouth on that actually made me skin crawl a couple (many/every) times. I felt bad for him and embarrassed for myself. He’s been amazing and supportive.
I scheduled the appt with Dr. Rodgers as she has been highly recommended in the community and also performs facial surgeries. Not related but kind of is: I am having a rhinoplasty and blepharoplasty done by her in a month. The rhinoplasty for a previously broken nose (yes, because bikes) and a bleph because I have these awful hoods that hang to my eyelashes, and the crease fills with makeup, sweat, dirt, and grease daily. I hate it. I have saved for a long time and am taking time off of work for those surgeries as I’m having my shoulder fixed the week prior. I originally had this labiaplasty scheduled in the middle of it but what kind of person decides to intentionally do all that to oneself at the same time?! I don’t know that I could have handled it all together.
Here is my review starting with the consult.
After Dr. Rodgers saw me for my face, which I will leave a detailed review later for, she wanted to see what I had to work with down “there.” She said I had a large minora, which I knew, and she would trim it and remove some from the hood. Then she said that my majora looked like deflated balloons and I had excess skin. She wanted to reduce the size of those also. I was surprised. I hadn’t even considered that. I mean, I knew it was ugly but I never got them tangled up in running shorts or got sores on them from bike saddle like the minora. She asked me how I wanted it to look or what I’d like to change, and I paused wondering the same and had a flashback of my long minora in my boyfriend’s mouth and I started crying. I never cry. I said I just wanted things to look nice down there but mostly wanted to be comfortable again. I threw my clothes on and went home as fast as I could. How was I ever going to tell my man?
Fast forward a couple weeks, I had an appt scheduled in the same week as my other two BIG surgeries, and I was trying to plan how tough I was going to be, and maybe I wouldn’t have to tell my guy.... so life threw me a rock and the office called saying they had an appt open up the next day and they’d like to fit me in if possible. I was off work, it was a beautiful day, I had the money, I hadn’t told my boyfriend but I worked the next two days. As I said earlier, at an active job in EMS. I’m a nurse, and I have been working as much overtime as possible to pay for my new house and for the thousands of dollars I’m about to spend. I hummed and ha’d until the last minute (literally), snuck in a final bike ride and said yes.
Here goes something. Take the meds they prescribe you, the numbing hurts but the anxiety is worse.
She numbed me up as I bit my lip, Nancy the PA was awesome and personal the whole time. I needed her. Twoish hours later she was done. I was scared, but I was happy, it was like they delivered my baby and I was ready to see it.
So they showed me, despite being frankenvagina for Halloween this year, I thought it was beautiful. So much tissue was gone. I wanted to hug them.
Now it was on me. I had an hour ride home, the pain started to creep in then, and I got home, iced, watched a show and went to bed.
I don’t know if anyone can relate to this but most of my dilemma in deciding to have it done so soon was being unable to work out for a month. I’m an athlete, that’s the only coping mechanism I have in this life besides wine. I was afraid of adding another month to my recovery and how out of shape I will be. Plus I had to drop out of a race that I thought I’d do really well in and have a great hurrah with friends at. So I was already slightly depressed about this going into it.
I’m sure separating them was the right choice as I lay here at work with an ice pack 4 days out. There is no way I could have survived all 3 at once.
Going to work was not a good idea but it’s what I did. It hurt so much and the pressure is constant. Sitting isn’t fun, and not great for the stitches. I had a day off on day three, got home from my shift around noon, but am remodeling our kitchen so I was in the garage staining cabinets and sanding until 8. I was almost crying it hurt so much. I realized I was done and did too much. Us healthcare people are the worst patients. I laid down and iced and made dinner. I slept alright as I invented this double boy short situation. Pad goes in the snugger ladies boy short, then using men’s boxer briefs over you can put a gel ice pack on the goods and pull those up to hold. Pillow between the knees. Bam- sleep at last. If you wake up, swap the ice pack.
I’m hoping the next few days get better. I get really cranky when the pain is bad. I wish I could take ibuprofen, I think it would make the pain and swelling so much better.
I have my first checkup tomorrow morning (day 5) and I’m hoping things are good to go. I noticed some of the glue peeling and maybe I popped a little stitch or two near the clit. I’ve been bleeding a little every day but not saturating anything.
I hope this helps anyone who is looking, I really didn’t think the pain would be this bad, but I wonder if it’s because I went back to work.

Well, it’s been real. The last few days although less painful, have been very challenging. I have diaper rash/chafing on the sides of the majora, and honestly the worst part is the base of the minora. It touches everything. Sitting hurts, walking rubs, and I just finally got the underwear situation dialed. Before, I was wearing girl’s boy shorts with a decent panty liner and it was constantly rubbing, and it irritated the area too much. Nancy the PA pt bacitracin ointment on everything on day 5, and it feels better, but the irritation is still there. The most comfortable thing I have found is men’s boxer briefs. That pouch up front is so nice to not be sticking and rubbing on everything. I was losing my mind before, and probably why everything was so irritated. Anything with a crotch seam (boxers, shorts) just wanted to get in there with any walking or movement and that is a definite no-no. I’m hoping the rest of the weekend gets better. It’s a little itchy where the skin is red, mostly at the base of the majora and the sides near my legs, it’s that crease that is so angry. No yeast which is good, I can’t imagine that. I’ve been taking probiotics to help prevent it with the antibiotics.
I figured things would be better by today, and they are, but I am still walking funny, sitting uncomfortably, and wishing it would heal faster as it feels kinda like torture.
Also, I don’t know if I mentioned this before or not, but sometimes if I really need to pee, some will leak out. Like it’s harder to hold that sphincter together. I’m hoping it’s just the swelling because that is super inconvenient.
Even so, I think this is all worth it in the end, at least I’m hoping so. It’s just too early to really look at it. Especially the whole hood area. It’s a swollen, wrinkly mound of super glue and ouchie.
More to come in the next few days.

I am healing, finally. I went to the gym the last two days and just did upper arms and some core. I could feel some pressure down there with lower body exercises and core so I kept it light. I was going insane without exercise, feeling soft and weak.
I’m happy with how things are healing. Yesterday didn’t look as good as today, I’ve been icing it fairly often and down to just Tylenol if I want it. Still wearing loose pants, I don’t like yoga pants or skinny jeans touching and rubbing. Still haven’t found an ideal pair of underwear so I’m sporting the boxer briefs. Recheck is today.