Two years later—the long tail of recovery.
Patricia turned two! I love my Virgo vagina so much.
If the first year after surgery was about rest and recovery, the second year was about learning to take care of myself. That may sound weird coming from someone who turns 40 this year, but I mean something specific:
As a parentified oldest child and as a trans person, I learned early on to ignore my own needs, my own feelings, and my own body. Paying attention and listening to our bodies and wants often comes with pain. We learn not to trust them, to shove them down deep—so deep that we can’t hear them.
Two years later, I no longer dilate daily because I have to, I dilate about two or three times a week—not based on a schedule but on whether Patricia is telling me she needs to. I can finally sit in a chair without padding and regularly stand at my standing desk without getting too exhausted. I am able to vary my yoga flows based on...