OK have more time than I thought:
I was given the op on the grounds of medical issues resulting from them being far too big; the outer layers of skin were all damaged and thinned and just horrible. They kept falling out of my knickers, rubbing against clothing and blistering etc. If stretched they touched my inner thighs..
Op was called a bilateral labioplasty plus clitoral hood reduction..
I was given a spinal anaesthetic (an injection in the back, like an epidural but not quite) which numbed me from the belly button down. I was then given an injection of stuff in my hand to make me relaxed and sleepy but not unconscious, I was fully awake the entire time. The drugs did have the effect of making me forget the whole procedure from the moment they were injected - I remember saying I was lovely and cosy, then putting my head back; the next thing I vividly remember was the surgeon telling me she was on the last stitch.
I was given local anaesthetic injections afterwards to help with pain relief. I had around 25 stitches in a ring round my labia and through my clitoral hood.
There wasn't any heavy bleeding, I had a period at the time and there was nothing more than the usual amount for a period. I did get given huge maternity pads to wear but it wasn't really necessary and by 9am the next day I switched to normal pads. I was worried about bleeding on the bed but that only happened once or twice, and the sheets were changed pretty much within minutes.
Pain relief wore off by 4 and at that time I was given dihydrocodeine to help, with the offer of speaking to the ward doctor if I felt I wasn't getting any relief. The first night was a shock in terms of swelling/pain levels but it got gradually better after that.
I did have to stay in one night due to the spinal but I was discharged by 11am the next day - my mum had to pick me up.
I did spend the first week at my mum's, and was pretty much bedridden - my vulva was very swollen and I couldn't put my legs together. I slept in a starfish shape.. I was advised to have towel time for about ten minutes every 3 hours or so (i.e. no pants, no trousers, airing the stitches off) and the nurses said rubbing in germolene/savlon might help a bit. I was on regular painkillers and was given tramadol incase I needed it - I never did. I didn't bleed much beyond the first couple of days, although the stitches did weep so wearing a pad helped. It was itchy but nothing I couldn't bear and putting a cold facecloth on or a bag of frozen peas helped.
Peeing was never a problem in terms of stinging - I just took an old sports cap bottle, filled it with lukewarm salty water and poured it on myself as I went, and then patted dry with a facecloth.
I had to have daily checkups - the first day, a GP and nurse came to my house, thereafter I saw the nurse at the surgery for a week just to check I was OK.
Within a week the swelling had gone right down and I was able to walk reasonably well. With that I was also able to see the results and I actually cried, I was so amazed - I now have a "slit" and everything is tucked inside, and no longer sore. I can wear proper underwear (used to be restricted to huge granny pants!) and nothing falls out. All the damaged tissue has gone. I still can't quite believe it's mine to be honest, as I'm so used to it looking so ugly and being so sore!
I've never felt that I've lost functioning (although I was warned of that), I still have normal sensation etc. If anything the reduction in pain has made everything feel a lot nicer.
Hospital and GP have both had a look since and have said it just looks "beautiful" and that they'd not have known it was operated on - it just looks like it was made that way. There's some very mild scarring but nothing you can really see unless you go looking with a microscope tbh.
Good luck, it's by no means an easy surgery but it's so very, very worth it to solve any discomfort you might be having. It's changed my life (sad, but true)!
