The dilation part does suck. My surgeon had me do it 5x a day, 30 minutes at a time for the first 3 months post-surgery, then 3x a day for the next three months, then 1x a day for the next 3 months, then 1x week for the rest of my life (regular penis-in-vagina sex can substitute at this point, but I'm a lesbian, so it's just me and the dilator forever).
I was lucky to have a very understanding workplace for when I had to do dilations while at work (used our lactation room),