An Essure Nightmare
Permanent Birth Control: Warning**Content May be Scary and Graphic to Some People** Let me start at the beginning; In 2008 I had a permanent birth control, called Essure, put into my Fallopian tubes. I was 40 and knew I was done with children. Since I lead a healthy lifestyle, I didn’t see any downside to this-knowing my body could handle it. They are simple t-shaped springs used to create scar tissue and block any sperm from getting to the egg. Boy, was I wrong? From this point on, my body changed completely. Unbeknownst to me the implants are made of nickel and my body was rejecting them. I kept having strange side effects that were not disclosed before surgery. Maybe an allergy to nickel? By 2010, I was fully loaded with autoimmune diseases and Lyme disease (or is it?), so I had the implants partially removed, since doc couldn’t get it all out. Many western and naturopathic physicians were stumped by my symptoms. Only a few mentioned that Essure could be causing these problems. These symptoms were not all female related: Thyroid, exhaustion, psoriasis, yeast, pain, change in menstruation, reduced libido, dry uncomfortable skin, anxiety-panic attacks, joint pain, questionable Pap smears etc. Since I was so young and healthy before the Essure, this came as a big surprise. I dealt with these symptoms while searching for clues on both sides of the medical world for eight more years. Fall of 2017 my gynecologist told me I had a fibroid. I wasn’t worried as I knew many women have them and they go away with menopause, after all I was 49 at the time and assumed it would be soon enough. So, I took some herbal remedies, progesterone and kept my follow up appointments. I never had serious bleeding issues and pain was manageable. Nothing to do but wait to see how this plays out. By spring 2018 I had 2 large fibroids and my uterus was 13cm (9cm is normal). In June they found another and by July another. They were growing in leaps and bounds. I also looked pregnant and felt heavy, like carrying multiple children, not to mention the 20-pound weight gain in less than a year. That June I started bleeding, assuming this was a menstrual period I ignored it. Ten days later I was bleeding more not less, a call to my gynecologist and she says to increase progesterone…so I did. My family and I had a trip to the beach planned a few days later and I was worried I’d be heavily bleeding the entire time. So, doc did an ultrasound to reassure me but found I would indeed be bleeding for a long while as my endometrial lining was very thick. The hotel wouldn’t let us postpone the trip, so we took our chances. Heavy bleeding while at the beach was no picnic and a real challenge as a mom. It was difficult to tend to my needs while keeping up the façade for the sake of my children. Stopping at the lady’s room a hundred times per day was worrying everyone. My husband tried to distract them while I kept trudging the mile walk back and forth from the ocean (the Jersey shore has a lot of sand). He was probably the one who suffered the most mental anguish that week. Sometimes I couldn’t leave the bathroom for an hour or so and he’d be concerned that I passed out in there. The blood clots were as big as my fist and the bleeding was relentless. Another call to doc and again she said, “increase your progesterone.” At this point I’m not sure where to draw the line at “bleeding to death,” but I still (sort of) trust my gynecologist – so I obey. I was also talking to my Naturopathic doctor and midwife while on vacation. They gave me lots of tips with herbal and homeopathic remedies but did suggest that I should be seen by a doctor. Six days at the beach felt like a lifetime in hell. I could feel my iron slipping away. Finally, at home and I realized I was wobbly on my feet, couldn’t sleep and found out what restless leg syndrome was- so we went to ER. My hemoglobin was 8 (I thought it would be a 5) and I received much needed blood transfusions for severe anemia. Incidentally, a 12-15 hemoglobin is normal and 11 days earlier it was 13. Profusely bleeding for 11 days made drastic changes to my body and it doesn’t recover that quickly. I fired my gynecologist for not taking my symptoms serious enough. Clearly, I could’ve been put on medication much sooner to stop the bleeding and avoid 8 more months of anemia. It took 8 weeks to get healthy enough to have my uterus removed. This was not a matter taken lightly but the benefits outweighed the risks. My womb grew 7 healthy babies over 18 years, and I delivered some of them at home in a pool, so surgery was not even something on my radar for healthcare. If anything, I avoided mainstream western medicine when possible, but this was beyond my natural capabilities. Many doctor appointments, second & third opinions, various medications and a multitude of side effects all for something that could have been avoided. My surgery was scheduled on my husband’s birthday and I missed the first few days of my kids starting middle and high school, but the deed was finally done. More mom guilt. My uterus was 20cm (should be 9cm) with 4 large fibroids. This necessitated the need for the midline incision from belly button through pubic bone. Once opened, gynecologist took uterus, 1 ovary and a Fallopian tube. It came as a big surprise that I was missing my other Fallopian tube. Obviously, my Essure surgeon clearly forgot to tell me something. From start to finish, this surgery should’ve been 1.5 hours but mine was 4 hours due to the
When You Need More Fertility Help
When you need more fertility help it can be confusing. The medical jargon and technical terms are beyond the layperson’s understanding. Infertility is already stressful so let’s unveil the puzzle in simpler terms. We’ve covered a lot of ground on a subject that should not be this burdensome. As I mentioned in the beginning, humans grow up believing that it is a right of passage to produce offspring, not a difficult feat with blood, sweat, and tears. If you’re reading this and have seen your tale told here, I’m sending you a hug and positive energy. While that may not be enough, getting the people you associate with on board with your dilemma could change your passageway. Surround yourself with a supportive, loving, and understanding community while you navigate this very personal journey. Talk to those closest to you and share your deepest feelings. Sometimes what’s holding up a viable pregnancy comes from the heart. Treatments to facilitate conception when you need more fertility help Medication– keep in mind that fertility medications can increase the chances of multiple pregnancies, and you may have a high-risk pregnancy as well as a premature delivery. Most commonly used: Clomid or Femara (an alternate to Clomid)- both suitable for treating ovulatory dysfunction, unexplained infertility and may be used in men. This oral tablet is used alongside other medications/treatments or alone. Side effects and risks are mild compared to injectable fertility drugs. Gonadotropins-These are the most potent ovulation stimulating drugs. Taken by injection and can be used alongside other medications or during IUI or IVF treatment. Men can also use this medication for the improvement of testosterone levels and semen health. Side effects are more extreme, and the chances of having multiples are significantly higher. Ovulation Suppression Medications- help, especially during IVF treatment or to coordinate cycles with a potential egg donor or surrogate. These medications can help doctors manage the release of the egg making retrieval more successful. Birth control pills & GnRH antagonists (they work against the LH & FSH) are most popular. They can be pills, injections, nasal sprays, or implants. As with other fertility meds, there are risks and side effects. Aspirin or heparin- used to treat women with recurrent miscarriages or bleeding disorders. Progesterone- The most frequently used medication during IVF, luteal phase defect, or recurrent miscarriages and placed as a vaginal suppository or injection. Estrogen-used to improve cervical mucus, thicken the endometrial lining, or if there is pain during intercourse due to vaginal dryness, which can all be a side effect of Clomid as well. Most commonly used as a vaginal suppository or patch. Glucophage or Metformin- used to treat insulin resistance but can also restart or regulate ovulation in women with PCOS. Antibiotics- if there is an infection in the reproductive tract. When left untreated, scarring can form and block the passageway for egg and sperm to meet. Parlodel or Dostinex are sometimes used to lower high prolactin levels. Prolactin is the hormone responsible for breast development and lactation. This malfunction can cause ovulation problems in women and low sperm count in men. Thyroid regulating medications are for an under or overacting thyroid. A misfiring control center (your thyroid) can create fertility problems in men and women. Surgical– clear any blockages in the reproductive organs of male or female. Types of surgeries; Hysteroscopy- a doctor will use a hysteroscope to look at the lining of the uterus, check shape and size and check for blockages. Laparoscopy- this tool is minimally invasive, uses a telescopic camera system, and can help medical professionals get a clear picture inside the abdominal cavity and reproductive organs. Most suspicious abnormalities can be taken care of during the procedure. Tubal ligation reversal- this can help reopen the Fallopian tubes to help restore a woman’s fertility. DaVinci robotic surgery is a great tool to use if you have an appropriately trained physician. It is for exploratory, reversal, or restoration of the reproductive system. Artificial treatments Artificial insemination- the medical procedure of injecting semen into the vagina or uterus to achieve pregnancy without sexual intercourse. Helping couples deal with: Male factor infertility Unexplained infertility Single and needing donor sperm The two types of artificial insemination; IUI- intrauterine insemination-is the most common insemination procedure used today. The sperm go through a process of “washing” to increase the concentration and decrease chances of an allergic reaction and or toxic chemicals. ICI- intracervical insemination- sperm is placed into the vagina and deposited into the cervix with a soft catheter. Less effective. If donor sperm is used, it will then be analyzed for a variety of health conditions and viruses, including HIV and other infections. Current guidelines recommend donor sperm be quarantined for at least six months to ensure its safety. Assisted reproductive technology “ART”- this includes all fertility treatments in which both eggs and embryos are handled. ART involves surgically removing eggs from the ovaries, combining them with sperm in the lab, and returning them to the woman’s body or donating to another woman. Learn more about ART below: IVF-In Vitro fertilization-involves the joining of egg and sperm in a dish and transferring the resulting embryos into the womb. Most commonly used ICSI- intracytoplasmic sperm injection- is a variant in IVF in which a single sperm is injected into each egg. Used when there are semen abnormalities or for couples who’ve failed fertilization. Donor egg IVF- used when the female partner has poor quality eggs and requires healthier, younger eggs from a donor. Gestational carrier IVF-the procedure is the same, except the resulting embryos, are transferred into a gestational carrier. This woman will grow the child, give birth, and hand baby over to the couple whose embryo was implanted. GIFT- Gamete intrafallopian Transfer- the eggs are harvested just like IVF. Still, the eggs & sperm are put into the Fallopian tube where fertilization happens, instead of fertilizing in the lab. ZIFT- Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer- similar to IVF but involves transfer of the fertilized egg (the zygote) into the Fallopian tube at the time of laparoscopy. TET- Tubal embryo transfer-same as
