I am 38 years old. I am married with 4 children. My story with Essure starts after my fourth child. She was born in September 2009. I had a natural birth and did not want to have to go and have a tubal since I did not have prior surgery before. However I knew I did not want to have anymore children. So my doctor and I both agreed that Essure would be the right option for me. I was happy because I wouldnt have to go to the hospital to have it done. I was also excited that I didnt have to be sedated to have the coils implanted. It all seemed perfect.
About 4/5 months after my daughter was born I went to have Essure done. During the procedure, my doctor and nurse were arguing over the placement of my right coil. The nurse argued that the coil was not in my fallopian tube. My doctor was arguing that he was in the correct spot and the coil was being placed in my tube. This made me nervous. The left coil was implanted easily with no issues. He was able to see and enter my left tube. I went home and everything seemd ok. I may have had some initial cramping like expected. As time went on I started having terrible pains…stabbing pains in my stomach. I woulodnt be able to care for my children and would have to take pain reliever and go to bed. It happend several times. I wasnt sure what was wrong but this was not right. The pain was so in tense that I would cry in pain. I like to think that my pain tolerance is pretty high considering I gave birth to my second child without any medication. This pain continued and I didnt know what to think.
I had to return for a follow up visit with my docotr and had the dye test done. During the exam my docotor told me that the coil had implanted correctly in my left tube and was almost 100% blocked. However my right tube was still open. The coil was not in my tube but had traveled to the left side of my uterus and attached to my uterine wall. Wow! This was the cause of my pain…obviously! Right??? My doctors tells me….well theres no point in trying to reinsert another coil….lets just schedule you for a tubal. Thats not what I wanted to hear. I cried and was upset, but I had no other option at this point. I returned to his office for a consult immediately after this test.
I told him that I was sure that my pain was being caused by this floating coil in my uterus. He didnt agree with me. I explained my pain and situation and told him I’ve always been healthy…healthy even after all my deliveries this has got to be it. He called all the other doctors over to me. they all agreed that this little object could not be causing me this amount of pain. They never heard of such a situation. Really…why not? Maybe becuase they havent had much experience with this? I insisted that this was the root of my problem, My doctor said that while he was in tying my tubes he would go and search for the coil. however he said there is no guarentee that he can find it. He will do his best.
So in April 2010 had my tubal. After surgery I recall him coming to me, I was still groggy. He showed me the coil. He was able to find the coil. It was attached to the left side of my uterus. However, he did not remove the coil in my left tube. That coil still remains in me today 2013. My tubes are cut and burnt but I still have a coil in my left tube. My stabbing pain seemed to subside however I had other issues.
I thought for sure my issues were resolved since he removed the floating coil. However, I never felt the same after having the Essure/Tubal procedures done. I was always a small petite frame. Never weighing more than 108 lbs. I gained weight which I carried all in my stomach. I was getting bloated, gassy. I felt like I was a balloon filling with air that couldnt get expelled. I would have pain during intercourse. It felt like something was inflamed inside me and my husband would be ‘hitting it’ during sex which caused me much pain. This pain was always on my left side. Sometimes I would get so swollen and tender that it would hurt if anyone touched me or bumped into me. This cant be normal. My doctor told me it was just me ovulating. this cant be ovulaticon. I know what that feels like. I never felt this way before. I have many other symptoms that could be related….lower back pain…migraines…but my biggest complaint is this swollen tenderness that I feel inside me. I dont want anyone to think this is no big deal. When I say swollen tenderness, it is putting it mildy. I dont know how else to explain how it feels like. Swollen inflammed and irritated making it impossible to pass any gas, have bowel movements, walk properly, sit a certain way. It has been to that extreme. This pain usually peaks during ovulation but I know it is not just normal ovualtion. I really think this coil has done something to me internally. Something not right. I just want someone, a doctor, to acknowlede this pain as unusual and not normal.
I told my doctor my problem. He agreed to have an ulrasound done. It did show that I had an ovarian cyst but that was on my right ovary. After a few months that resolved. But that was not where my pain was coming from. The pain has always been in my left side. Currently I take pain reliever and anti bloating gas, pain medications constantly. I am due for my annual in a week. i am curious to see what my docotr will say when i tell him i am still having this pain. At my last docotrs visit he did mention he could go in laparoscopicly and explore to see if he ould find any other issues going oin. i might just have to ask for this to be done. I dont want surgery again, minor or major. But I really feel this is the only way this issue will get resolved. I think this other coil needs to be removed. We are our own advocate. I am going to insist he does further testing. Not sure what the outcome will be. But I can’t endure this pain anymore and it is effecting my relationship with my husband as well.
In retrospect, I would not suggest any women to get the Essure procedure done. It is not normal/healthy to have a foreign object in our body that then is encased with scar tissue. Scar tissue alone can cause problems. Why mess around with our bodies. Find another option if you dont want to have anymore children. I am fortunate that my docotor did listen to me and was able to remove the right coil. I dont know what other issues problems that may have caused if it was left in my uterus. However only part of my problem has been resolved. My journey still continues and I hope it will come to an end soon.
Please think twice about Essure….