Hello, I’m Francesca, now 32 years old and I’m living in The Netherlands. Four years ago I had the Essure procedure done. Before that I was a full-time working mom and sporting at almost at a profesional level. Now I’m feeling like a old woman that can’t move around.
The placing of the Essure devices wasn’t as painfree as they said. The doctor had lots of problems to find my tubes and place them. He said that the left one didn’t let go and needed to take another set and place that one because I wouldn’t be sterilized if he didn’t. When it was finally done. I needed a hour to come around of it all. I was dizzy, nausea and almost fainted by it all. The Essure procedure it self toke about an hour instead of 10 till 15 minutes. (so 2 coils)
The next day I tried to go to work. I had so much pain that my boss send me home with the message to call the doctor. The doctor couldn’t find any thing except a cyste in my right overy between the coil. I just needed to give it time to heal because I was a difficult case with the placing of the Essure procedure. And come back in a month to check the procress of the cyste
After two weeks of the place I went to the ER in the evening of the weekend because I had so much pain on the left side. Still they couldn’t find anything wrong with me but the cyste and that the left coil wasn’t very clear to see on a ultrasound.
I was still working with a argement of my boss that when I needed a break, could have that.Still lot of pain that my legs were not doing what I want and was tripping over my feet. The doctor agreed to do a surgery on the cyste, hysteroscopy and toke out the liquid. After a month I had a check up and the cyste was back same size. And the HSG scan was all good. I was sterilized. Still in pain and again waithing what the cyste would do. At this time I was still in pain starting to bleed more often and longer. 10 months after the Essure procedure I had the second Hysteroscopy for the cyste they scrape the cyste and the inside of my tube so all cels that could create the cyste hopefuly would come back. Some of the fluid from the cyste leaked in to my tomy.
The months after that I can’t even count them anymore how much I called or seen my doctor. That he just got tired of me being there or calling him(I quess)because there was nothing wrong with me. The last appointment with that doctor my husband went a long when we got out my husband was in shock that were outside again in 5 min and that the doctor didn’t toke me serious. Thats what happend all my appointments with him I was use to it. (And is not ok to be use to that way of threatment. I know that but you don’t know it any more)At this time I couldn’t walk much, sit, pain in my legs, back, tomy, bleeding almost all the time.
A year and half later I had a second opinion with another doctor in a Hospital further away. I saw 3 different doctors, had a X-ray. And waited at home for a few days when I got a phone call in the begin of tuesday evening from that doctor. Thats very unusual overhere maybe everywhere. That he found 3 COILS in my body 2 in my tubes and one some were in my tomy on the left side but they didn’t know the exact location because of the one X-ray photo. That monday I was in surgery it was a long surgery but everything went well. Even after that months later I was still in pain and all the symtoms were there except that pain that I use to feel were the coils were. I always could point were they were in my tomy. We waited what my body would do if it would turn back and recover to it old self.
It didn’t. Now 3 years later I got a procedure called Novasure. All went great. I should stop the bleeding and hopefully the pain said the doctor. Months later still no procress. All is the same. We talked about a hystorectomy. The doctor wanted to try injections of Lucrin to put me into menopause for a while so hopefuly to restart my bleedingproces and maybe to help me to get stronger if there still needed to be a surgery (hystorectomy) It didn’t work. Still pain and bleedings. Almost four years are gone and got my hystorectomy. For the first time after that surgery I could go to the bathroom by myself and take showers or getting in and out a chair or bed. All these years from the beginning with the Essure procedure I couldn’t always needed help from my husband or daughter. I’m so thankful for them helping me. They tell me that it was hard the last few years and still is. To see me like this. Or not go anywere because of me being like this in so much pain. They rather stay home to make sure the pain as bearble as it can be for me. And that makes me sad, it feels like I’m holding them back from there lives to enjoy.
So now I’m lesser dependence of them, still can’t drive, walk for more than 15 minutes or sit in the same potition for a longtime and so the list will go on. My pain in my back and tomy are gone but my legs still won’t work as I want. And the pain that goes with that when I do to much what use to be normal.
I still can enjoy all the other things in life. But it makes me very sad and angry that all over the world there are woman just like me. That aren’t be heard by the Doctors. And it just comes down with it ‘I don’t know, just learn to live with it’if we womans are crazy and it’s not true. I tried to get the doctor that did the Essure procedure take is responsebillty for what he did and putting in a thirth coil in and not listening to me when I said thats some thing wrong with it. I went to a complain commity of that Hospital, from the 5 complains I had got only one and that was about the 3 coil. Not the damages what it all did or letting me walk for a year and half for not listening to me or that it become public to warn other woman about it. Because I couldn’t prove all my pains has related with the Essure. Of all the doctors I talk to don’t know. So there is no study about it overhere. I also want to know if there are more woman like me in The Netherlands so I can try to make them reseach it. Still need to find out what I can do legally to make that happen. I’m glad I found this page and the facebook page even do its in America. It makes me less alone. So hopefuly my self-confinence will get up again.
Sorry for the long story and possible spelling errors. I hope to all the woman like me that there will be justice. Were not crazy. And wish the best of luck and health.
Thanks for reading my story,
Francesca