Essure Procedure

Hi my name is Carrie Sexton and here is my Essure story is: My husband and I had our last child in July 2009 and I was very sure that I did not want to have any more children. My doctor said let’s look in to Essure, she said it was way better than a tubal. Not knowing any possible side effects and my doctor not telling me much other then it was a ‘GREAT’ alternative since I am unable to take any kind of birth control pill. (Yes I know that I should have done more research on this but I trusted my doctor enough that I didn’t. Now I do a TON of research on everything). She also told me it was stainless steel coils and never once asked me about any metal allergies. So my husband talked about it, we thought that this was the best way to go for us. So in Sept 2009 the Essure was put in. This was the worst mistake of my life! Almost immediately I started to have headaches. I just thought it stress as I was a daycare provider (I no longer am) at the time. As my synonyms progressed and more things started to happen I thought I was REALLY sick and worried sick EVERYDAY since then that I was going to die. Added to my headaches were sulfur smells, then headaches that would not go away for months and yes I mean months. My synonyms got worst depression, extreme fatigue, some hair loss, multiple/irregular/heavy periods, continuous bleeding, golf ball size blood clots (only getting worst the longer I had them), stabbing pain, memory loss and no sex drive. I found the Facebook page called ‘Essure Problems’ and as I read more on this page, I see that there are FAR more synonyms that I have that I did not know where they were coming from or that I just blow off as everyday stress. Like the metal taste, some muscles loss, tooth decay and joint pain just to name a few. I finally found a doctor who would listen to me and not tell me that it was just ‘stress’ or that I am ‘getting older’ (and many many doctor visits over the past 5 1/2 years to about 6 different doctors to name a few neurologist and heart doctor). I finally found a new doctor in November 2014 that was willing to listen to me and my problems and not try to tell me that she knew what was best for me. As my new doctor (who is absolutely AMAZING) and I talked about what we were going to do, I told her that I just wanted to have my Essure taken out cuz I was for sure that they were the problem. As ALL of my problems that I was having started just after I had the Essure put in. I was feeling like the doctors were looking at me like I am a complainer…..quit whining and suck it up! I have been asked in that last few weeks ‘Why didn’t you tell us’? or ‘I didn’t know that this was going on’. Truth be told I can wear a mask well. My parents and sisters didn’t know up til recently like within the last 2 months. Yes all this started 5 1/2 years ago. I just didn’t want anyone to know. I thought I could do this on my own. Here is the reason why, I did not want people to think I was complaining all the time or that I was crazy cuz I looked well on the outside but was by far well on the inside. Would I say I was hurting or I had a headache or that I was tired? The answer is yes, but I would just blame it on I fell/ran into something or the weather changing or that I did not get enough sleep the night before. I have missed so much in this last 5 1/2 years cuz I was not feeling well. The times that we would be out with friends and I would tell Craig I am ready to go home and we didn’t, I still had that headache and that stomach pain yep it was still there but I still wore a smile. Every time I forced myself to get up in the morning to feed my kids and get them ready for school, yep I was SO tired that I felt like I could sleep for 10 more hours or that headache that’s been there for weeks/months still is not gone. Every time I posted something on Facebook (sorry if I have posted A LOT) was a silent cry that maybe, just maybe a doctor would see it and tell me what I needed to do, The countless hours that I have been to the doctors office just praying that they would find something like cancer (no I don’t want cancer and wish that it NEVER existed), just so that I could be fixed or do whatever the next step was. And them telling me ‘your just getting older’. I began to think that this was normal and look at people my age and think how are they dealing with these same problems and they sure can wear a mask too. They were not wearing a mask cuz not all of them were going through the same thing I was. The MANY hours that I would cry to Craig because I forgot something or forgot to do something that needed done. I know what you will say ‘your only human Carrie.’ but some of these things I should not be forgetting. I though okay we need to change what we are eating and that will make me feel better, I am not going to lie it did help, but not the way I was wanting it too. The time I have lost with my kids cuz I had to take a nap in the middle of that day cuz I could not keep my eyes open any longer. Not cleaning my house cuz I was to tired too and in fear of having that ‘sulfur smell’ to come back but that didn’t matter cuz I could smell it EVERY TIME I washed my hair. That’s why I have changed my shampoo so many times and still can’t find anything that I don’t smell it. My friends who have heard me say yes that I can do that and then it doesn’t get done or I said I would be there but it was only Craig cuz I was not feeling well. When I first got them put in I suffered a great deal with depression, why I don’t know. I have had countless hours of therapy and visiting with my psychiatrist and I want to add they are two AMAZING people and I am not ashamed one bit to tell anyone that I see them. The working out that I was doing yet I didn’t see a change in myself and that was due to muscles loss, joint pain and again not being able to wake up in the mornings. So, I had to quit! Going to start back up as soon as I can. As I come to an end for now, know that I could go on and on about this.This is just a little bit of what’s been going on these last several years. My husband, yep my husband, he probably should have hit the door running a LONG time ago. I have been an my emotional roller coaster for these past several years. Where it has taken a strong man and love to deal with all my pains, cries for help, demands, the anger, the want to be fixed, the cries of why me’s all the time, the neediness, the up all night cuz I can’t sleep, the I have not had enough sleep, memory loss, getting up in the middle of the night cuz I needed something due to my multiple/irregular/heavy periods, the stress of not knowing what to do to help, me putting more things to do on his plate that is already FULL to the MAX, hearing the same cries over and over again, the I’m tired I just want to go to sleep, the I have a headache, the talks about that I was terrified to leave my kids, him, my family, friends. How would my kids deal with not having a mommy and him being alone and MANY more thoughts that ran through my head, and the list can go on. But no he stayed and endured what most would have not. Now do I sound crazy, so that is why I just kept it to myself! Like I have said before ‘the box maybe perfect on the outside, but that does not mean that it’s perfect in the inside’.

So here is my last few weeks, I have not only been absolutely beyond stress with not only my upcoming surgery but my husband was hospitalized with pancreatitis from 2/9-2/12 2015 and on 2/13-2/16 2015 we had a family vacation planned (that we went on). As I was nervous/worried as hell from the risks of any kind of surgery, but also with bleeding and the added amount of bleed that I have lost over the past 5 1/5 years but aslo with all the hell I’ve been through if I do die on the table at this point it’s better than living with Essure and I was terrified. I was terrified to leave my kids, my husband, my family, friends. How would my kids deal with not having a mommy and Craig being alone and MANY more thoughts that ran through my head. But with the GRACE of GOD, my husband, family and friends I am on the road to recovery. On February 18th 2015 I had a hysterectomy. My life is no longer a ‘not living’ or ‘barely surviving’ it’s I now can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am already starting to feel better. The biggest differece is, I’m not having the headaches that I use to have and they a fewer and not as long. I’m SO ready to be back some what as normal as I can be. If I can save just one person from getting the Essure then I have possibly saved them from the pain that not only I but my family and friends have experienced. That is worth it in it’s self! I am just excited to get back to being the wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend that I want to be. Thank you Jesus for being my rock, thank you Craig for being my other rock and my kids for dealing well as they can with the way their mommy has been for the last several years!