After having my second child in December 2007, I was told that my uterus was way too thin and that I would not be able to safely carry anymore children. After reviewing my options and spending weeks researching I had the essure placed in 2008. As soon as I got home I called my doctor as I was experiencing cramping and a horrible headache. I was told to take some ibuprofen and if it didn’t go away to contact them. I was feeling okay so I disregarded my previous symptoms. I had the very painful HSG test done and blocking was confirmed. Shortly after, I lost my insurance. For the first year my periods became shorter, yet I was experiencing migraines before, after and during my periods. In 2010 everything changed. I began to feel extremely exhausted; my arms would go numb at night when I was sleeping to the point where I would have to move one arm with the other. It is like I am paralyzed. My periods began to become unpredictable. The flow very heavy, so unpredictable that I may change my super tampon and not even a minute later bleed all over myself. I also get huge clots when on my period. I get horrible horrible cramping, before, after and during my periods. I have equated this pain with having a miscarriage, it feels about the same. I have lower constant back pain that feels like someone stuck me with a knife and is slicing me. My entire body aches. I now know what it feels like to be 80 and stiff yet I am only 31. It is hard to lift my arms for any length of time, washing my hair in the shower or even brushing my daughter’s hair is a chore. My legs feel like they are going to give out they are so stiff when I move. At times my ankles and feet get so swollen I can’t even wear the same shoes I wore the day before because my feet just won’t fit in without feeling like the circulation has been cut off to my toes. I get very dizzy. It is hard for me to just bend down and pick something up. As I usually have to brace myself on something for fear I am going to fall. I wake up in the middle of the night drenched from sweating all night. I can’t even use anything besides plastic silverware because the metal taste in my mouth is so overwhelming. Not to mention the bloating. I have been congratulated on more than one occasion on being pregnant…. But I’m not. I also get a hives under my breasts where my underwire touches my skin. In 2011, since I no longer had insurance and I knew that the way I was feeling wasn’t how I used to feel, I set out on the internet to hopefully find some answers for myself. That is when I found the most amazing group of woman on Facebook. It changed my life. I no longer was just guessing what was wrong with me…there was nooo way that it was coincidence that all these woman felt the same way I did…and we all had the essure. Since then I have dealt with all the pain and emotions that come with feeling not like you. Just recently I finally got offered insurance through my employer and began my journey to hopefully be e-free. This journey only began 10 days ago…and I am already feeling like it is hopeless. I don’t understand how doctors don’t understand. If I say this is how I feel…this is REALLY how I feel. We need our doctors to fight with us not against us and help get this horrible Essure off the market and out of our bodies. There are tons of red flags here…and the medical field doesn’t seem to want to listen.
I am just one voice trying to be heard for thousands.