Essure Procedure

I had Essure implanted in March 2012, about two months after the birth of my son.  My doctor sold me on the fact that Essure had better success rates than a tubal ligation, it could be done in office, and there would be no down time.  I was given a pamphlet on the products that looked great to me.  I was a bit nervous about the procedure and was told that there would be very little to no discomfort.  Right off the bat I was in for a surprise.  The procedure was very uncomfortable for me and I started to bleed immediately following the procedure.  I called my doctor’s office and was told that the bleeding was completely normal.  Although I was breastfeeding and not menstruating, I appeared to be having a period.  This did not make sense to me because I did not menstruate the month before nor the six months following the procedure, due to the breastfeeding.

In April 2012 I began experiencing tingling in my back and hands and sometimes would notice a tremor in my right arm.  I started suffering from vaginal discomfort and was dismissed with a vaginal cream.  Symptoms progressed and I sought a second opinion regarding the vaginal discomfort.  The tissue in my vaginal area was so irritated I ended up having to have a biopsy of my vulva and was told not to use the vaginal cream since I did not have an infection.  Once I became sexually active with my husband, after the recovery period, I began to suffer from pelvic pain…almost as if the penetration was hitting a bone and hurting me.  I began suffering from vaginal dryness, bowel dysfunction, the sensation of water running down my legs and onto my feel, cold and warm tingling in different areas of my body, a stabbing pain in my pelvic area, very heavy period with huge clots, etc.

By October 2012 I was being evaluated for Multiple Sclerosis.  That was a tough pill to swallow…here I was, 34, a woman with a 7-year-old daughter and an infant…and my poor husband.  I’d look at them and cry in fear of what was to come.  These were very trying times for my family and I, but after hours of MRIs over the course of over a year, visual evoked potentials, a nerve conduction study and an EMG, I was told the findings were not consistent with MS.  I was dismissed, but what could be wrong with me?

I continued living with the on again off again symptoms, which now included severe lower back pain.  There were days I needed help getting out of bed and walking, so I purchased an adjustable bed for several thousands of dollars.  Finally, there were some relief to the ongoing pain.  However, I still had trouble sleeping because of the tingling and pain in my hands and arms, and my restless legs.  I figured this was just a new phase of my aging process and I just went on with my life as normal as possible, even on the days when I could not concentrate, my vision was blurry, I had trouble with my speech, I was always tired, or could not sit still behind my desk.

In December 2014 began another ‘flare up.’  The holidays went by, I took a couple of weeks of time off, and by January 4th I could not bear the weight of my head on my neck.  The sensation became worse, my neck became stiff, the tingling was worse than ever, and my head began to shake with a no-no motion, and I could not control the movement in my hands, trunk or legs.  I thought I needed to see an Orthopaedic doctor and scheduled an appointment for 1/16/2015.  However, I landed in the hospital on 1/12/2015 with what doctors thought might be a stroke, which was ruled out.  During my hospital stay, the course of four days, I underwent another series of MRAs, CT Scan, and MRIs.  I was evaluated by a neurologist who suggested I may be suffering from some kind of movement disorder, even Parkinson’s Disease.  Everything looked normal except the positive ASO Titer and C reactive protein levels.  My world was crumbling right before my eyes and my family was seeing me deteriorate day after day.  I was very lucky to be evaluated by very well known doctors at the University of Florida Gainesville Center for Movement Disorders and Parkinson’s and was given the wonderful news that my symptoms did not appear to be Parkinson’s either.  So here I am, one week before my scheduled hysterectomy that will determine if my symptoms have all been related to Essure.  Besides having a child, Essure was the only other change in my life which has led to the nightmare I am living.  I haven’t been sick, so why the ASO Titer and inflammatory findings in my blood?

Please, hear my voice!