Essure Procedure

My husband and I found out we were expecting our fouth child the DAY before his scheduled vascectomy.:).  After Cash was born I was in need of ‘pelvic reconstruction’.  During my consultation the doctor mentioned ‘just to be safe’ he could implant ESSURE at the same time of the reconstruction. Even though my husband had already had the vascectomy we thought taking the extra precaution might be beneficial so we wouldn’t have anyore surprises.:) That was in February of 2012.

The fist time I had my monthly cycle following the essure implanting I came down with the flu. It was awful and I was in bed for 3 days.  The second month I had my cycle and again, I came down with the flu! I thought, ‘Well, this is strange…2 months in a row during my cycle..I’m getting the flu?!’  Sure enough, the third month? Yep, you guessed it. The flu.  I told my husband, ‘Babe, I think this could be because of ESSURE?!’  Sadly, our life was moving at such a pace there was not much time to really think and explore if Essure was the culprit or not. I mean there we were with four amazing kids ages 8, 6, 4 and newborn and my husband in a full time Bachelors Completion Program AND working full time.  We were left with few options so we began to know at the time of my monthly cycle there would be 3 or so days where I was out of commission due to the flu like symptoms and he would either take time off of work or we would see if friends/family could help with the kids.

For the past three years I have suffered from extreme fatigue, hair loss, weight gain and have been at a loss at why my health seemed to be declining. I am a very young and very active 39 with so much life to live! This past summer my health took an even greater turn when I began to have severe pain in my back, neck, shoulders, elbows, forearms and then my hands ultimately going numb? We have spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars at the chiropractor only to find zero relief.

This past fall I went in for an annual exam to my OBGYN.  During the exam she said my entire cervix and uterus looked ‘extremely inflamed and irritated’.  She also was alarmed to see a massive amount of very large fibroids and a polyp so large it will require day surgery to have it removed?! In all of my years of being seen for women’s health I have never had any of these issues! Nor does my family have a history of this. My OBGYN sent me for a massive blood panel to test for thyroid, lupus, fibromyalgia and MS. Thankfully, all of my tests came back with a good report!

Discouraged,  I went back to my implanting doctor. I told him of all the problems I have been having for the past almost three years. Though he was baffled he listened. When I told him I was not aware ESSURE was nickel and theat I am allergic to nickel he looked at me stunned. He said no way, it’s titanium?!  He quickly looked it up and with a very sad face he said, ‘Sarah, this is on me. Had I known that I never would have implanted ESSURE.’ We are now in the process of finding the best way to move forward. Research is pointing to a total hysterectomy. At 39…because of ESSURE I am facing that reality.

If I could tell the makers of ESSURE one thing it would be, ‘Your  desire to make medical advances, more money and provide a lifestyle of luxury for your families is coming at a significant cost to thousands of women. I don’t believe anyone of you woke up one day and decided to be so selfish. So greedy. It just happens. Sad but true. Your intent was to provide a solution. Your impact for some has been devastating. When you know better…you can do better. Please! Do better. Please.’