I had the Essure procedure done after I went to my gynocologist for heavier periods. I initially asked them to do a uterine abalation to decrease my bleeding, not for sterilization. I have one daughter who was 17 at the time and did not plan to ever have any more children. I was 35 years old. My doctor explained the Essure procedure and said it was so much easier than traditional tubal ligation and wouldn’t require surgery and that the recovery time was so much less. Also, I had just come off of a ten year copper T IUD, so I wasn’t afraid to have hardware in there.
I made the appointment and my best friend took me. I took the two vicodin and ativan as instructed before arriving. My doctor had a scope to help find the falopian openings and I could watch on a monitor if I wanted. But I began to have terrible, terrible cramping and pain. He said it was normal and that he was almost done. I generally have a high pain tolerace, but I began to get scared that I wouldn’t be able to continue. I practiced my breathing, I went to my happy place. He placed one and had a hard time placing the second. All the while I kept my mouth shut because I have ‘manners’ and let him finish the procedure. When he was finished he told me I could sit up. I had lost my mind. My head was spinning, and I could barely stand up. The doctor and nurse looked really scared. I told them to get my friend and they did. She came in and I started crying and told her how terrible it was, and how bad he hurt me. I don ‘t remember much after that. I think the pre-procedure meds finally kicked in. I do know that she gave them a very large piece of her mind and wisked me out of there. She later told me that I my face was whitish gray and that she had never seen me like that, and that she was afraid. I’m not kidding when I say it was worse than labor and I can still remember and almost feel it if I try.
Afterward, the cramping subsided and life went back to normal. My periods just got heavier with clots and back pain. But the main reason I will tell women not to have this done is that I can’t have intercourse anymore. In fact, I can’t even use tampons now. Because the pain is terrible anytime anything goes into my vagina or near my uterus. Also I believe I have some post-tramatic stress. I did not go back to have the contrast dye test done, nor have I been to a gynocologist since. I’m terrified. It’s been almost four years and I have been single and abstinent since the Year of Essure.
I wish I had just had good old fashioned tubal ligation. Or nothing at all.