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Those thinking of tubal Ligation ..... PLEASE READ!!!!!!!!
My name is Megan,
I am a 26 year old mother of 4. I have been married to my wonderful husband Jared for 5 and a half years now, and live in beautiful upstate NY. Together we have been though so many Up's and Down's...But today I am going to share with you, one of the hardest things we ever had to walk through together. In April of 08' I found Out I was expecting! It was a huge surprise, but we were excited none the less!. After having successful pregnancies in the past, I just went about my business, and waited for time to pass. fast forward to our 19 week ultrasound. we go in expecting to find out the gender. Only to find out our precious baby had passed away. We were left with holes in our hearts bigger than we could imagine. But thought it all, be just kept Praising god for the other blessing in our life, and asking him to make sense of it all. I never did make sense of it, but have come to realize, bad things just happen to good people and good things happen to bad people, Life happens. But I did get through it, and understand now, more than ever Just how precious Life is....
We decided to Give having another baby a try. We began to TTC right away. In October of 2008 I became pregnant with my 4th child. It was a VERY VERY hard pregnancy on me. My pelvic bone had split apart, and i was on bed rest, in the hospital for numerous other issues... it was BAD. I also gained a whopping 70 lbs.. ( probably the reason my pelvic bone was split..) After all of that... I was DONE!! I also had the push from the family to get tied . It seems like the "next step" So we opted for a tubal ligation since our insurance was going to cover all of it.
So after the birth of our beautiful daughter, I signed the consent forms and waited. The next morning they got me all ready and off to surgery I went. ALL WAS WELL.. I was given some propofol and had a full spinal block. I was out. Well, right about the time that my procedure SHOULD have been over.. I woke up on the table. I began asking questions, She told me it took a bit longer than expected due ti issues finding my right tube. I then faded back out...Then I made it to recovery, and was in BAD pain.. but I figure, " hey they just cut my tubes!" I get some pain meds... and they wheel me back up to the room. It was a rough recovery for sure.
I leave the hospital and about 2 days later, my liver, galbladder and spleen all swell up and I am in bad bad pain.. hey could find no reason for that though, despite many tests...
Then, for months after, I kept having stabbing pains like ovulation but 1 hundred times worse. But I was nursing allllll the time, and didnt think anything of it due to having the ligation. Then right around 6 months post OP, I stopped Breast feeding after having serious supply issues, even after double pumping after every feeding, nursing 12 times a day, taking Domperidone AND Fenugreek. I tried everything. Then, I dried up all the way.. and that was the end of that. Then there are the mood swings. I thought I had PPD ( post partum depression) and was treated for that, but it didnt work all that well, just helped with anxiety and gave me more side effects that I didnt need. Then I started my cycles. Not only are they painful, irregular, tiring and just plain miserable. But on top of ALL that, I feel pregnant for more than half of my cycles each month.. Nausea, vomitting, dizziness you name it I have it. AND the Hair loss, I didnt have the Hair loss at first.. But eventually it started just falling out in clumps, and then, growing more on my face and other areas... I think there are only about 4 symptoms on the list of symptoms I gave that I do not have..
Because of all of this, I thought I was sick. So I got tested for my thyroid again, and a TON of other crazy labs to make sure I had no underlying condition. And saw many DR's all of them told me I was just fine. Then why then do I FEEL so bad?
So I started to do some research after the DR's started throwing out the bipolar disorder around.. I had just about enough! ...
when I happened to stumble across the Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome site. I just sat and CRIED... Knowing I had all the symptoms, knowing I did this to MYSELF.. and knowing that I could do nothing to fix it but fork out more money I dont have for a reversal. However, I was relieved to know that I was NOT the only one, And that many, many women have had issues after TL like I have. The worst part, is knowing that DR's dont care, because they just dont want to admit they screwed up in the first place. And the insurance companies wont cover it because the DR's wont agree they messed up and it IS medically needed! All the studies that DR's "claim to disprove" PTLS, was a CREST study, done for the sole purpose to find out how many failures are associated with each type of surgery. and from THAT study, they concluded that women don't have any difference in "menstrual flow" . NOT ONCE did they take into consideration the other issues that come into play... I don't see how that proves ANYTHING! I can tell you that I have some cycles that are heavy and some that are not.. BUT the OTHER symptoms are what KILL me... NOT the Flow of my period for crying out loud!!
Now, I know there are many "sides" to the argument about PTLS. BUT I KNOW MY BODY, and I KNOW who I was before this all took place, And I KNOW, that I know, that I KNOW, this was from my Tubal Ligation. I was off of birth controll for years, so there is NO way that I had any "masking of symptoms that were already there"... And I never had cramps like I do now.. And the ovulation pain that cripples me each month......
And they cant use my age an an exscuse either, I am only 26 ! There is no way I should be going though this stuff!! missing periods, having hot flashes, LOSING HAIR, etc.. it is just NOT normal.
I think the worst of the worst is that my family is suffering. I try to explain, and show them that I am just not "me" right now, But they can only be so "understanding" for so long. It breaks my heart each time I snap at one of the kids..Or yell at hubby for no reason! And the anxiety attacks.....Man do they suck! When I cannot leave the house for days on end, for fear of driving... It has become more than I can take.. And I want out!
So I have dedicated my time and effort. To helping not only myself, but others out there in the same boat. And hopefully raising awareness about this terrible problem, get the DR's to man up and face the issues at hand AND stop ignoring us! The time for change is NOW. Now is the time to reach out and tell people about this terrible syndrome. I am not sure where to start... Or what to do. BUT I am determined and ready to put in my efforts to do whatever I can.
here is the Link to My Blog on PTLS
http://fittobeuntiedptls.blogspot.com/
I am a 26 year old mother of 4. I have been married to my wonderful husband Jared for 5 and a half years now, and live in beautiful upstate NY. Together we have been though so many Up's and Down's...But today I am going to share with you, one of the hardest things we ever had to walk through together. In April of 08' I found Out I was expecting! It was a huge surprise, but we were excited none the less!. After having successful pregnancies in the past, I just went about my business, and waited for time to pass. fast forward to our 19 week ultrasound. we go in expecting to find out the gender. Only to find out our precious baby had passed away. We were left with holes in our hearts bigger than we could imagine. But thought it all, be just kept Praising god for the other blessing in our life, and asking him to make sense of it all. I never did make sense of it, but have come to realize, bad things just happen to good people and good things happen to bad people, Life happens. But I did get through it, and understand now, more than ever Just how precious Life is....
We decided to Give having another baby a try. We began to TTC right away. In October of 2008 I became pregnant with my 4th child. It was a VERY VERY hard pregnancy on me. My pelvic bone had split apart, and i was on bed rest, in the hospital for numerous other issues... it was BAD. I also gained a whopping 70 lbs.. ( probably the reason my pelvic bone was split..) After all of that... I was DONE!! I also had the push from the family to get tied . It seems like the "next step" So we opted for a tubal ligation since our insurance was going to cover all of it.
So after the birth of our beautiful daughter, I signed the consent forms and waited. The next morning they got me all ready and off to surgery I went. ALL WAS WELL.. I was given some propofol and had a full spinal block. I was out. Well, right about the time that my procedure SHOULD have been over.. I woke up on the table. I began asking questions, She told me it took a bit longer than expected due ti issues finding my right tube. I then faded back out...Then I made it to recovery, and was in BAD pain.. but I figure, " hey they just cut my tubes!" I get some pain meds... and they wheel me back up to the room. It was a rough recovery for sure.
I leave the hospital and about 2 days later, my liver, galbladder and spleen all swell up and I am in bad bad pain.. hey could find no reason for that though, despite many tests...
Then, for months after, I kept having stabbing pains like ovulation but 1 hundred times worse. But I was nursing allllll the time, and didnt think anything of it due to having the ligation. Then right around 6 months post OP, I stopped Breast feeding after having serious supply issues, even after double pumping after every feeding, nursing 12 times a day, taking Domperidone AND Fenugreek. I tried everything. Then, I dried up all the way.. and that was the end of that. Then there are the mood swings. I thought I had PPD ( post partum depression) and was treated for that, but it didnt work all that well, just helped with anxiety and gave me more side effects that I didnt need. Then I started my cycles. Not only are they painful, irregular, tiring and just plain miserable. But on top of ALL that, I feel pregnant for more than half of my cycles each month.. Nausea, vomitting, dizziness you name it I have it. AND the Hair loss, I didnt have the Hair loss at first.. But eventually it started just falling out in clumps, and then, growing more on my face and other areas... I think there are only about 4 symptoms on the list of symptoms I gave that I do not have..
Because of all of this, I thought I was sick. So I got tested for my thyroid again, and a TON of other crazy labs to make sure I had no underlying condition. And saw many DR's all of them told me I was just fine. Then why then do I FEEL so bad?
So I started to do some research after the DR's started throwing out the bipolar disorder around.. I had just about enough! ...
when I happened to stumble across the Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome site. I just sat and CRIED... Knowing I had all the symptoms, knowing I did this to MYSELF.. and knowing that I could do nothing to fix it but fork out more money I dont have for a reversal. However, I was relieved to know that I was NOT the only one, And that many, many women have had issues after TL like I have. The worst part, is knowing that DR's dont care, because they just dont want to admit they screwed up in the first place. And the insurance companies wont cover it because the DR's wont agree they messed up and it IS medically needed! All the studies that DR's "claim to disprove" PTLS, was a CREST study, done for the sole purpose to find out how many failures are associated with each type of surgery. and from THAT study, they concluded that women don't have any difference in "menstrual flow" . NOT ONCE did they take into consideration the other issues that come into play... I don't see how that proves ANYTHING! I can tell you that I have some cycles that are heavy and some that are not.. BUT the OTHER symptoms are what KILL me... NOT the Flow of my period for crying out loud!!
Now, I know there are many "sides" to the argument about PTLS. BUT I KNOW MY BODY, and I KNOW who I was before this all took place, And I KNOW, that I know, that I KNOW, this was from my Tubal Ligation. I was off of birth controll for years, so there is NO way that I had any "masking of symptoms that were already there"... And I never had cramps like I do now.. And the ovulation pain that cripples me each month......
And they cant use my age an an exscuse either, I am only 26 ! There is no way I should be going though this stuff!! missing periods, having hot flashes, LOSING HAIR, etc.. it is just NOT normal.
I think the worst of the worst is that my family is suffering. I try to explain, and show them that I am just not "me" right now, But they can only be so "understanding" for so long. It breaks my heart each time I snap at one of the kids..Or yell at hubby for no reason! And the anxiety attacks.....Man do they suck! When I cannot leave the house for days on end, for fear of driving... It has become more than I can take.. And I want out!
So I have dedicated my time and effort. To helping not only myself, but others out there in the same boat. And hopefully raising awareness about this terrible problem, get the DR's to man up and face the issues at hand AND stop ignoring us! The time for change is NOW. Now is the time to reach out and tell people about this terrible syndrome. I am not sure where to start... Or what to do. BUT I am determined and ready to put in my efforts to do whatever I can.
here is the Link to My Blog on PTLS
http://fittobeuntiedptls.blogspot.com/
Wow, this was very brave of you to share and I like the honesty. I was thinking of having my tubes tied as well since I suffer from an incompetant cervix. But reading your story and your experience, I have to say that I'm now considering the IUD as opposed to a tubal ligation.
I'm sorry for all you went through. Thank you for sharing.
I'm sorry for all you went through. Thank you for sharing.
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