Tubal.org Blogs
Filshie Clip removal
Category: Member Blogs
November 24, 2014
11:30 am surgical waiting room

Check in time for my procedure, I have my husband with me for support. I answer questions about myself to the receptionist; what's your full name, date of birth, who is with you today... Etc. She puts a hospital band on my wrist and we take our seats. Aaron, my husband, gets hot chocolate, a cookie, and an apple. It's torture to someone who couldn't eat past midnight. He tells me to hold his hot chocolate to warm my cold hands. A few minutes later, a nurse calls me back for my vitals. I step on a scale 106#, I sit on a chair and have my blood pressure taken 107/58, and my temperature 98.4. She asks me who is performing the surgery, she looks over my blood work from Friday, asks me about medicines I've taken, when I last ate and drank anything.

12:00 pm Admitting/Recovery room

She leads us into a big room filled with hospital beds and curtains. Explains that this is where I get admitted, they will start an iv, go over medications again, the surgeon will come in and speak to us, the anesthesia team will come speak to us, nurses will ask lots of questions and everyone will answer any questions I or my husband have. A nurse introduced herself and another nurse and they explained what they will be doing. They had me change into a hospital gown and then they started an iv and left for a while. Aaron and I brought my tablet for the long wait, the 3ds and a game for Aaron, my camera, a note pad and pen in case Aaron really wanted to remember something, and my medical record in case the doctor needed to know anything. I spoke with the surgeon and I signed consent forms, I asked him to explain exactly what he was going to do, he explained that they would make 3 lower abdominal incisions, fill my abdomen with co2 gas, he would remove any adhesions, and remove the Filshie clips. I spoke with the nurses again and they told me I have to take a urine pregnancy test before the surgery. All I could think of was if I had any pee at all. I managed to have enough for the test and obviously it was negative.

1:00 pm Admitting/Recovery room

It's supposed to be time for my surgery, yet I still haven't talked to anesthesia. Finally the nurses come by and explain to my husband that he must go back to the surgery waiting room and the doctor will come and speak with him after the surgery. She went through the check list and ends up having to hunt down the anesthesia team. Anesthesia comes in and explains that I'll have general anesthesia and they start it through the iv. She leaves and the nurses come back in. They have me give my ring to my husband such we say our goodbyes.

2:00 pm operating room

It's freezing cold, very clean, everyone is wearing white scrubs and face masks. They have me slide to another bed, the operating bed. They start a medicine through the iv to relax me and they have my breathe through an oxygen mask, I take deep breaths while they count. I'm asleep and ready for surgery...

4:30 pm anesthesia recovery unit

I have a blood pressure cuff on both legs and my left arm. I'm very sleepy but aware when a nurse comes near. They monitor my vitals until I'm awake most of the time, sometime after 5:00 pm This nurse eventually wheels me down to the recovery room so I can see my husband.


6:00 pm admitting/recovery room

She helps me into a reclined chair and offers me water to drink, which I throw up immediately. She brings me crackers and 7up which I cannot hold down. I look at my abdomen and see bandages on my belly button, my lower right side, and a bikini cut. I'm in good spirits once I sleep. The pain over my left ovary is gone. I never ask for pain medicine, I don't feel I need it. Aaron tells me he has the pictures from surgery, I take a look but cannot remember much. The nurse tells me that if I can pee I can go home. I ask her if I had a catheter (last surgery I wasn't able to pee because I had a catheter) she never answers me. She tells me she will give me more water and 7up, I'm able to keep down some fluids. I ask to try to go to the bathroom, she comes back with another nurse to help me. I throw up more on my way, it hurts my abdomen each time. I get to the bathroom and one nurse is getting warm wet washcloths, the other helps me onto the toilet. I'm able to pee! She broadcasts it to everyone and the nurse with the washcloths tells me that I'll bleed for a little while. I go back to the recovery room and we start the process to get me discharged.

7:00 pm leaving the hospital. Aaron gets the car and helps me in and we go home.

(Day by day recovery to be added soon)




My tubal ligation story
Category: Guest Blogs
I was 21 and my husband was 23 and we were expecting our second child. We decided early on in the pregnancy that we were done with children and we began discussing permanent birth control methods. I thought since I would already be in the hospital, I might as well get a tubal ligation done. I had a midwife and when I went in for the weekly appointment, I figured I should bring it up. My midwife was very surprised, not only because I would have 2 children (both girls at that) but also because of my age. I was asked 'are you sure?' more times than I can count. She told me it was permanent and irreversible, nothing other than that. She had me sign a consent form and that was the end of it. At 37 weeks, my water broke and an hour later a healthy baby girl was born. I asked when I get wheeled down for surgery and everyone was confused. I asked when I get to see the midwife and they were even more confused... Turns out the midwife left the practice a few weeks before. Even worse than that, they had no consent form. I was so sure of my decision, my husband and I spoke about it, how easy it would be and how great it would be. At 6 weeks postpartum, I signed another consent form. I had a list of questions for the doctor: what are the side effects? Does it matter that I have a metal allergy? What is post tubal ligation syndrome? ...etc I also wanted the cut and burn method but this doctor only uses Filshie Clips, she didn't answer any of my other questions and I didn't really ask anything else, just signed a form and left. The day of my surgery came, June 28, 2013, it was filled with more 'are you sure' questions. As soon as I woke up from anesthesia, I noticed a dull ache over my left ovary. Weeks went by and still that pain was there, I was breastfeeding so I had no problem with periods. Weeks turned into months and I began to wonder what the pain was from. I visited with the surgeon and she said that pain was normal, so I left with even more questions. Slowly more symptoms came up: fatigue, weight loss, moodiness, more ovarian pain. I began to chart my cycles again, I was still ovulating on the same cycle day and my periods were 3 to 4 days of very light bleeding, they were better than before the tubal. That pain became the worst thing ever. I didn't want to get out of bed, couldn't go on our long walks anymore, felt awful. I went from doctor to doctor to doctor trying to find answers. Finally just before it had been one year since the tubal ligation, I got answers from a different doctor. He did a sonogram and found adenomyosis, possible endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome, ovarian cysts, calcification of the bowel wall, and blood clots in my fallopian tubes. At least I knew what the pain was from, it wasn't long before I wanted to know what caused all these syndromes and problems. That's when Google searches began finding more about PTLS and problems with tubal ligations. I contacted my health insurance and found that a full reversal was covered, found a doctor who would do the surgery, everything was coming together, the doctor and her staff didn't think I was crazy, she actually wanted to help me, I thought I would feel myself again... Then I found out that the hospital wasn't in our network and we couldn't afford it. I contacted every hospital within 50 miles of where I live and either they had no doctor who could perform a reversal or that didn't offer that service at that hospital. Other doctors hadn't done a reversal in so long, they opted for IVF. I began to lose hope, here I was, a 22 year old feeling like death was around the corner, like nothing could be done. I began blaming myself for not researching enough, for not asking questions. I had no energy to do anything, my hair was falling out in clumps, acne everywhere, moodiness, anger outbursts, constant dull ache over my left ovary, forgetfulness, dry vagina, extreme pain during sex, and nausea every morning. The women from the Facebook post tubal ligation support group were so helpful and nice, for once I finally felt like I wasn't alone. On November 11, 2014, I met with a doctor who could remove my clips but not do a full reversal and on November 24, 2014 I had surgery to remove the Filshie Clips.
Renee from The New PTLS Private Support Group's Story
Category: Guest Blogs
After having my daughter 5 years ago, I started having severe panic attacks about 6 months later. Many of the attacks sent me to the ER thinking I was dying. I have been to the ER more times than I can count on my hands. I started to try my luck at different docs who all tried to put me on SSRIs to help the anxiety. All of the crazy meds made me more anxious and more panick attacks. Was then put on ativan which is the only thing that calms an attack. I started timing when I had the attacks and they were right before my period and the worse episodes were right before ovulation. I knew there was something wrong. With the panic attacks, I had hair loss, acne, terrible mood swings, headaches, numbness in arms, legs, sometimes head or face, body aches and arthritis like pain in joints. My body literally feels 90. No one will recognize that I had a medical problem. Was told it was in my head. They tried me on progesterone and that caused a bunch of problems with my blood clotting disorder. My thyroid was borderline hypo so they started me on levothyroxine and anxiety is lessened but still have alk of the symptoms even though my thyroid is back in the right range with the meds. After looking on line I found out about PTLS and have all of the symptoms. Still, no doc recognizes it. At this point, I am on thyroid meds, vitamin d, calcium, multi vitamin, fish oil, l-arginine and zyrtec (I have allergies now). I am hoping I can get a tubal removal as I've heard many say it worked for them. Hopefully PTLS will be recognized as a medical condition so many of us can get the help we so desperately need. I just want my life back. It has taken it's toll not just on me but my husband and kids. I am not as patient any more and my mood swings are out of control. I need help but can't seem to get any. Hoping this site will bring awareness.
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