Meet Katharine…
Katherine is planning to be a future reversal patient of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center in the fall of 2008. She discovered us while searching the Internet.
Here Katharine tells her story in her own words…
My ligation was two years ago. A month later, while getting ready for a wedding, I destroyed my bathroom upstairs in my home!
My boyfriend was in total shock! He flew up the stairs to see what in the world was going on up there. I had a “fit of rage”. It was awful. It is still very embarrassing to talk about. I do not have a history of mental illness or mood disorders. This ‘fit’ was extremely terrifying for me and for my boyfriend. After calming myself enough to grab the phone, I called my gynecologist. It was a Saturday and the Doctor on call suggested I seek psychiatric help.
Still shaking, and holding the phone in my lap…I thought for a moment…”Maybe I am crazy.”
Needless to say I never made it to the wedding, as I was afraid that I might have another “episode”. A few months later…my boyfriend moved out because he never knew what kind of woman he would come home to. The sad part is I’d wake up and wonder what kind of woman I would be that day. My instinct told me the tubal ligation was the cause of my emotional instability. I just knew it. It was intuition.
I made an appointment with the Doctor who performed the ligation (Filshie clips). When my name was called, I was ushered into the Nurse’s office instead of my Doctor’s office. The nurse explained the Doctor heard I was there to talk about a reversal and wanted to relay to me he “does not do reversals and is not aware of any post ligation symptoms and that I should seek professional psychiatric help.” I left crying.
I then called a psychiatrist who put me on Depakote, Lamectil and Klonopin. I informed her I have Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome (PTLS) symptoms PTLS, but I think she feels I’m bi-polar. The medication does help with the violent mood swings and depression.
The main symptoms are:
daily headaches
2-week PMS
7-8 day HEAVY periods (pass clots the size of walnuts)
anxiety, panic attacks, depression
pitting edema in ankles
fits of rage
uncontrollable crying spells
during ovulation..I have to sit on a pillow while driving and can’t sit flat on my chair at work. Pain with walking
sharp pains in my right side
pain during and after sex (especially after…I curl up in ball and suffer)
I have a small 10-acre farm with horses, dogs, and cats and soon…pigs! I don’t have time to be a pain ridden Tasmanian devil. I love my job, my family, my farm and it is so hard to enjoy it all when PTLS rules my life. I feel all of this is about to change now that I have found Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center!
Most importantly…My boyfriend and I have started dating again after a year apart. I showed him all of the emails, websites, etc that explain why I am the way I am…
A complete discussion of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome and the stories of other PTLS patients who have undergone tubal reversal can be seen in our blog series on PTLS. The first of fourteen articles is Pain After Tubal Ligation: A Symptom of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome? .
Readers can also view other patient submitted stories about their menstrual symptoms, reasons for reversing tubal ligation, and outcomes after reversal reversal surgery. Each patient’s story is listed below:
We invite readers to join our Tubal Reversal Message board and discuss and share personal experiences with tubal ligation. We also have a dedicated PTLS forum for readers to share experiences of worsening symptoms after tubal ligation procedures.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Thank you for sharing your story, Katharine. As you can see, by sharing your experience, others can relate and sympathize with your symptoms. You have come to the right place for expertise and support on PTLS and tubal reversal surgery from Dr. Berger and Dr. Monteith.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Thats Amazing to me! I have had these issues for a LONG time, looking back for as LONG as I have had my tubes tied! THANKS for sharing!
October 31st, 2008 at 8:21 am
This story put a lump in my throat. I just had my TR this week for this reason. I too had fits of rage, not quite to this extreme, but still way out of character for me. I am trying to pick my jaw up from the floor at reading the response the nurse had given to Katherine about PTLS. That is totally unacceptable and this so called DR should be set straight. I hope you have your TR soon and can free yourself from this debilitating syndrome. I already feel so much better and it has only been 2 days!!
GL Katherine.
October 28th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I thought I was just going crazy until I read all the different stories. I am hoping to get a tr in the near future. I get so angry sometimes and have nothing to give my husband. Thank you for telling your story.
October 27th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Despite the 22+ symptoms I suffered when PTLS was holding me hostage..I am grateful, after reading Katherine’s story that “fits of rage” was not one of them. I can’t imagine having that too! I sincerely hope Katherine will get relief with her reversal like I did and like so many others here did. After three years of misery I was totally cured of all my symptoms by 6-8 weeks post surgery. There is nothing like waking up again and not having to wonder how you will get through a day.
October 27th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Kathern,
I too had terrible fits of rage..I did things that were unthinkable and I had my TR in 06. I can honestly say I am a completely different person. No more ” fits of rage”. There is hope and it is in ahving a TR.
Blessings, Christie
October 27th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Thank you Katherine for allowing your story to be told on this blog. Fortunately for women like yourself there are doctors like Dr. Berger and Dr. Monteith who take your symptoms seriously. I am glad that you have put your trust in the doctors at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Katharine-thanks for sharing your story. It is sad that your local doctor did not understand. We see this a lot and hope that these kinds of posts will help educate everyone about the symptoms and treatment for PTLS.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Unfortunately, Katharine’s story is not so rare. However, the good news is that tubal ligation reversal helps relieve symptoms of PTLS. Thanks to Dr. Monteith for publicizing this little known treatment for women suffering from PTLS.