Rebecca’s experience with Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome in her own words…
My name is Rebecca and I am 45 years old. My husband’s name is Dana and he is 47.
I have a BA in Elementary Education. After teaching, I chose to stay at home the past twelve years with my daughter. I have home schooled her for the past 7 years. At the present time, I design and sew costumes for ballets and other performances.
My husband has a BS in Industrial Engineering. He works for a non-profit organization. He works as a liaison between the government and manufacturers that hire individuals with disabilities, in particular those who are blind.
We have been married for 26 years. We have four children. Two sons, ages 25 and 22 and two daughters ages 23 and 12. We have a grandson (4) and granddaughter (2) by our daughter, who is married to a wonderful man.
I had the tubal ligation in after the birth of my daughter. Just prior to this pregnancy I had a miscarriage. This put a scare into my husband. It was a pretty nasty miscarriage and although the next pregnancy was fine, he was concerned for my health and future pregnancy’s in addition to the age factor. I had my daughter at the age of 32. I did regret the tubal ligation. I felt I had interfered with God’s plan for my life. However, this I had come to terms with.
I found A Personal Choice after much research. However, I did not read the message boards because I thought it was selfish of me to even think of spending that kind of money (for reversal surgery). The thought of a tubal ligation reversal went to bottom of the priority list. Life went on for the next 12 years. I finally began reading the boards and realized how many other women had suffered what I had and that there was hope by having a reversal.
I was approximately 33 when the symptoms of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome (PTLS) began to show up. It is only after researching PTLS and reading my journals I realized my symptoms were very similar and often times identical to many other women out there. When the symptoms did show up I did not realize what the “condition was”. I thought what I was going through was part of the aging process.
The first thing to go was the desire for intimacy. This included a diversion to intercourse. I was unable to produce any signs of arousal, including cervical mucus. Intercourse became painful and had never been so before.
Doctors told me I had endometriosis, when in fact I did not.They also told me it was because of my tipped uterus. Not so. A tipped uterus has nothing to do with arousal. I told myself it was age, and the fact that I had born four children.
My moods became very erratic. I would blow up at the least little thing. Then moments later I would be fine. I would get depressed and have no desire to be around people.
This was not me; I love interaction and being around people. The saddest part about the erratic mood swings was the very real possibility that my husband may get fed up with me and all we had would be lost. It felt as if I had no control over my emotional state of mind, as if my world was crumbling and the only way to fix it was to take anti-depressants. This was not an option for me.
I began to get migraine headaches prior to my menstrual flow.
Severe headaches. They would last up to four to five days. I had never had headaches. My hair began to fall out. That began happening almost immediately. Again I thought that was normal.
Although I was very active, I began to put on weight around the age of 35. I began to get night sweats. One moment I would be cold then sweating profusely. My joints began to ache. I got unexplained joint pain. I was even diagnosed with tendinitis at the age of 35 (I do not play tennis). My doctor could not figure this out.
My menstrual cycle stayed at 28-day cycles, lasting about 7 days. Typically 3 days heavy 4 days light. However, they also began to be much heavier for longer than 3 days, and I began to experience spot bleeding. I would believe my cycle was over and then I would begin to bleed again about 3 days past my cycle. I didn’t say anything to the doctor; I was too concerned he would say I needed a “hysterectomy“. Or they would tell me that I was preparing to go into menopause. My friends even had me convinced that I was in the early stages of menopause.
I had been told for so long that everything that was happening to me was because of early menopause; I have a tendency to question if PTLS is real. That is why when I read the stories on A Personal Choice about PTLS; I came to realize it is real…
Worsening Menstrual Problems After Tubal Ligation
This is the eleventh article in our fourteen part series on PTLS and associated medical conditions. Our first article, Pain After Tubes Tied: Symptom of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome?, reviews symptoms associated with PTLS.
Our next several articles will continue to present patients who have suffered from worsening menstrual, physical, and emotional symptoms after surgical sterilization procedures ( women who had their tubes tied).
