Follow Us:
MENU
Blog

“Thank you so much for making it possible to bring these two amazing people into our lives.”

– Saratoga Springs, New York

“You are my heroes. We can never thank you enough.”

– Ontario, Canada

We have been so blessed to bring another tubal reversal baby into our family.

– Buckatunna, Mississippi

“Ivy is our second Monteith Miracle!”

– APO, Armed Forces Europe

“It was a leap of faith and we have had a blessed journey.”

– Colorado Springs, Colorado

“Thank you for making our dreams come true!”

– Nebo, North Carolina

Our Facilities

Warm and inviting, our state of the art surgical facility offers safe, affordable & personalized tubal reversal surgery. Dreams of starting a family become a reality here.

Learn More

Ask The Doctor

Your questions about tubal ligation will be answered promptly either by phone or email. Read our most FAQs before submitting your questions.

Contact Us

Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome: A Personal Narrative (Part 2)

Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome authorBy Amy Kat Barnett

Changes After Tubal Ligation: So Much For “Simple Birth Control”

Because I exclusively breastfed, I didn’t expect to have a period until at least month 7 or 8. Lucky me, however, started having my cycles again at only 3 months post op and they were REALLY random. Some months I would have 2, other months I would skip. When I did have a cycle, they would last 7-8 days instead of my normal 3-4. The pain was much more severe than ever before and would increase the shocking, stabbing pains, yet when I addressed this with my doctor, it was passed off again as my body still healing and scar tissue forming making things more painful…take some ibuprofen and the pain pills; “your ct scan is normal”.
With each cycle that passed I would notice other changes, such as the baby weight not coming off like it did when I breastfed my daughter. My fingernails were becoming brittle, I experienced dizziness, my migraines increased in the severity and longevity, and medication didn’t help any longer. I was beginning to have asthma attacks just by walking a flight of steps. I soon had to begin daily medication to control my asthma, cold and hot flashes all the time and my deodorant wouldn’t work. Mood swings that I couldn’t explain. One minute I would feel such elation, like I had never been that happy in my life, to the next moment being so angry and not knowing why or at whom, but in five minutes I would forget about it and have a complete memory lapse that I had bit someone’s head off. By month 6, I had to return back to my college courses. This proved more difficult than ever. It was almost impossible to concentrate, like having A.D.D. plus the back ache had become constant and it was a dull ache in my abdomen that would randomly electrify down the fronts of my legs at times knocking me to the floor. No amount of pain medication lessened the stabbing, and for the first 3 days of my cycle I heavily medicated myself to get out of bed without screaming in pain. I was terrified to carry my baby for fear of falling on him! With each passing month I kept waiting for these symptoms to improve, such as my hair to stop falling out, but instead I was starting to get bald patches like an old man in my temples! My periods had become outrageous. I couldn’t sit through class without excruciating pain and flooding. I had to take extra clothes to school with me and make sure that every HOUR I went to the bathroom to change my feminine products or I would be gravely embarrassed. My nightly routine included using a mattress protector, a super plus tampon, and an adult diaper just to get 8 hours of sleep; by morning I was soaked, in need of a shower. By the time the semester was out, I could go back to see my doctor again.

I had developed random aching from head to toe, feeling as if I had the flu. Every muscle, joint, and tendon I felt had been beaten with a bat during the night so that I could barely move! There were days I would just all of the sudden feel the need to sleep, even though I hadn’t done anything but laundry or watched T.V. I also noticed I kept having sinus pressure but had to be careful what I took or it would affect my milk supply. I used over the counter products to get by. My acne worsened to the point it wasn’t just near my cycle dates anymore, it was all the time and dark facial hair thickened on my jaw line as if I was growing a beard. Then came the insomnia, the crying at commercials on T.V. or silly things that normally wouldn’t hurt my feelings. I could care less about ever having sex again because just wearing clothing that touched the skin on my breast and abdomen hurt so bad it was nauseating at times. So much for simple birth control!

Symptoms One Year After Tubal Ligation

By the time I reached my 1 year post op in July and none of the symptoms had subsided I knew it was more than just my body healing, it was time for answers. Pain medications had stopped working all together for those horrid first 3 days of my cycle as well, so I was left to cry in a fetal position in bed. July’s cycle proved to be the worst I had ever experienced. My cramping and stabbing pains lasted 3 weeks and stayed just as severe as the first 3 days of my cycle, never seeming to have an end in sight, even after my cycle had ended. During this time of gut wrenching pain, I called for an appointment with my doctor but they wouldn’t see me. They said they had me in the system as a new patient, and the earliest they could see me was September! I was in the most excruciating pain I had been in thus far and begged them to check again. I had been to their office in September of the previous year for the last “normal” CT scan, I even went so far as to speak with the office manager, but they didn’t care. They told me to go to the Emergency Room if it was that bad.

I Learned About Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome And I Wasn’t Alone

It was then I started doing some research on what I knew (c-section post operative tubal ligation pain) and that’s when I happened across the words “Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome”. I began reading and couldn’t believe my eyes. Could this be real? The article said it was a debated syndrome, not proven. So then I Googled “PTLS” and I happened across some blogs of women that could have written my story. I began crying. I couldn’t believe there were other women just like me out there! With the symptom list in hand, I went to the emergency room only to be treated like a second class citizen as if I had grown an extra head. That doctor was the rudest man I have ever dealt with when it comes to doctors. He told me PTLS wasn’t real and if I had really been in pain all that time then I wouldn’t have waited until then to show up in his E.R., that I needed to face the fact that I was older, my body was aging and was not the same as it once was. He said if I didn’t like the abdominal pain I was experiencing, then I should get a hysterectomy. The only thing he thought was wrong with me was pancreatitis (because of elevated liver levels). He wrote me a prescription for pain meds and sent me on my way. Two days later I went to another E.R. in severe pain in the upper abdomen. I told them I had been diagnosed with pancreatitis, so they rushed me back. Turned out I had an ulcer from all the pain meds I was taking. They referred me to a gastroenterologist who was disgusted at how poorly I had been treated. He gave me Nexium to heal my ulcer and did a colonoscopy to ensure there was nothing wrong with my colon that could be causing the lower abdominal pains and then told me to be sure to let my gynecologist know that. Sure enough, when I got to my appointment in September I was greeted with an unfamiliar face, not my usual doctor, and her first suggestion was a colonoscopy. I smiled and told her I already had one and it was normal. I then asked her if she believed in PTLS. She didn’t, of course, but said anything was possible. Her solution was a hysterectomy. At age 30, without diseased organs, I found that unacceptable and asked for a referral to someone able to do a tubal reversal. I was sent to a local university hospital and this doctor claimed that a tubal reversal could not legally be performed by any doctor on me for the relief of pain because PTLS has never been proven to be real, and there was no way of knowing if the reversal would solve my problem; should something go wrong during the surgery then he could be sued. He instead was convinced I had fibroids and wanted to do the necessary steps to rid me of those, but in the mean time to help with pain he gave me injections into the abdominal nerves. His injections were equal to a trip to the dentist. It only numbed the skin of my abdomen; the back ache and shooting pains still occurred.

Hope for PTLS Relief

I came home feeling defeated and hopeless that day but kept reading blogs, finding strength and hope in each one that maybe just maybe I could find a doctor that would believe me, that would help me. One blog in particular caught my eye. It was written by a woman named Megan Priest and she had gone to A Personal Choice to get relief from her PTLS where there were TWO doctors that actually did reversals for PTLS relief! She was a walking inspiration, and after messaging her, she convinced me that although insurance would pay for a hysterectomy and rid me of the abdominal pain, it would likely worsen all of the other symptoms I was experiencing. After our conversation I was more convinced I needed a reversal, but I was still unsure if it was truly the answer to end my pain or how I could afford it. After all, every woman is different, and this would be a very expensive gamble. I decided to call Chapel Hill anyway and talked to one of the nurses. By the grace of God, they had an opening the following week at a discounted rate. All that stood in my way was paperwork and payment!! To a woman that had been in severe agony for a year, it was if the heavens had just opened and God gave me a hug and a miracle on that day! I swear I heard angels singing!

Life Restored After Tubal Reversal Surgery

Thankfully, everything came together for my surgery on September 28th, 2011 and one year later I am me again! I have my life back. ALL of the symptoms I named above have vanished. My children have their mother back and I have been blessed with the opportunity to share my story and to save other women the same pain that I had to deal with.
It has been hard not to blame myself for the year lost in my infant’s life when I could barely take care of either of us, but I take heart in knowing that the more I tell my story, then the closer I come to forgiving myself. If I can save just one woman from PTLS, then my pain and loss was not in vain. If my story brings strength and hope to those that are still suffering, then I have a deeper slumber at night knowing they too will soon find peace.

Words can’t express my gratitude for having my life back, nor being able to share my story with you. I hope that any and every woman that reads this will research and think before signing that dotted line because there’s no way of knowing if you too will have a story such as mine.We trust our doctors to tell us these things, but they don’t because PTLS has been debated since 1950 and has yet to be “proven as real”. I’m here today to tell you its VERY real and life altering. There are many more women like me on the internet that are coming forward with their stories as well, so please think twice before having a tubal ligation.

Editor’s Comment: Although a controversial issue to many doctors, Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome is certainly a reality to women who have the symptoms. As Amy has described so clearly, PTLS symptoms can be relieved by tubal ligation reversal at A Personal Choice. There is a discussion forum on the Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome Forum of the Tubal Reversal Message Board. Other A Personal Choice patients are also welcome to submit blog articles about their experiences.

On Wednesday, November 7th at 8 pm Eastern Time, Amy participated with Dr. Monteith and Megan Priest in an internet radio broadcast on Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome. An audio transcript is available for anyone interested in learning about Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome from both the personal and medical perspectives.

 

Need More Information About Tubal Reversal?

A Personal Choice Tubal Reversal Center is in Raleigh, North Carolina and specializes in tubal ligation, Essure, and vasectomy reversal surgery.

Dr. Monteith specializes in helping couples have more beautiful children with reversal surgery and helping women treat abnormal symptoms after their tubes have been tied!

If you would like more information about reversal, including the cost and success rates, then enter your email address below and you will be emailed more information about reversal.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Join Our Facebook Group?

Women who need more advice about reversal are encouraged to join A Personal Choice’s public Facebook group:

Facebook Tubal Reversal Group of A Personal Choice

By joining the group you can communicate with other women who have had successfully reversed their tubal ligation and restored their natural fertility.

Have Questions? We’re Happy To Help!

We provide a unique surgical experience with personalized attention and one-on-one care. We make every effort to make your surgery less of a process and more of a life’s experience. Please use the buttons below for answers to our frequently asked questions.

Have a Question? Drop Us A Line!

If you are considering reversal surgery and have questions about the procedure, fill in the form below and we'll get back to you as soon as we can! If you would like to speak with a nurse for a Free Consultation then feel free to call us at (919) 977-5050.

Please view our most frequently asked questions before sending your questions.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.