Letter to my attorney:
In late October 2012, during my annual appointment with my gynecologist (Dr. Jan Rydfors in Redwood City, California) I inquired about having my tubes tied. I have a somewhat complicated medical history (Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1999 and a double mastectomy in April 2012) and I wanted permanent birth control, since I was done having children. Dr. Rydfors strongly recommended the Essure and described it to me as a much simpler procedure than tubal ligation, with the same end result. I was not advised of any potential side effects or told that Essure contains nickel (which I am allergic to).
I had Essure placed in early November of 2012. I consented to have Dr. Rydfors demonstrate the procedure to another doctor and several nurses who had not seen the procedure before. To my recollection there were at least six people in the room.
Since November of 2012 I have experienced a multitude of side effects (listed below). Between 2013 and 2017, I had several appointments with Dr. Rydfors where I voiced my concerns. He consistently told me that the Essure could absolutely not be the cause of any of my problems.
In 2017 I consulted with Dr. Gordon Rosenburg (Los Gatos, CA) about the possibility of having a partial hysterectomy to remove my Essure. He agreed that it was advisable. Due to a heart episode during an unrelated surgery (revision of mastectomy reconstruction) the hysterectomy was delayed.
In April 2018, after changing insurance carriers, I established with my current gynecologist, Dr. Qin Zhao (Campbell, CA). In June 2018 she ordered a vaginal ultrasound and endometrial biopsy, to rule out any abnormalities; everything came back normal. In July 2018 Dr. Zhao placed a Mirena IUD to see if it would alleviate any of my symptoms and as a last, less invasive option before a hysterectomy.
Since November 2012 I have experienced the following, which I had not experienced prior to the Essure placement: severe pelvic floor pain, abnormal periods, spotting/bleeding between periods, heavy bleeding during periods, heavy bleeding during and after intercourse, chronic back pain, severe bloating, metallic taste in mouth, anxiety, hair loss, dry skin, excessive sweating, weight gain, worsening thyroid issues. I am currently being treated with Armour Thyroid, Prozac, Xanax, and Nabumetone.