Female sterilisation is marketed as a safe long-term means of contraception. A 10-minute operation and back to work in 2 days. They don’t mention the agony after the operation or that it's more like, at the very minimum, a week before you could even consider going back to work.
But just how safe is it? Mention the words 'Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome' to a gynaecologist and watch his face!
"Post what?" Do I hear you ask?
Never heard of it?
Not surprising really as they don't like to admit it exists in this country.
Let me enlighten you. "Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome" is a collection of long-term symptoms that develop months or even years after the operation.
They are as diverse as your fingernails breaking, to depression, to breast cysts, to IBS, to PMS, to heavy bleeding, to weight gain, even though your eating habits remain the same, almost constant pelvic pain, to name but a few. (There are over 40 different symptoms.) The common denominator is that they can all be caused by hormonal imbalance!
The theory behind this is that the blood or nerve supply to the ovaries is affected, by clamping the fallopian tubes, in one or, sometimes, both ovaries. Contrary to popular belief if one ovary is damaged the other one does not suddenly start producing double the hormones or ovulating every month. So now your body has to try and function with half its normal progesterone levels.
What are the symptoms of low progesterone?
Heavy bleeding, breast cysts, depression, IBS, PMS etc. On top of this the whole endocrine system is intricately linked in ways we are only beginning to imagine, for instance, progesterone helps thyroid hormone activity so if you have low progesterone you can have symptoms of low thyroid but normal levels of thyroid hormone.
If both ovaries are affected your body almost stops producing progesterone altogether which can result in "Premature Ovarian Failure" or premature menopause. This is effectively 'Surgical Castration'!
Now I know how the dog felt after his visit to the vet's!
Mandy
Website: http://www.geocities.com/mandysimsek
Post Details
Posted by mandyhunter on 29/06/2005, viewed 2193 times | Permalink
