Well.... Fuck

So, I am on my 7th day of bleeding. Which is fine because I expect it and it's light.

This is, until it isn't :/ I had a tampon in, and while out and about, I noticed I was bleeding a bit heavier than I would expect at this point in my cycle. So, when I got home, I changed my tampon and there it was, my IUD sitting on top of the tampon.

It didn't hurt whenever it pushed out, maybe felt a few minor cramps but otherwise, it was nothing.

And now I am annoyed, defeated, hopeless and bleeding... 

What next?

One week update

A few minor updates:

On Sunday, I had horrible cramps for about an hour to an 1 1/2. Awful, had to stop what I was doing and live with the pain type cramps. Then, while wearing some white shorts, I got my period a few hours later! Luckily I was at home, so it was an easy clean up.

I also had unprotected sex that morning with no pain! Another win!

Today was interesting though. I had asked my doctor about using a menstrual cup with an IUD and she said it should be fine; I just had to watch the strings when I took it out. Well, today I learned that her advice was well founded. As I took out my menstrual cup, I had some of the worst pain I've felt since I expelled Mirena. Needless to say, I panicked thinking that I pulled the IUD down. The pain didn't go away for a while either, it was debilitating for a time. I called my doctor and got in later in the day. They did an ultra sound and luckily, my IUD was still perfectly placed. Phew!

Haven't had any pain since! It actually feels totally normal down there, like I don't even have an IUD! Maybe a weird tug is all it needed to be placed right. Who the hell knows.

Anyway, other than that, everything is going swimmingly!

Thinking of the next IUD

After almost 3 months of being off of hormones, I gotta say I feel great. My periods last 3 days, my cramps are minimal, and my cycle is regulating! I'm slowing shedding the weight, although I could have been better about working out and eating right. Still, progress is being made.

Now for the downside...

My boyfriend has been having a hard time finishing using condoms. This is getting frustrating to say the least. For the past 3 months, it has happened off and on, but he always attributed to one thing or another. Being to full, being a bit tired, etc. Back when I pushed out my IUD, he was so supportive of me going BC free, assuring me that he wanted whatever made me happy. And while I suspected he was a bit disappointed, he assured me condoms were 100% cool.

Well, after numerous occasions of him not being able to finish, I finally asked him if it was because of the condoms, and he admitted he had been struggling with it. He didn't want to say anything because I was so content without BC, but I think he is having a harder time than he thought.

I know what he means, I hate condoms too. I dry out faster, and I always have a smell after we are done. We go through lube a lot too. And while I always thought that men having problems with condoms was their own damn fault, I can't really say that for my boyfriend. We are 30 years old now, he has gone his entire sexually active life wearing condoms - as have I -  and this is the first time we've ever gone without one to finish. He isn't comfortable with starting without a condom and finishing with one, so that option is off the table.

So, now I am re-reading my posts, trying to remember the best of the bad bunch. The copper IUD kinda scares me, but is also tempting. Then I think of Skyla and how I didn't have a loss of sex drive nor did it effect the intensity of orgasms. It might have hindered by ability to lose weight but I also remember when I started to work out more, I was losing weight. It just took a bit more effort.

I do know that I will never do Mirena again.

All I do know is that this is a struggle and a decision I need to make soon. Updates to come....

All Clear!

The bleeding has STOPPED!!! I'm so excited for that to be over.

I don't think I am over the Mirena Crash 100%, this weekend I was moody and emotional. I warned my boyfriend, but I still felt bad for the way I acted.

Also, I lost 2 pounds even though I made bad food choices all weekend!! For the past month, I have been running and doing light weight lifting 4 to 5 days a week, and then eating healthy, with lots of veggies and protein. NOTHING. Not one pound was shed, I think I even gained 2 pounds. There is the argument that I was gaining muscle, but I was not weight lifting enough to warrant that kind of result. It's these kind of changes that make me never want to take birth control again. Feeling more awake at work, seeing the results of my hard work with diet and exercise, and not having the random shooting pains. I also noticed it was worse whenever I did kegel exercises, which is weird, but I stopped doing them because of that.

I have decided (for now) to reach my ideal weight and then pick a birth control option. Might be Skyla again since I didn't experience a loss of sex drive or really gain any weight. But I might also try Paragard, at the risk of heavier, crampier periods. Who knows though, I change my mind constantly.

Well, readers, This will probably be my last update for a good long while. I hope this information finds you and it helps you make a more informed birth control decision.

Last Update For Awhile

Today, I actually feel like the bleeding is letting up! And I am still in love with my menstrual cup and mad I hadn't bought one YEARS ago. I still had to get up at 3 am and change it out, but that was after almost 4 hours! Plus, it was really more because of the clots than actual blood.

I also felt more awake today and actually slept pretty well last night. I'm thinking the Mirena Crash has worn off now. My sex drive is in full gear, so I'm pretty happy about that (just wish I wasn't still bleeding :/). I've even noticed I'm not gaining weight after one cheat day too! It's so frustrating that feeling normal means not having the safety of birth control....

Anyway, this will be my last post for awhile. I've been updating a lot with out any major updates, so I promise to only do another post when there is actual news.

Menstrual Cup Heaven!

The bleeding is still going strong. The Soft Cups just don't work when you get heavy clots, I've decided, otherwise I think they'd work pretty well. BUT, the menstrual cup IS A GOD SEND!!!

With the Soft Cup, it lasted about 2 hours, about the same as a tampon. Then I would get up and a gush of blood would come out and let's just say that I am thankful I have been wearing nothing but black pants. Somehow they spill out and it isn't pretty. Perhaps its user error, I'd need a free weekend to really troubleshoot. I just resorted back to tampons because I couldn't fuss with the Soft Cups while at work.

When I got home, my Eva Cup was waiting for me (finally!!). I immediately washed it and tried it out. It took some wiggling and squatting to get it up there, and then it didn't open. So I stood up, fussed with it some more, then squatted down again and it felt like it had opened. If it hadn't, I had a pad on anyway, so I wasn't too worried. Anyway, I clearly did it right because its been 3 hours and no leakage!!! HUZZAHHH!

I've read a lot about how there is a learning curve and most people need time to figure it out. I guess since I tried Soft Cups and kinda got the hang of those, the cup isn't as difficult for me? Not totally sure, and for all I know its beginners luck. Either way, I've almost forgotten I've been bleeding for almost two weeks straight.

Anyway, that's all for now.

Mirena Crash?

Not sure if my body isn't keeping up with the blood loss or if I am experiencing the dreaded Mirena Crash, but either way; I am very, very tired. Like falling asleep and not remembering I even closed my eyes tired. Which is making me a tad delirious, woozy, and spacey. I just feel like my entire system is out of balance, almost like PMS but with less control.

I read this blog,  Empowered Sustainability, and I won't say I agree with everything she says about tampons and PMS, it did give me good advice on how to get my hormones back in balance.

The bleeding isn't getting better. I wanted to wait to take the mini pill until the bleeding stopped, but it appears that might not be an option. I'm really not sure how long I should wait for the bleeding to stop either. And then that gets me to thinking about how much birth control has fucked my system up...... Do I really want to go on birth control again to stop these symptoms that might be part of a larger problem?

There is a huge hormonal birth control push back and while I do not believe half of what is posted, it still gives me pause.

I hate to say it, but when it comes down to the bottomline, the fear of pregnancy is always going to win. And statistics don't pull in favor of Natural Family Planning.

If the bleeding doesn't stop by Friday, I'll start on the mini pill. Until then, I need all the sleep!

More of the bad

My current stash that is quickly depleting 

Today and yesterday wasn't a good day, period wise.

On Monday, all seemed to be clearing up well. The bleeding was tapering off and I thought it would all clear up by the end of this week. God, was I wrong.

At 3 am Tuesday morning, I awoke to that horrifying feeling of a dam about to break. I could also feel clots, big ones. To make matters worse, I strained the lower left side of my back pretty bad, so I could barely get out of bed fast enough or bend down to get the towels I would clearly need.

The few short steps to the bathroom made it clear that my best option would be to clean up in the shower. I took off my clothes and it was horrific! I had at least 4 huge clots spilling out and my pajama shorts were drenched. 

I took a shower, cleaned up and painfully prepared for a repeat occurrence during the night; and I'm glad I prepared because it happened again!

Since this has happened before with getting Skyla removed, I didn't freak out too much but was quite annoyed between the whole mess and my back. I waited to go into work, to make sure this wasn't going to happen all day. Luckily, it didn't although I am still bleeding and I did just pass one pretty big clot.

However, I had a repeat occurrence last night, although I handled it much better and it wasn't as bad. 

One problem is that I don't know how to manage this amount of blood loss. It leaks everywhere, tampons are almost useless, and towels don't go well with my skinny jeans. Last night, I tried  Soft Cups, which are basically disposable menstrual cups and can be worn for 12 hours (at least that's what they say).I think I didn't insert it right, but I get better at it everytime I try. Here is hoping that tonight I finally have it down. I also ordered a reusable menstrual cup but it won't be here until Thursday. Until then, I'm hoping these Soft Cups help, at least for overnight accidents.

Oy, this has been a tough week and it doesn't appear to be getting any better.

Going forward

Just got back from talking about my options at the GYNO and its slim pickins'.

In my last post, I said I wanted to try Nuva Ring, which turns out to not be an option because of the estrogen in it. The synthetic form of estrogen is super potent and its basically what conflicts with most seizure meds, specifically in my case Lamtical.

The GYNO had this handy chart, published by the CDC (click on the picture for the full article link)

What does all that mean? Here is a breakdown. Anything with a "3" is bad, and anything with a "1" is safe.
COC/P/R= Combined Oral Contraceptives/Patch/Ring (BAD!)
POP = Progestrin Only Pill (mini pill) (GOOD!)
DMPA = Depo (GOOD!)
Implants = Implanon/Nexaon (GOOD!)
LNG= Hormonal IUDs (GOOD!)
Cu IUD -Copper IUD (GOOD!)

It basically outlines the high risk BC options, which is any combined (progestrin and estrogen) contraceptive, even Nuva Ring and the Patch.

What I can take is still the same:

Depo:
           NOT HAPPENING

Implanon (Now Nexaplon)
           NOPE

Mini Pill: This is the option I chose for now.
           This one only has progestrin but it is taken orally. The CDC says it is safe to take wiith                        Lamictal but it may lower the effectiveness of my BC. So there is a risk of pregnancy, but they             really don't know how much it can lower the effectiveness. Which is why....

IUDs
           Even though I have expelled two IUDs, I can still get them if I want and almost every site I go to is recommending them for people in my situation. My GYNO said that one of her other patients keeps expelling them and then getting a new one. Longest she has had one is 3 years, the rest are 6 months to a year. The pain out weighs the alternative, my GYNO said.

In the last post, I talked about how I really don't want another IUD, but looking at my other options, its the most effective of them all. Yes, they are painful, yes I hate the hormones, yes I have had all the horrible side effects.... But I'm sitting here thinking like an optimist "Maybe next time will be different."

In all honesty, I will probably get another IUD, possibly the copper one. I'm just going to wait awhile so my body doesn't have to get anything invasive for now.

At this point, I feel defeated. Maybe I should just stick to condoms.... I'm not totally sure :/

Life without Mirena - Day 4

Well, I got my ultra sound results back and all is normal. I guess I just have powerful uterine muscles (doctor said that, not me!). There really is no explanation for why my body expelled it, I'm just the one in 100.

When I read more stuff about mirena on some blogs, some women said that you can expell it without even noticing/feeling it. I say that is a flat out LIE. YES YOU CAN FEEL IT! It's like intense cramps that don't go away for several minutes!

Okay, now that I have said that, on to the after effects...

I have been bleeding like crazy again, No where near what happened when I expelled Skyla, but enough that it is annoying. I keep having leaks even with super plus tampons in! The clots are manageable, but they are frequent and larger than normal. Again, not golfball size like before! I am purchasing a menstrual cup now that I don't have an IUD, hoping that it will help with the leaks and crappy tampons. Can't seem to find any that can do the job! As a temporary solution, I cut up an old towel to wear around the house with some over sized men's pajama pants. It sounds gross and unattracitve, but I seriously don't know what to do anymore. I'm also quite moody, but I am aware of it and let people know that it might slip out. Other than that, I actually feel FANSTATIC! 

Another thing that happened was that I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend on Wednesday night (and it was soooo worth it, despite the following information), and Mirena came out Thursday morning. According to other articles, pregnancy can happen the moment an IUD becomes dislodged, and who knows how long mine wasn't placed right before I birthed it out. I called my doctor and they said I should take Plan-B, just in case. Even though it was highly unlikely that I would get pregnant given I was on my period already. They actually prescribed me Ella, which is the NEW emergency contraceptive on the market that offers a wider window (5 days), less side effects, and its more effective. But, no pharmacy I could get to in time carried it yet, being so new and all. So, I also had to take Plan-B. Another cherry on top of my weird and complicated situation.

Now, on to my next array of BC options. I still don't want the Depo shot. I don't want the chemicals in my body for 3 months, and I don't want all the side effects since I seem to get all of them. My last options are:

 -The Patch
             Haven't heard good things about the patch and some people mention complications with Lamictal and the patch

-Nuva Ring
            Back when I got Implanon, I said I didn't want the ring because I lived at my Dad's house and didn't want to have a fresh vagina ring hangout in the fridge. Now that I live with another girl roommate, it isn't such a big deal. I also read some things about women having interactions with the ring and their seizure medications. But I've also read a lot of success stories too. My gyno(s) and pharmacists have told me there is no interaction because its the same hormones as Implanon and Mirena. The mixed info is confusing and scary, but until that male birth control is FINALLY released in the US, I need to make some decisions.

- Condoms
          Condoms are fine and all, and if it really is too risky to take any BC, I will resort to the good ole fashion condom route. I really want BC for its numerous other benefits like clear skin and regular periods. Granted, I do experience a lowered sex drive with BC and I just don't orgasm the same. I'm honestly torn on this but...

I am going to talk to my doctor about Nuva Ring as an option tomorrow. My friend who has a high sex drive said she liked the ring the best. It didn't lower her sex drive and never had any problems with it.

I will update accordingly. Isn't it interesting how this started out as an Implanon blog but now I've trying every unique birth control option?

The End

Well readers, today my Uterus pushed out Mirena :/

Last night, I had sex and everything was totally fine and normal. Then, when I woke up, I noticed my period was getting heavy which is unusual after being on it for 5 days already. As I got ready for the day, I noticed I was having increasungly bad cramps. I thought it was strange and planned to call my doctor when I got to work.

On the bus to work, they got worse. But they also came and went, so I really wasn't sure how alarmed I should be. As I walked to work, I noticed I needed to walk slower and I was winded faster (I have to walk up a steep hill). When I got to work, I called my a nurse right away, telling her my issues. She got me in that day and I initially decided to try to work a few hours before going.

That did not happen. Within an hour, I was having intense, not-going-away-even-with-pain-killers-type-cramps. I went into the bathroom and doubled over in pain, punching the stalls and deep down knowing that I was probably pushing it out. I left work and asked to get in the doctor ASAP.

On the bus to the office, the cramps got better and I figured maybe the pain killers finally kicked in. The doctor asked me a few questions before taking a look. I told her everything was normal until today. When she looked at my strings, she thought she saw the tip of plastic but wasn't sure until she did a manual exam. Sure enough, it was practically already out. As I mentioned in a previous post with Skyla, getting it taken out is painful! Anything passing through your cervix is painful, even blood clots. So, when she pulled it out, I was shocked when I didn't feel a thing. My body had done it already.

I also had to get an ultra sound to see if there is an observable reason why I push out IUDs. Could be that I have a funny shaped uterus, could be a fibroid, or I might just have strong uterine muscles. I get the results back tomorrow.

Now, I feel amazing! So relieved and free! No more pain, no more random cramps, no more shooting pain (especially in my ass... not sure if that is normal)! No more extreme drowsiness the week before my period either! No more reduced sex drive! I also noticed that with Mirena, my orgasms just weren't the same. Not as intense and I didn't get as into sex as I used to. Now I get to have better orgasms too!!

Not looking forward to the acne but meh.

From here, I don't know if I have any other bc options. I'm going to discuss it with my gyno on Monday but I'm prepared to hear that it's only Depo-Prevera. Either way, this weekend is going to be lovely and hormone freeeeeeeeeee.

From Skyla to Mirena and Everything Inbetween

Hey Readers!

Sorry I've been IMA. But, as the nurse who gave me an HIV test at Planned Parenthood told me "No news is good news." Well, there was no news for my HIV test but there is news with my IUD, Skyla.

I got Skyla inserted way back in October. Everything was fine after the first 3 months. Sure, I had bad cramps and sometimes shooting pains a week before my period, but it was all managable. Plus, the cramps were getting better, my periods were light (albeit 9 days long).

Then came mid-July. I had a normal period, and the day after it was done, I had sex for the first time with it in. That night, I had horrible cramps after. Then there was something weird going on with my vagina (a weird, not normal smell). Then, two weeks later, I got ANOTHER period and this one was like Niagra Falls. Never had that heavy of a period since I had Skyla put in (hell, haven't had one that heavy since I was 15).But it stopped after 8 days and I figured I'd see how the next one would go.

20 days later, I got another period but this one was more typical. Light, lasted for 8 days. Everything seemed fine. But the not-normal-smell thing wasn't totally resolved. So, I went to Planned Parenthood to get things checked out and told them about the period problems I've been having. I'll break down what they told me in a handy list:

1. I had cervicitis
           -Cervicitis is caused by STIs, latex allergies, spermicide allergies, or puting stuff up your                      vagina like cervical caps, or like sponges or whatever.
           -I am STI free, so it is probably from a latex or spermicide allergy. Which, totally makes sense               to me because all this started after I had sex WITH a condom (and all subsequent sex with a                 condom).  And I have a lot of skin allergies.
           -They prescribed me a one dose antibiotic and it all cleared up!

2. My IUD strings were kinda on the short side, but everything still looked good.
         
Well, my next period came and it was another Niagra Falls situation! I even attempted period sex with this new guy I am seeing and that had a horrifying outcome. Luckily, the guy I am seeing is awesome and understanding, but there was more blood and clotting than I had ever seen my body produce.

I was a bit suspicious at this point of what was going on, so I emailed the doctor who put in the IUD and asked about a second opinion. She said what was happening was not normal and that I should come in. The reoccurring bleeding and the excessive clots were cause for concern. Long story short, I had to come in earlier than the original appointment I had made because of the heavy bleeding.

They checked everything out, did an ultra-sound to see the IUD and it turned out that it was a bit dislodged and my uterus was starting to push it out (expelling). Heavy bleeding can dislodge the IUD and that is probably what happened because this doctor told me that my strings were long! So, she decided to take it out and in a week, I could come back and get a new one.

Getting it taken out HURTS! But, you'll live. But it hurts. She also said it was on its way out looking at how long the strings were (remember, at Planned Parenthood, they said mine were kinda short, so it changed in the two weeks of bleeding).

An hour or so after that, the bleeding got worse, I started soaking tampons and pads every 2 hours and the CLOTS WERE INSANE! One of them was a foot long! So, after talking with a consulting nurse, I went to the ER. I got in pretty quickly, but the doctor said it was no cause for concern. He said that it was a slow bleed and basically, didn't know why it was happening. They took like 5 things of blood (just what I needed, more blood loss after heavy bleeding for 9 days straight). Ultimately, they said there was no cause for concern. They said to come back if it didn't stop but otherwise, I should follow up with my GP.

The next day, the wonderful consulting nurse called me to check up on me after seeing that I called the other consulting nurse and that I had been to the ER. I told her the bleeding hadn't let up, so she said to come in.

More long story short, my blood count is fine but my heart was feeling the blood loss. They gave me

Nortrel
         - a pill birth control pill that I had to take 4 times a day to stop the bleeding!!
Nausea medication.
           - Taking 4 pills a day causes nausea (makes sense) so these would counteract the nausea that Nortrel would cause. And boy does it cause nausea!!!! I was supposed to take one every 8 hours, but I had to take one every 3 to 4 hours to survive.

The bleeding let up a bit after just one pill and the clots weren't as horrifying, but there was still bleeding and clots.

NOW,,,,

I just came back from the hopefully final doctor visit! She told me that some women just don't respond well to IUDs, and brought up that I didn't bleed with the arm implant, so maybe I should go back to that. I told her I'd rather not since I had weight gain and paltry sex drive. She understood. She then said Mirena is for heavy bleeding, so that would be the best option for me.

I asked her repeatedly if that was going to be a good option, if it was the best option, and if it had the best likihood of stopping the hormone imbalance that was clearing happening. She said yes and was pretty confident about Mirena being the best option.

So, the nurse prepped everything and I got Mirena in a few mintues later. For whatever reason, this insertion hurt WAY MORE! I let out a yelp (two actually), one for when she put the measuring device in and another when the IUD was put in. I jumped alittle too. But, I was also exhausted and not feeling very mentally prepped for that kind of pain so I'd like to think I was just at a bad pain threshold point.

Anyway, I'm not looking forward to the insuing cramps to come later tonight or this week, but if it stops all the god damn bleeding, then I do not give two fucks.

Basic summary:

1. My IUD got dislodged but did not puncture my uterus

2. The bleeding was from a hormonal imbalance, and the heavy bleeding probably caused the displacement.

3. The birth control pills helped correct the imbalance and stop the bleeding. If you read my blog, you know that I can't take the pill because it interferes with my seizure medication. However, I was closely watched while taking it and it's only for a short period ( 3 days).

4. I now have Mirena and I am hopeful that it won't cause problems.



Alright, sorry for the long post. Updates to come.

Day #3

Still very crampy as of today. After reading some reviews online, I realize this is normal.

Cramps are to be expected for about the first month, off and on. I keep seeing the first week is the worst though!

Other than that, I don't have spotting, although I did when I first got it in. My doctor says this was because the cervical clamp (Satan's giggles) caused minor bleeding. It wasn't anything major, I used a panty liner but today, there is no spotting.

I have also read that investing in black underwear is advisable because spotting will occur and for an extended period. So, I'm probably going to do that sometime soon. And get more panty liners, which are cheap and you get a lot of them. 

Right now, I'm not sexually active, but I was for about 6 months and it totally freaked me out to be having sex without two methods. Even though me and my partner broke up, I still wanted birth control. But, at this point, I can't imagine wanting to have sex. This feels just as gross as being on my period, all crampy and bloated like! Blah.

Alright, I will probably wait a week for another update, unless something major happens, but hoping all I'm in for is cramps and spotting!

Day #2 of IUD

The cramps are lesser as of today, but they are still nagging at me a bit.

Of course, it would be lovely to be wrapped up in bed, cozy with my heating pad, cat, and some netflix but class comes first. I guess. I have noticed that putting the heating pad on my lower back helps more than on my lower stomach and that pressure helps too. Luckily, my cat loves heat, so she settled on top of the heating pad, which is how I realized that pressure helps too.

But, today is a new day and I have class and homework and a long day ahead. So, I took some aileve, which is quite possibly the best cramp cure ever, and am sucking it up because there is too much other shit going on to let some annoying, and at times quite painful, cramps get in the way. They really are no worse than bad period cramps, anyway. Which we all can manage.

I don't know where this upbeat attitude is coming from. Maybe from all the support I've gotten from friends who also have an IUD and know that its all worth it in the end?

Later that day update...

Okay, this is getting painful. Waves of mild to very painful cramps and just general discomfort in that whole area. 

I'm laying on a heating pad, took some Ibuprofen, and smoked a little pot ( it's legal in Washington, otherwise I wouldn't condone illegal drug use!). I remember when I had a bad case of food poisoning and couldn't keep anything down, pot really helped with the nausea and back pain from dry heaving so much. Bascially, I'm a little defensive about smoking because I don't want readers to think I'm a pot head! I'm not, and I only do it to help me sleep, or minor pain relief, and this is only on occasion. 

Okay, now that I've made my peace with smoking, and just gave a general update of the pain status, that is all I have to say!

IUD status

Well, after much personal debate, research, talking with my OBGYN, talking to other people, and thinking long and hard, I finally decided to get the IUD.

As I type this, I have had one for about an hour.

I ended up going with Skyla, because its smaller, (and for those who haven't had kids, its a god send) it has way less hormones than Implanon,or even Merina, and Europe has had it for years with success (although it called Merina mini there).

So, my lady doctor's office preferred to have the IUD put in while I was on my period. I actually talked to Planned Parenthood when I didn't have insurance about this, and they said it made no difference. But, this office said that is what they wanted. Okay, cool.

WELL, for the past 2 months, I've been running on a 21 day cycle as opposed to my favorable 25. Which meant i got my period a good week before the appointment. So I had to reschedule, and even then, I was on the last day of it anyway.

That aside, I was instructed to take a pregnancy test that morning, eat something, and take 4 Ibuprofen. All went without any troubles. Not pregnant, had breakfast, downed the pain meds.

Now, I was scared outta my noggin about the pain for getting this inserted. One of my friends said she cried! Then there is all that talk about it being as bad as child birth. I have no idea what my pain tolerance is, but when it comes to cramps, I'm a wimp.

So, I got through all the blood pressure stuff, told to strip from the waist down, and happily skimmed my phone while I waited.

My OBGYN came in, made sure I wanted Skyla, and even had Merina out just in case I changed my mind. But my mind was made up! Skyla all the way! 

It took no time at all before we got down to business.

First, there was our good speculum friend. While never welcomed, always familiar. Then comes that less welcomed thing, the cervix grabber (I don't know the technical term, but lets call it Satan's cervical clamp). So that hurt, but it was like a bad period cramps. I breathed steadily and awaited the awful, no good, very bad uterus measurement. This device measures your uterus so the doctor doesn't puncture anything, it's also the tube that they use to insert the IUD. 

Okay. That shit hurt.

Now, you know those cramps that hurt so bad, the top of your legs hurt? There are like shooting pains and stuff? It's those cramps. Maybe, maybe just slightly worse. But I've felt cramps like that before. So, while is does hurt a lot, all I can say is that it's manageable and it goes away rather fast. Plus, the doctor is talking you through the whole thing, telling you what's going on, and so you have an idea when the pain will end.

It the end, it was a success! I laid there for a few minutes, waited for the faint cramps to subside, then went on my way. In fact, I felt so good I just walked home instead of waiting for the bus.

I'm going to go ahead and say that this was much less painful than Implanon.

But, I've also heard that the next 24 hours can get more intense. So, we will see.

For now, there is a bit of blood, and a slight bit of pain. But all in all, I'm handling it!

Removal

Well, cyber space readers, I am writing to report that I just had Implanon removed.

First, let me explain:

The only reason I chose to get Implanon removed was because of weight gain. That is the only reason. And, to be fair, I have only gained 10 pounds, but after dieting for 5 months and getting into exercising 3 to 4 times a week without even being able to shed ONE pound is frustrating.

Also, 4 years ago, I lost 30lbs and had kept it off for 3 years straight (I even lost an additional 8 shortly after I got Implanon but that was because I was exercising). Granted, I am still over weight, but being able to keep that 30lbs off was really important to me, so when it came to be that I gained 10 and now can't lose it, I took it especially hard. I don't see my body as attractive anymore and I'm too self-conscious around guys in the first place, so to add the thought of my being too fat for someone to like me just makes it worse. Further, It's hard to be one of those people who lost a good portion of weight, only to gain it back. I do not want to be one of those people and there is no reason I should be that person. I know how to maintain my weight, so when previously and well known methods to lose weight don't work, I can only blame my birth control.

I also want to add that I hope no one lets my decision affect their decision to get Implanon inserted. It is only about 20% of women who experience the non-stop bleeding and I am proof that it CAN work successfully. My decision is so specific to me and my history that it really shouldn't make you or anyone rethink a perfectly effective (one of the most effective at that) birth control method.

Now, onto the actual removal:

Nearly painless! The worst part was the numbing shot which hurt SO MUCH LESS THAN GETTING IT INSERTED! I breathed through stinging, and it was over before I knew it. The shot that is. I guess some scar tissue built up around the rod, so she had some trouble wiggling it out. All I felt was pressure, so it was no worries for me.

My arm doesn't hurt, it isn't sore and it's well bandaged as I write this.

Now, my OBGYN wasn't going to let me off the hook without a through talking to about another form of birth control. To quote her "One of the most frustrating parts of my job is removing a perfectly effective birth control and not replacing it with another." I had to agree with her. I'm not a proponent of having sex without birth control, and as I hope you have read - I have few options on my plate.

After talking with her, she recommended (with confidence and vigor) Merina, an IUD with hormones (but much, much less than Implanon and the hormones are focused on your uterus). I asked her about my abnormal pap: not a problem. I asked about pain and it being more painful because I haven't had kids: most people say it isn't as bad as they thought. I brought up that I've never had kids, so would it be a good option for me: absolutely, she recommends them to most patients and quotes them as being one of the most effective methods. Also take into account that this was at the women's clinic at my University, so the majority of who she sees are college students like myself.

So, my next birth control adventure is Merina, which I will be happy to post about as well when I get it inserted. Possibly as soon as the end of this month (January).

WISH ME LUCK!