Regarding my tubal ligation, the doctor told me that the surgery was very safe ( much safer then giving birth and I had just done that twice ), that insurance would pay for it, that all women had one when they completed their families and that I shouldn't be on the pill at my age. I was given a printed brochure about the surgery and told to call when I was ready.
I was not informed of the risks. I had asked some pretty specific and direct questions, such as will this surgery cause me to become menopausal. The doctor defrauded me telling me the surgery was safe and that the surgery would not cause menopause. If he had told me that there was a connection with tubals and early menopause, or even if he had told me that tubals usually cause hormonal imbalances and that in order to correct this I might end up on the pill, I would have said "no way".
I trusted him. I though he had my best interests in mind ( before and after my TL ). I thought that he was telling me the truth and that it was against the law for doctors to lie.
I was not warned that the surgery is known to cause hormonal conditions or early menopause. I certainly was not informed that I'd be castrated.
I met Dr. Hufnagel February of '98 when my lawyer contacted her to do a legal review for me. I had no idea who she was or what direction this all was taking me.
The more I learned from Dr. Hufnagel and Grateful Med, facts such as doctors know that this ( castration ) is a common and well known risk of tubal ligations well understood by the "medical community" ( and has so for a long time ), but that this information is not shared with the general public or with women such as I who undergo tubal ligations, the more angry I got. I felt and still do feel as though I was abused and raped, mentally and physically.
I started off wanting justice and financial assistance with my doctor created, negative health condition which requires that I now be on hormone therapy for the rest of her life. More so I felt a very strong duty to stop the doctor who did this to me from injuring other women.
My journey for truth and justice on a personal level has taken me down many paths. Becoming a 'women health rights activist' just kind of happened with my getting to know Dr. Hufnagel, learning the issues first hand.
I never could have written or felt confident about building the tubal site with out the help and support of Dr. Hufnagel. and the saving grace of the "freedom of information act". The Coalition just kind of came out of no where and blossomed into a full blown movement"
Dr Hufnagel was instrumental in creating the first laws regarding consent to hysterectomies. Call it fate or call it chance that she and I met. My goal now is to see that laws are created to protect women and Dr. Hufnagel has offered to help. The Coalition was formed in order to ban together women to create these laws, to educate post tubal women and pre-tubal women about the real risks and side effects, and to educate the world that this crime of fraud ( non-consent ) and battery is on-going and real.
No one is going to fight to create TL laws but us, we the women who have been victimized, injured, lied to and who are mad and outrage we were not informed. No one else cares.
Currently the Coalition is putting together a national "post tubal ligation study" which will be discussed at the post tubal site as time goes by. We are also organizing and scheduling an educational program and champaign.
This is history in the making. Someday our daughters and granddaughters will look back on this women's hormonal holocaust in horror and wonder how it was able to go one for so long.
If you are a post tubal ligation woman please stop by the site and see what we are all about. We often hear comments such as, "I thought that the tubal affected me for years, now I know".
Come and learn. Be part of the movement.