>Susan's Story
>
>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.