process essay take 2

One morning a few years back I saw an ad on TV for a procedure called Essure. It’s a form of permanent birth control that can be done right in the doctor’s office. Since I’d been using birth control for years and abstinence was out of the picture, I thought his procedure might be an option. Although I’d been thinking about sterilization recently, I never took the initiative to check into anything until I saw that commercial. I made the call, requested a packet and reviewed the information. This procedure seemed to be the way to go; the surgery wasn’t as invasive as tubal ligation, I didn’t need to be put under anesthesia and there’d be no hormone therapy. Next step was to make sure it was covered under my medical plan.

I’m not sure where insurance companies find their help, but they seem to be from a different planet. After speaking to a few reps, I got one who seemed to understand what I was inquiring about. Having done coding for medical billing in the past, all I was trying to get out of them was if the CPT codes were covered and at what percentage. Finally, I got my answer; they’d cover the procedure even though it was new to the market.

When I called for an appointment to schedule the procedure, the receptionist I spoke with was very caring and kind. She asked me if I’d reviewed all the information they sent and if I’d checked on my insurance coverage. She also wanted reassurance from me that I understood it was permanent and could not be reversed. She walked me through the process, answered all my questions and gave me the date for my appointment.

Although the procedure took only 10 minutes to perform, the getting ready for it took longer. When I got to my appointment, I was given a prescription for a few medications; I had to go down to the pharmacy, pick up the scrip and take the pills immediately. Back at the office, I listened to another counseling session, had another review of the procedure, met the doc performing it and then I waited for the meds to “kick in.” I started to have some reservations about continuing with the procedure but I knew I couldn’t back out now. I spent about 3 hours in the doctor’s office, after it was all said and done. Words can’t describe the kind of pain your body can endure, medicated or not.

It’s been years since I had the Essure procedure done and no unwanted pregnancies! I will never forget that day in the doctor’s office and what it took to have the procedure done. I am glad I chose this method over a tubal ligation; no physical scars. The only scars I have are the mental ones associated with being sterilized in a doctor’s office without being put under, oh the wonders of modern medicine.