I Got Sterilized! My Experience & Recovery | Laparoscopic Bilateral Salpingectomy

[@chelseybadenhorst5120]

Been wanting a bilateral salpingectomy for many years and I booked my procedure today for next month (14 November 2023) and I cannot wait! I know it’s going to be a bit rough with the healing because of my connective tissue disorder and fibromyalgia but it’s worth it💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻

[@healingwithart1352]

Thanks so much for this detailed video of your sterilization procedure. I’m a cisgender heterosexual married childfree woman seriously considering this procedure. The threat of pregnancy in this state, country and this time haunts me daily. I can only imagine the relief and freedom you have to not become pregnant. Thanks for being an inspiration ❤

[@tinyangeld]

This video was super helpful and informative! I'm actually scheduled for the same procedure at the same hospital next month so this gave me a lot of additional insight that I was not expecting to get

[@CelesteM]

I'm glad to hear it! You're in good hands - best wishes on your procedure!

[@brookemcauliffe6060]

Getting mine tomorrow! Thank you so much for sharing! The day after the election, I found a doctor and was scheduled in less than a month. So ready.

[@CelesteM]

Congrats! I hope everything goes/went smoothly for you!!

[@Botticella89]

I live a few states above you in another anti-reproductive care state. My salpingectomy is 1 month from now and your video has been very insightful of what to expect. I honestly thought I would end up "doctor shopping" until I found someone willing to do mine. I lucked out first time. I was so relieved when she said, "No, your choice as long as you're informed." The only thing I'm dreading is the nausea. I remember when I had to be knocked out for a wisdom tooth removal, I vomited bile when I got home, and passed out for a few hours.

[@CelesteM]

Hopefully your anaesthesia team will give you the "good stuff" and you'll avoid the nausea like I did! Best of luck with your procedure!

[@payelchakraborty2023]

​@@CelesteMhow long did this procedure take for you?

[@MidnightSonnet]

I had a tubal ligation at 35. One of the best decisions of my life. While I would like to remove more reproductive organs, I understand that can cause health issues. As long as I can't have kids, I'm good. Btw, I can't tell you how relieved I am to see an enby who's my age. I'm 41 and only recently came out and came to terms with my identity this year. It's been a trip. My fiance of over 18 years has been very supportive. He even came out as bisexual a week ago. He said he's suspected for years that I was not cis. I'm also afab, btw. Like you, I want a flat chest. Taking time off work to recover would be very hard because I have rent and bills to pay. It's also weird coming out this late in life. I always knew I wasn't cis, but there wasn't a word for it back in the day, so I just assumed something was wrong with me. What's your experience been? What age were you when you realized who you were or when you found a label? I was 29 when I found the word androgyne, which I stuck with for awhile. Oh, I also have C-PTSD. You're not alone, bud. 💜 I went through a lot of repeat trauma up until I was 22. I'm now drug resistant because I've been put on all of the antidepressants available since I was 15. It sucks. If you need someone to talk to, I'm an open book. I love helping people.

[@CelesteM]

I think I started exploring my gender when I was maybe 32-33? I actually came out when I was 34. I'm so glad to hear your fiancé is supportive! That makes things so much easieer for sure.

[@staciekessler6632]

Hi there, Nice to read another story about someone who had this procedure at the same age as me. It is never to late to make proactive health decisions. Just had mine a few days ago on National Coming Out Day. And on that topic... Happy for you and your journey in discovering your unique self and finding happiness. It is never too late in life to figure yourself out and come out, it is unique for everyone. Thank you for sharing some info about your journey :). I like to think that we are all always learning new things about ourselves. I am happy that your long term fiance is supportive. The right life partner is the person who is supportive through everything in life, and sometimes it is the person who initially seemed the least likely to be in that role. I am also thankful for my fiance (we have been together 10 years) being supportive of my choices and assisting me through this. But if someone had told me in my 20s (when I then identified as a lesbian who only dated women (some of whom eventually figured out they are trans) that my life partner someday would be a hetero cis male, I would not have believed a word of it. It wasn't until my mid 20s when we were set up by someone because of our common life interests and compatibilities that I dated a cis male. On the surface it should have never worked...but it did, and I was happy, and realized that people's parts are irrelevant to my ability to be attracted to them... And apparently my past was irrelevant to him. He did not see me as a label, he just saw me as a person. But...like you said, "As long as I can't have kids, I'm good."... The concept of worrying about pregnancy was new to me. He has always respected my "no kids" disclaimer from the get-go. I am happy to say that I never had a pregnancy scare in all these years, but in today's political climate, I decided that I had pushed my luck far enough and didn't want the potential risk to exist anymore.

[@larae1017]

Thank you for doing this video and going over what you went through before and after surgery. I just saw my Gyno today and told him I wanted this procedure. I am just a one and done mom. Planning the surgery to be done in January.

[@CRUNCHYBABY]

Thank you for reviewing the procedure. I'm hoping to get this done. Your review helped calm any fears or concerns I had. I enjoyed your calm and informative speaking style.

[@learnwithme1041]

I appreciate you talking about what it was like after you arrived at the hospital but before surgery. My bisalp will be my first ever surgery and honestly the unknowns about that part of the process are making me much more nervous than the surgery itself.

[@CelesteM]

That's understandable! Hopefully your care team will make everything feel comfortable for you! They're usually pretty good about that, especially if you tell them it's your first surgery!

[@lexp6099]

Congrats! I had a lot of the same issues post laparoscopic hysterectomy, and honestly the solution was just to walk around more. Even if it's slow pacing around the house, it makes it a lot easier to lay flat/breathe/eat. I personally underestimated how much moving I needed to do so it took me a few days to realize this.

[@lox_in_translation]

Thanks for this detailed recap of your experience, Celeste. Congrats for the procedure, I'm impressed that you can start working already (I had to wait for 2 months after my hysto). All the best for your (other) projects of 2023 ! 🙂

[@sweetiegenie2036]

Congratulations on getting your bilateral salpingectomy done, Celeste, and it sounds like your recovery's been going well! Thank you for making this video so that people can have a better understanding of someone else's experience before, during, and after the surgery to see if it's something they want to have done. 🙂 I had almost the exact same experience for my mine last year. I was 29 years old and got it done on April 22nd, 2022 with Dr. Kosha Bhupendra Soneji in Southern California. No regrets myself; I had been thinking about becoming permanentally sterilized since I had found out that it was an option at age 22. I only wish I could've gotten it done sooner!

[@jnuy764]

Thanks for the update and best wishes with everything 👍

[@afirewasinmyhead]

Just started the video, but I would love to hear about your experience identifying with/no longer identifying with the ace label. 😊

[@CelesteM]

I will talk about it at some point! It's just a bit complex so I have to figure out how to explain stuff properly 😊

[@blink_nimbledigit]

Thank you for making this! I’m a nonbinary person getting this surgery in a few months wish me luck ❤

[@CelesteM]

Awesome!! I hope all goes well!

[@MorganGale]

The part about having to cleanse your whole body, clean your sheets, etc. is so interesting, because I'm getting top surgery next week and received the same instructions! I wonder if this is becoming more common across the board or if we just have very cautious surgeons, haha

[@CelesteM]

Oh interesting, I don't know! Congrats on your top surgery, btw - I hope everything goes smoothly! 💗

[@MorganGale]

@@CelesteM Thank you!! Your videos have helped prepare me :)

[@mutedroar]

I've been trying to get this done since I was 18, and i got super lucky with an OB who didn't even flinch. Am literally a few hours post op rn. No nausea, eating butter crackers and drinking water. The worst of it is in my lower ribcage too, which is super weird lol but so far no bad-bad pain. Thanks for making this video, its nice to hear your experience with this surgery.

[@CelesteM]

Congrats on getting it done and I hope the rest of your recovery goes well!

[@payelchakraborty2023]

​@@CelesteMwhat anesthesia was given to you

[@CelesteM]

@@payelchakraborty2023 I'm not sure specifically.

[@ieabraham]

thank you for this!! I'm 22 and I found an obgyn off the childfree reddit list who will give me a bisalp! I'm also nb in Florida and I'm terrified of the new legislation lol. I was scheduled for my bisalp in November but I'm having some scheduling issues and hopefully will get it in January. I'm looking forward to it!

[@CelesteM]

Awesome! I hope everything goes well!

[@staciekessler6632]

Wishing you the best on your journey through this decision. Definitely the best decision I've made for my well being on all accounts

[@Bitemae]

Congratulations. 😊

[@Alliien34]

i had a hysterectomy a few days ago, so far my recovery seems pretty similar to yours even though it's not the same surgery, i hope everything goes smoothly for both of us !

[@CelesteM]

Me too! ❤️

[@MoonCabinet]

This video helped me so much when I was deciding if this is the produce I wanted. I am actually going to Paradise as well. Obviously I understand insurances companies are all different, but I'm curious if you were able to get this procedure covered at 100% or if you paid your deductible? right now Im fighting with insurance about this. would love to hear your experience.

[@CelesteM]

Awesome, I'm glad it was helpful and you're in good hands with Dr. Paradise! My plan (on Florida Blue) actually doesn't have a deductible (it does have an out of pocket max) but most stuff has some sort of copay or coinsurance. So for this procedure I had a hospital procedure copay, which was $300.

[@staciekessler6632]

Hi there, I enjoyed hearing your story. (Editing my comment again because I had to switch from phone to computer later in the day to finish viewing your video.) First, if you are still in FL, stay safe during the storms! I am also in FL and queer, but I'm 35, cis female and having the same procedure this Friday. I couldn't think of a better way to be spending National Coming Out Day than doing something self-validating. In today's political climate, it has simply just become a decision that I have deemed "mandatory" if I want to ensure my well being. Your story is meaningful to me because it educates others that no matter what your identity/self expression is, if you don't want the parts you came with, for any reason, there are health care providers out there for you. You may not find the right doctor immediately, but there is definitely someone out there who will respect your choices and provide good, safe care. Also, it was very thorough and educational. What was most relatable about your story being able to hear it from someone closer to my age who hasn't been pregnant and doesn't want to be. Most of the videos I have seen are women in their 20s or moms who just don't want more kids. While informative, it has been hard to fully relate to those videos. I'm at a point in life now where I think this is the best and safest option and I'm glad you were also able to find a doctor who respected your choices as well and did the procedure for you. I also did not want a hysto, it just wasn't the best choice for me either for various reasons. Identity/self expression means something unique to everyone. In this case, for me, it means finally getting to be a "sterile person"...I don't really know what else to call it, nor do I care to seek a label. (But if there is an actual word not identifying with your internal organs even if you identify with the outer ones, by all means, please educate me on it.) No matter who my partners have been in the past or present, "the ability to grow a human" is not something I have ever identified with. I think you probably understand what I mean, but it's often hard for others to get the concept. Thank you again for sharing your unique experience, Stacie

[@CelesteM]

Thanks for sharing all this - I do get what you mean. I hope everything went well with your procedure!

[@staciekessler6632]

@@CelesteM Thank you for your message back, it means a lot to me! I hope you fared well through the hurricane. Everything went well. I slept most of the day Friday and was able to little things around the house all weekend in between naps. Back to work (work from home desk job thankfully) today. I think the team did a great job getting the gas out of my body because I did not feel what everyone describes as gas pains. In general very low pain and was able to quickly get off the Rx level meds. I feel very fortunate that my fiance has been so supportive and helpful through this whole experience. (We are both patiently waiting to reap the benefits of this.) My only complaint is how weird my belly button looks, (other two incisions are small and ordinary looking) but from what I understand, that is to be expected and when fully healed it should look normal, even if different than before. Is that your experience?

[@CelesteM]

That's wonderful, glad to hear everything went well! I didn't notice anything particularly weird about my belly button other than it being a bit scabby maybe as it healed. But everyone's belly button is different so that could affect things. I mean, it's effectively a scar already, so putting a new incision through it, it makes sense that it could heal differently depending on the tissue, etc. I probably wouldn't worry too much if other people who have experienced that say it ends up looking normal by the end!

[@staciekessler6632]

@@CelesteM I actually just went to my post-op the other day and all seems to be good, just slow going...so still some activity restrictions for 3 more weeks and then another post-op... but like you said, everyone's different.

[@AnglBunny]

Congratulations on your procedure! I just got mine today! 😄

[@CelesteM]

Congrats! I hope your recovery is going well!

[@theoakandmountain]

other specific question because i'm trying to get this procedure myself -- how much did it cost/or would have cost without your insurance? i don't have insurance and i'm hoping a payment plan can be worked out during my consult.

[@CelesteM]

My copay was $300. It's hard to say what the cost would have been without insurance since typically providers charge a different amount to insurance vs. self-pay. According to my insurance, the full provider charge was $59k, but the actual cost to insurance was $11k. Anaesthesia was a couple thousand but the cost to my insurance was like half that. Definitely talk to your provider and their billing department, they can likely work something out with you!

[@liatortolero311]

Thank you for sharing your experience, I think that whole procedure has not changed and you explain it in detail, but how was your experience with the doctor? How did you like her work as a doctor? Today how do you feel about that procedure, did you recover 100%?

[@CelesteM]

I liked the doctor a lot and believe she did a great job with the procedure. I had no complications and am very happy I had it done.

[@cameronjames6277]

It's nice to hear your experience. I had the same surgery as you. I have a lot of sex and had the arm implant. I've wanted my tubes burned for awhile now. Roe vs Wade was overturned, and I was anxious over things like this getting banned. So it was a push in the right direction. I'm 5 days post op. I have a supportive fiancé as well. It's better to get your tubes removed vs tied/cut in a small place. A lot of ovarian cancer starts in the little claw-like things that start with an f, on the end of your tubes. I don't know much detail about my surgery, I'll ask when I go back for my follow up. But I think they removed most of the tubes. It decreases your chance of pregnancy more than getting the fallopian tubes tied/cut. So reduced pregnancy, but the rare pregnancies that do happen, are mostly ectopic. I'm in the same boat with you on the hysterectomy.

[@amandab9973]

Im 27 and i thought you were close to my age! Wow. Tell rme your secrets lol thank you for wll your wonderful insight

[@ohitsthem7601]

If you don't mind me asking, how do you deal with dysphoria at obgyns? Every part of the experience just makes me want to cry in a ball but i really need a hysterectomy so im trying to find ways to be more comfortable. Btw im also autistic and nonbinary on testosterone

[@CelesteM]

It definitely helps if you can find a provider who is trans-affirming. Other than for this process, though, I actually just have my primary care doctor do my regular pelvic exams.

[@ohitsthem7601]

@@CelesteM That makes sense. I still trying to find a pcd i feel comfortable with unfortunately, hopefully it won't take much longer

[@Leo_error]

Nice that’s amazing. Thinking about getting a partial hysterectomy later on

[@hayleystratus7713]

Is it called a keyhole surgery?

[@CelesteM]

Yes, that's another term for laparoscopic surgery!

[@Ona1979]

I had a tubal ligation about 15 years ago. I was vomiting for about 2 hours after I woke up. I felt weak and sore for days after. When I got home the only way that I was able to control the nausea was to lay on the floor with my abdomen above head. I used a chair hold myself in the position. I thought that I was going to have to give the surgeon a lot of reasons why I didn't ever want to become pregnant again, but he didn't ask for any and I am very happy about that. I have heard of a lot of people who have been denied that procedure. There are some doctors who require permission from the husband which is absolutely horrible. As long as a person is 18 or older a person's agency shouldn't be taken from them. My surgeons haven't given special instructions when it came to cleaning. When I needed to have my nose reconstructed, I was only told to wash my face with plain soap. I'm really glad that you got to have this procedure done and that you have recovered so well. I was extremely relieved to have permanent birth control

[@vallyhuisje7770]

Post Tubal ligation syndrome. Is that also the case if you remove the tubes? I can't find the answer on this question. Doctors are not helpful either 😅

[@CelesteM]

From Googling it sounds like it's not something that's well understood yet, and since the cause it unknown, I would think that it's a possibility, it just depends what the actual cause is. I don't know anything about it beyond that though, I'm sorry!