Karen & Heath Williams

Oklahoma

March 2006

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Tubal ligation

8/30/95

Tubal reversal

3/18/06

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7 cm each side

 

 

     

March 2006

My name is Karen Williams (36) and my husband is Heath (34). We have both been married once before. I have 2 sons Harley (13) and Asti (10). I had my ligation during Asti’s c-section birth 8/30/95. I had the ligation to keep my former husband from leaving. When I was pregnant he said he did not want our last child and if I refused a ligation he would leave. After 5 years of depression over the loss of my fertility we divorced. I met my husband Heath in 2001. He has an adopted son Gary (13) and adopted daughter Loreanna (12). All 4 children live with us. We married in 2003 and set forward on our quest for a reversal. I have met many wonderful women who have had their reversals. I was guided by my heart to Dr. Perez and Dr. Levy for mine.

I left Friday March 17th 2006 from Tulsa Oklahoma for McAllen Texas at 11:30 AM with my sister-in-law Marie Justice. She had never flown before. It was exciting for both of us. I could not believe that I was on my way finally for my reversal. I had been wanting a reversal since I had the ligation in 1995 and have been actively pursuing a reversal since October 2002. I know it sounds crazy that it has taken this long but something always kept coming up or happening that I had to postpone my surgery. 

It was a cold morning when we left my house at 7:30 AM for Tulsa. When we arrived in Texas it was a warm 85 degrees! We were met my Doctor Levy’s (pronounced levee) younger brother Marc at the McAllen airport within minutes of landing. He also picked up 2 very sweet ladies from Houston that were going with us. Kameka who was getting her reversal and her sister Love. Crossing border was basically a breeze. We were only stopped and asked where we were going in Mexico. It was absolutely beautiful! Palm trees, roses, hibiscus, and mandevillas blooming everywhere. Corn was already a foot tall in the fields and the Vandalia onions were just huge in the fields. We arrived in Rio Bravo in about 20 minutes. Unfortunately the cell phones no longer work after a few hundred yards into Mexico unless you have Mexican service. I sure wish I had known this. You will hear about this later in my story.

We shopped with Marcos and ate dinner in Nuevo Progresso Friday evening. Marc dropped us off at Hospital des la Americas so we could leave our luggage and check in for our surgery. I found out that I would have to wait until Saturday for my reversal so I had not ate or drank anything all day in the possibility of getting my surgery done a day early. We then headed to Nuevo Progresso for shopping and dinner. The market was awesome and the food was even better! We had such a great time that it was 10 PM before Marie, Marc and I returned back to Rio Bravo for the night. We had bought so much stuff I had t buy a new suitcase for the flight back. We tried to call home from the phone in the room only to find out with a lot of language barriers that all calls were incoming only! My poor husband did not know the number to the hospital and I could not call to tell him that! Marie and I both knew that our husbands would be freaking out soon if they did not hear from us. But what else could we do.

At 6 Am 2 nurses came in one started my IV and the other took some blood samples before my IV solution was hook up. I was so excited I could not fall back to sleep. We turned on the TV and found 2 stations that play in English, TBS and a local McAllen station. It was 1:30 PM before they came for me. I was wheeled to the OR in a wheelchair by a really nice male nurse and I climbed onto the OR table. I was surprised to find that it had like a “mud” mattress unlike the ones in the states. I work as a RN and we have to wrap limbs in padding to prevent pressure sore due tom the hard OR table pads. I was surprised and very pleased to see that they had these wonderful tables. I was really comfortable on it. The OR was tiled in a beautiful cream marble pattern tile. I was so bright and pretty in there. The anesthesiologist gave me a sedative and I felt a small pinch and my epidural was done! I have had 2 c-sections and neither went well and I was quite nervous and afraid of the pain. I was so happy that I told him that he was the best anesthesiologist I had ever met! I made him laugh. I had seen Dr Perez sitting outside my OR when I arrived and I smiled at him but we never got to speak. I was awake the whole time and Dr Levy closed me up. I asked how long my tubes are and he said happily that I had 7 on each side! After I was done 2 nurses transferred me to a gurney and took me back to my room. This was about 3:30 PM. I stayed awake the rest of the day and night. I could not get comfortable in the hospital bed. It just wasn’t my own. About 10 PM my room phone rang and it was my husband! He and my friend Jess had been spending the last 3 hours trying to find a phone number to the hospital and finally got through! I was so happy and my sweet husband said, “ I’m going to be a daddy”! I talked for a little while and then Jess called me and she was just beyond happy for me. She is currently pregnant with her 2nd reversal baby.

My IV, Foley catheter and epidural were taken out at 6 am Sunday and I took a really nice long shower. My room had the same white marble tile for the floor and the huge bathroom. The housekeeping staff mopped all the time and we had fresh towels anytime we asked and food anytime we needed. They served mango juice with every meal! I never had mango juice before and fell in love with it. The meals were homemade and excellent.

We checked out about 11 AM and Dr. Levy printed out my operation report and all my lab work and stressed that I was not to lift over 10 pounds or drive for 2 weeks. No sex for 2 weeks and then only with a condom until after 90 days post-op. he said you have spent so many years and a lot of time, pain and money to risk an infection to have scarring occur to my tubes that 3 months was nothing. Being a RN I know that sperm will attack a fresh wound and cause possible scar tissue to form or block your tubes by constriction due to a inflammatory response to the sperm acid bases. I promised him that he did not have to worry that I would follow him to the word and not risk my newfound fertility. I still feel like I am in a dream and that I will wake up with my clips still on me.

I have a three-inch incision just above my old c-section line. It is very tender. I will not lie. But it is so worth it.   I have approximately 7 cm on each side.

Our stay was comfortable and the food was awesome and the hospital just perfect! I am soon to be graduating as a labor and delivery nurse and I can say that the hospital was kept as neat as a pin, the nurses were very knowledgeable & caring and I had the most painless epidural and IV in my life!

It took hours to cross the border but we arrived in plenty of time for our 4:30 flight back to Dallas. But sadly mother nature had other plans for us. Since we had been without the news we did not know about Dallas being flooded and under tornado watches that they shut Dallas down. Out flight finally left McAllen at 7:50 PM. We arrived and our flight to Tulsa was delayed until 11 PM and we finally made it home to sleet and snow at 3 am Monday morning.

I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Mexico is beautiful and friendly. The drivers are crazy but no one gets in a wreck and no road rage at all. You can walk the streets at night without fear. We have plans to return and make a small vacation in Neuvo Progesso soon and shop till we drop.

I cannot believe that this summer we will be on the journey to conceive a new member for our family.

God bless Dr. Perez, Dr. Levy, Dr. Moreno the nurses and of course Marcos! Hello all I made it back from Mexico!

Karen Williams 36
DH Heath 33

TL 8/30/95 Hulka Clips
TR 3/19/06 7cm on both sides

 

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