Fixed!

We here at Steingruebl World Enterprises recently made the determination that we would no longer be seeking junior associates. We have one fabulous child already, and due to health concerns, risks, etc. we decided not to push our luck.

It has taken awhile to figure out what to do, and even longer to get it done, but here we are. Given how well I do not tolerate oral contraceptives and how very sure we need to be of our birth control method, there aren't that many options out there.

One thing I didn't know about until I'd done some research was Essure. Friends and family mentioned it, and I finally took a good look. After a mandatory class about sterilization and a follow up "are you really sure" appointment with a doctor, I was all set.

Last Tuesday, I spent a very short amount of time in the outpatient procedure department at Kaiser. What a study in contrasts between that and the ER! The nurses were fabulous, the care was excellent, I was never uncomfortable let alone terrified. Kudos to the outpatient folks. I still need to write Member Services and tell them how thrilled I am.

Anyway, the procedure was easy and painless. No residual pain to speak of, and generally not at all messy. I was pretty heavily sedated, but came around enough to watch some of the procedure on the monitor. (And ask annoying questions of the doctor while she was trying to work-those sedatives are great for suppressing impulse control...) I was fascinated and enthralled, but I'll spare you the details. I even got pictures as a souvenir!

In three months, I'll go in for a test to make sure this "took." That one is called an HST and from the looks of it is not particularly fun, so that may well be the most uncomfortable part of this whole procedure.

At least so far, this non-surgical sterilization stuff is a breeze. Of course, I'd like to have got it done when we first made our decision back in April because by now it would be working. But, in the grand scheme of things 3 months isn't that long. And it's no longer than we'd wait if we sent Andy for a minor "surgical" procedure. It is absolutely wonderful to have a non-surgical option.

And, I nearly forgot to add the best part: this procedure cost a $15 copay. That's it. There's never been a better time to get sterile.