My BFF had problems when the time came to have her Norplant removed--adhesions, I think. With any luck they've fixed that problem in the past 10 or so years, though.

Ginger, I'm sorry about your friend. FUCK CANCER, indeed.

Cutting down on the cramps, even a bit of the moods, and stopping periods has to help my anemia.

This is the real reason I got the Mirena, not BC. FWIW, my insurance paid for it, but that may have been because I got it after fibroids were discovered.

< insert standard rant about BC always being covered by insurance, period and that BC should be over the counter and cheap >

Has anyone had issues with Mirena? I'm thinking about giving it a try.

I've heard there were some adhesion problems. I got mine when they were first first out and PP offered it free if you'd tell them about your experience. I have two little scars on the inside of my right arm.

sadly the BC side is the least of my concerns. Cutting down on the cramps, even a bit of the moods, and stopping periods has to help my anemia.

It just stopped everything for me.

I might have been more stressed about the missing periods if I also hadn't just gotten into a LTR with a woman. So no real worry about contraception with the sexytimes.

Worked great for me. Only side effect was the turning me gay.

Has anyone had issues with Mirena? I'm thinking about giving it a try.

From what I've read on other websites (corporette discusses every so often), it can be hella painful (or not!) when being put in, but most people love it. But apparently while for most people there's a little spotting and then you rarely if ever get a period, for some people you start spotting and just...keep spotting. Which would be obnoxious.

Mirena was not comfortable being installed, but I'm a huge wuss, and I handled it okay with a Valium. The discomfort didn't last past the actual installation. I wouldn't consider discomfort a reason not to get it, honestly not even if it had been more painful than it was. There was some spotting for a few months after, but it didn't bother me. I still get mild cramps, but they can be managed with an Advil. I haven't had an actual period since I got it. I still have the black moods, but they're more...I dunno, contained? They last a couple days, they have clear boundaries and I can recognize when they're happening, as opposed to being lost in misery and confusion and wondering what the hell is wrong with me, if that makes sense. I'm clear-headed enough to KNOW what's wrong with me, and how to manage it and ride it out.

That was wordy. Sorry.

Worked great for me. Only side effect was the turning me gay.

Not a bad outcome. heh.

I've had no problems with the Mirena FWIW, but I'm also all done having kids. I do recall hearing in passing about a class action suit against the makers of Mirena, but I don't know what it was about.

Hah. Nice side effect indeed!

I am so freaking pissed. I showed up at dancing tonight, a bit late because even though I had shiny new boots to try out and show off, I was feeling ugly (all looking in the mirror going "why does my makeup look clownish?!? Why is my hair so frizzy?") So I show up, and see a group of queer women who look age-appropriate, who I don't recognize. I'm all "ooh....new people!" Not too many of my friends were out. Dance a dance with a friend. See one of the newbies dancing out of the corner of my eye, think "oh, it's that rugby girl who used to come a lot, I'll have to dance with her later". Go back to my drink, look on the dance floor and realize....it is not the rugby girl. It is my ex. Who is clowning around on the dance floor with some new friends and maybe with a date?? I was like "are you fucking kidding me? This is MY place. I brought you here once. You can even come to this bar any other day of the week, or later on Friday nights, but you KNOW this is my thing. And not even a text to say like "hey my friends want to go to the cuff tonight" warning or something?" And I felt like a coward but I couldn't stay and watch--or BE watched. Had like one more dance with someone good, and then left. She better not come again or there will be words. Find a different fucking activity. You've never done dancing and I know you hate country music. Fuck off.

That sucks, meara.