Hi everyone,
The English translation of this speech is all over the web. I wanted to be sure that the German version, which are the words I actually delivered was posted also. It took quite a bit of hard work in a very short amount of time to be able to learn these words. It was worth the effort!!!
Vor ein paar Jahren hatte ich ein Bayer-Gerät in mir implantiert. Ich wählte dieses Gerät, ein verhütungsmittel, weil es von der United States Food and Drug Administration zugelassen war. Dies Gerät wurde auch als sicher und effektiv beworben. Der größte Fehler meines Lebens war die Wahl dieses Gerät. Es hat mich verändert und hinterließ dauerhafte memories an den Tag, an dem ich faast starb. Die physischen und emotionalen Narben werden nie wieder verschwinden. Ich heisse Michelle Garcia und ich bin aus Miami, Florida. Ich bin ein Opfer und eine Überlebende von Essure und eine Stimme von Tausenden. Ich stehe vor Ihnen mit einer starken Botschaft. Essure ist gefährlich und Essure gehört nicht auf den Markt.
Essure ist eine Form der Geburtenkontrolle, die dazu bestimmt ist, die nicht-chirurgische Alternative zu einem Tubenligation sein. Im April zweitausend dreizehn, kündigte Bayer die Übernahme von einer Firma namens Conceptus. Während der Zeit, die sie in der Existenz waren, war Conceptus nie profitabel. Bayer hat Conceptus und Essure erworben. Sieben Studien nach weniger als sechshundert Frauen mit Essure veröffentlicht wurden. Die Daten werden auch verwendet, um die Vorrichtung Ansprüche sicher und effektiv zu unterstützen.
Das ist meine Story… Eine kaputte Essure-Spirale durchbohrte meinen Eileiter, was innere Blutungen und Hämatome brachte. Gott sei danke stoppte die Blutung in der Notaufnahme, aber ich hatte schon eine ganze Menge Blut verloren und war kurz davor eine Bluttransfusion zu benötigen. Ich könnte tot sein; ich sollte tot sein. Gibt es sehr viele Frauen mit Storyn viel schlimmer als meine. Für jede story wir wissen, gibt es Tausende mehr noch nicht gemeldet sind.
Zweitausend Elf, eine Mutter namens Angie Firmalino begann eine gruppe namens Essure Probleme mit ihren Freunden über die Auswirkungen dieses Gerät auf ihrem Körper hatte zu warnen. Ich fand die Gruppe im Mai zweitausend zwölf, als es nur dreißig Mitglieder gab. Heute gibt es weltweit, mehr als siebentausend Frauen stark, zehn Mal mehr als die Größe der klinischen Studien.
Gabriela Avina ist eine Therapeutin mit einem Master in Frauenpflege. Sie wurde in den klinischen Studien beteiligt professionell und wurde eine klinische Studie Teilnehmer im Oktober zweitausend. Zweitausendzwei sprach sie bei der United States Food and Drug Administration als klinische Versuchspatientin vor. Gabriela wurde Sprecherin für Essure und reiste durch die USA, um Essure zu bewerben. Sie ahnte nicht, dass das Gerät ihre Gesundheit langsam zerstörte.
Anfang des Jahres stellte sich Gabriella erneut der United States Food and Drug Administration vor. Während dieser Präsentation sagte sie aus, dass sie falsch lag, als sie vor zwölf Jahren das Gerät unterstützte. In ihren Worten sagte sie: „Die Leben von Frauen wurden durch ein Gerät verändert, das während klinischer Versuche nicht angemessen überwacht wurde von Ärzten, die nicht angemessen ausgebildet waren, und von einer Firma, die ihren Patientinnen nicht angemessen zuhörte.“
Wie sicher ist ihr Gerät also?: Drei Prozent der Damen in unserer Gruppe sind entweder schwanger ist oder schwanger gewesen. Zwei Pro der Schwangerschaften führten zum Tod des Kindes, während fünfzig Pro unserer Frauen Fehlgeburten hatten. Das ist ein großer differenz zu Ihrem veröffentlicht Erfolgsquote von neunundneunzig Pro. Die March of Dimes, berichtet die erwartete rate für Fehlgeburten ist zehn bis fünfzehn Pro.
Wir bereiteten eine Umfrage, damit wir genauere Informationen zu den Damen in unserer Gruppe sammeln. Die Antworten unterstützt die dringende Notwendigkeit, das Gerät sofort vom Markt genommen zu haben. Fast vierzig Pro der gemeldeten Probleme zu Essure Zusammenhang fast sofort nach der Platzierung mit zweiunddreißig Pro, dass ihre Berichterstattung Spulen sind nicht mehr richtig platziert. Nach der erfolgreichen Platzierung und Bestätigung der Okklusion, können die Spulen bewegen. Eileiterschwangerschaft, die eine erwartete Auftrittsrate von zwei Pro hat, kam in vierzehn Pro der Schwangerschaften.
Achtundvierzig Pro gaben an, sie haben drei oder mehr Fehlgeburten erlebt. Für ein effektives Gerät berichteten Fünfzehn Pro der Antwortenden, dass sie keine erfolgreiche Eileiterunterbindung hatten. Diese Fünfundachtzig Pro-Fehlerrate ist bedeutend verschieden von der Erfolgsrate, die während der klinischen Versuche beschrieben wurde.
Fast Eintausend Frauen, uber funftenn Pro unserer Mitglieder, Frauen ab zwei + zwanzig Jahren, hatten große Operationen, meistens eine Hysterektomie, um die Spiralen zu entfernen. In vielen Fällen ist eine Operation nicht aus, um alle Schäden zu reparieren. Diese Operationen dienen meistens dazu, fehlgeleitete Spiralen zu finden, die außerhalb des Eileiters gelandet sind. Essure ist vielleicht die operationsfreie Alternative einer Tuballigatur, aber es schützt einen nicht vor der Chirurgie.
Die „Glücklichen“ unter uns hatten Spiralen, die in der Gebärmutter gelandet sind. Für einige Frauen, haben docktoren Spulen von der Nähe der Leber, der Niere, Brusthöhle, Bauchhöhle und der Auskleidung der Magen entnommen. Eine Frau hatte eine Essure Spule in ihre dickdarm zu migrieren. Sie müssen eine Dickdarmresektion durch den Aufbau von Narbengewebe haben. Ihr Darm auch ihr Rektum fusioniert. Trotz dessen wird Essure immer noch beschrieben und verkauft als eine SICHERE Verhütungsmethode.
Die anderen Fünfundachtzig Pro unserer Gruppe, die die Spiralen nicht entfernen lassen konnten – sei es wegen fehlenden Geldes oder weil sie keinen Arzt finden, der sie entfernt – leiden an den gleichen Nebenwirkungen, die die anderen Frauen unserer Gruppe zur Operation gebracht haben.
Viele dieser Frauen können ihre Fragen im Zusammenhang mit einer allergischen Reaktion auf Nickel-Attribut und ein Essure Spule ist mehr als fünfzig Pro Nickel. Nickel ist ein häufiges Allergen und eine Kontraindikation wurde einbezogen, wenn das Gerät zuerst in Verkehr gebracht wurde. Die Kontraindikation wurde aus dem Etikett in zweitausend elf entfernt.. Der CEO von Conceptus erklärt den Zweck der neuen Label war, ich zitiere, "zur weiteren Stärkung unserer Wettbewerbsvorteil und Führung in der Dauerverhütungs Markt.“ In der selben formelle Erklärung sagt er, dass Conceptus diese Veränderung den Mitgliedern der OB/GYN-Gesellschaft aggressiv vermarkten wird, die unser Produkt nicht benutzen „vor allem wegen der potentiellen Nickelallergie bei kranke.“ Die Motivation für diese Änderung wurde nicht auf die Sicherheit der kranke, sondern auf finanzielle Interesse des Herstellers. Sie machten ihre Arbeit so gut mit dem aggressiven Marketing, dass Zweiundachtzig Pro der auf unsere Umfrage Antwortenden nicht über Metallallergien befragt wurden. Die Veränderung der Beschreibung brachte viele docktoren dazu zu glauben, das Nickel vollständig aus dem Produkt entfernt wurde.
Frauen leiden unter einer allergischen Reaktion leben mit ständigen Schmerzen, Reizung und Entzündung.
Frauen ohne einer Nickelallergie leiden auch intensiv mit ähnlichen Nebenwirkungen, die rauben uns unsere Gesundheit und Lebensqualität. Wir leiden mit schweren Becken-Ebene, Kopfschmerzen, Gelenkschmerzen, chronische Entzündungen, extreme Müdigkeit, schwere Blähungen, Hauterkrankungen, abnormale Blutungen und viele andere Neben Bemühungen. Die Nebenwirkungen von Essure betreffen jeden in der Familie, nicht nur die Kranke. Kinder wachsen mit einer Mutter auf, die nicht gesund ist – die ihr Kind nicht hochheben und umarmen kann. Paare können keine intimen Beziehungen haben, weil das viel zu schmerzhaft wäre. Frauen schreiben Nachrichten in unserer Gruppe Selbstmord wegen der Schmerzen, die durch Essure verursacht.. Sie sind so krank, dass totsein die bessere Alternative scheint. All das nur für ein Verhütungsmittel,
Ich verbleibe mit zwei Storyn über die Verletzungen von Essure. Die erste ist ein Baby namens Julius. Er wurde geboren, weil, wie bei so vielen, Essure versagte. Julius 'Mutter ging in vorzeitigen Wehen, wenn eine Spule Essure perforiert ihre Fruchtblase verursacht ihr Wasser zu brechen. Julius lebend geboren wurde, und seine unterentwickelte Lungen konnte ihn nicht aufrecht zu erhalten. Julius starb am Tag seiner Geburt, ist ein unschuldiges Opfer eines Geräts, das Sie sagen weiterhin sicher und wirksam.
Wir haben gelernt, über die Frauen in der letzten Story, wenn ein unerwünschtes Ereignis Bericht wurde mit dem "United States Food and Drug Administration" abgelegt. Während wir ihren Namen nicht kennen, wissen wir, dass sie jemandes Ehefrau, Mutter und Tochter sind. Sie hatte Essure und ging in die Notaufnahme klagte über Bauchschmerzen. Eine Prüfung hatte festgestellt, dass ihr Fortpflanzungssystem, speziell ihren Gebärmutterhals, Eileiter und Gebärmutter waren nekrotisch. In juristischer Sicht, waren ihre Organe Tot. Sie ging in Nierenversagen und war nicht in der Lage sich zu erholen. Ihre Todesursache wird als Nekrose und toxische Schock-Syndrom aufgeführt. Die Frage, was verursacht ihre Organe zu sterben, was zu ihrem Tod nicht auf der Grundlage eines Berichts beantwortet werden. Julius und die Frauen in dem Bericht sind tot. Werden Sie weiterhin sagen, dass dieses Gerät sicher und effektiv ist? Im Namen der siebentausend Frauen, die mir vertrauen, um ihre Stimme zu sein, und die Frauen, die wir noch zu hören, aus, bitten wir Sie, Essure vom Markt zu nehmen. Ich danke Ihnen für die Gelegenheit, bevor Sie sprechen. Bitte sie entfernen Essure aus dem Markt.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Bayer Speech - English Version
Good morning, I’ve prepared something I’d like to read to you. I’ll first speak in English, and then I’m prepared to give them same statement in German if necessary. I have also prepared some questions for the members of the Board.
A few years ago, I had a Bayer device implanted inside me. I chose this device, a birth control device, because it was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. This was device was also advertised as safe and effective. The biggest mistake of my life was choosing this device. It would change me, leaving me with permanent reminders of the day I almost died. The physical and emotional scars will never go away.
My name is Michelle Garcia and I live in Miami, Florida. I am an Essure victim, an Essure survivor and a voice to thousands. I stand before you with a simple, yet powerful message. Essure is dangerous and Essure does not belong on the market.
Essure is a form of birth control which is intended to be the non-surgical alternative to a tubal ligation. In April of 2013, Bayer announced the acquisition of a company called Conceptus. During the time they were in existence, Conceptus was never profitable. When Bayer acquired Conceptus, you also acquired Essure. Seven studies following less than six hundred women with Essure were published. The data from these studies was presented when Essure was approved for use in the United States. The same data is also used to support claims the device is safe and effective.
My story goes like this . . . A broken Essure coil pierced my fallopian tube, resulting in internal bleeding and hemorrhaging. Fortunately, while in the emergency room, the bleeding stopped but not before I lost a significant amount of blood and coming close to needing a blood transfusion. I could be dead; I should be dead. As terrified as I was and as frightening as my experience is, there are countless women with stories far worse than mine. For every story we do know, there are thousands more still unreported.
In 2011, a mom named Angie Firmalino, started a group called Essure Problems to warn her friends about the effects this device had on her body. I found the group in May of 2012 when there were only 30 members. Today, worldwide, we are more than 7,000 women strong, 10 times more than the size of your studies.
Gabriela Avina is a health care professional with a Master’s degree in Women’s Health Nursing. She was involved in the clinical trials professionally and became a clinical trial participant in October of 2000. In 2002, she presented to the United States Food and Drug Administration as a clinical trial patient. Gabriela went on to become a spokesperson for Essure, and she toured the United States promoting Essure. Little did she know, the device was slowly destroying her health.
Earlier this year, Gabriella made a second presentation to the United States Food and Drug Administration. During this presentation, she stated that she was wrong when she supported this device 12 years ago. In her own words, she said, “Lives of women have been changed by a device that was not adequately monitored during clinical trials, by physicians who were not adequately trained and by a company that has not adequately listened to their patients.”
So how safe and effective is your device? 3% of the ladies in our group is either currently pregnant or has been pregnant. 2% of the pregnancies ended in death of the child with 55% of our ladies suffering miscarriages. That is a big difference from your published success rate of 99%. The March of Dimes reports the expected rate for miscarriages is ten to fifteen percent.
We prepared a survey so we could collect more specific information from the ladies in our group. The responses support the urgent need to have this device immediately removed from the market. Almost 40% reported issues related to Essure almost immediately after placement with 32% reporting that their coils are no longer properly placed. After successful placement and confirmation of occlusion, the coils may move.
Ectopic pregnancy, which has an expected occurrence rate of 2%, occurred in 14% of our pregnancies. 48% indicated they have experienced three or more miscarriages. For a device that’s effective, 15% of the respondents reported they did not achieve successful tubal occlusion. That 85% failure rate is a significant difference from the success rate reported during the clinical trials.
Almost 1,000 women, over 16% of our membership, women as young as 22 years old, have had major surgeries, usually a hysterectomy to remove the coils. In many instances, one surgery isn’t enough to repair all the damage. Many have endured multiple surgical procedures costing significant amounts of money. These multiple surgeries are usually to find errant coils which have ended up outside the fallopian tube. Essure may be the non-surgical alternative to a tubal ligation, but it is NOT going to keep someone out of the operating room.
The “lucky” ladies have coils expel into their uterus. For some women, doctors have retrieved coils from the vicinity of their liver, kidney, chest cavity, abdominal cavity and the lining of their stomach. One woman had an Essure coil migrate into her colon. She was required to have a colon resection due to the buildup of scar tissue. Her intestines also fused to her rectum. Despite this, Essure continues to be labeled and marketed as a form of birth control that is SAFE.
For the 84% of our group who have not been able to get the coils removed due to a lack of financial resources or the inability to find a surgeon willing to remove them, they suffer from the same debilitating side effects which led the other ladies in our group to the operating room.
Many of these women can attribute their issues to an allergic reaction to nickel, and an Essure coil is over 50% nickel. Nickel is a common allergen and a contraindication was included when the device was first marketed. The contraindication was removed from the label in 2011. The CEO of Conceptus explained the purpose of the new label was to further strengthen our competitive advantage and leadership in the permanent birth control market. In the same press release, he states that Conceptus will be aggressively marketing this change to the members of the OB/GYN community who won’t use our product “primarily because of potential nickel allergy in patients.” The motivation for this change was not based on patient safety but on the manufacturer’s financial interest. They did such a great job with their aggressive marketing that 82% of the respondents to our survey were not asked about any metal sensitivities. And the change in label led some doctors to believe that nickel had been completely removed from the product.
Women suffering from an allergic reaction live with constant pain, irritation and inflammation.
Women without a nickel allergy are also suffering with similar intense side effects which rob us of our health and a quality of life. We suffer with severe pelvic plain, headaches, joint pain and deterioration, chronic inflammation, extreme fatigue, severe bloating, skin conditions, irregular bleeding and many other side efforts. The side effects of Essure affect everyone in a family, not just the patient. Children grow up with a mom who is not healthy — who can’t lift and hug her child. Couples are robbed of their ability to have an intimate relationship because the act of making love is far too painful. Women post messages in our group contemplating suicide because of the pain caused by Essure. They are just so sick that being dead just seems like a better alternative. All of this for birth control; just birth control.
I leave you with two final stories. The first is a baby named Julius. He was conceived because, as with so many, Essure failed. Julius’ mom went into premature labor when an Essure coil perforated her amniotic sack causing her water to break. Julius was born alive, and his under-developed lungs couldn’t sustain him. Julius died on the day he was born, an innocent victim of a device you continue to say is safe and effective.
We learned about the women in the last story when an adverse event report was filed with the "United States Food and Drug Administration". While we don’t know her name, we know she was someone’s wife, mother and daughter. She had Essure and went to the emergency room complaining of abdominal pain. An exam found that her reproductive system, specifically her cervix, fallopian tubes and uterus were necrotic. In layman’s term, her organs were dead. She went into renal failure and did not recover. Her cause of death is listed as necrosis and toxic shock syndrome. The question of what caused her organs to die resulting in her death can’t be answered based on a report; however, it’s a coincidence that can’t be ignored.
Julius and the women in report number are dead. Will you still say this device is safe and effective?
On behalf of the 7,000 women who trust me to be their voice, and the women we have yet to hear from, we ask you, pull Essure from the market. I thank you for the opportunity to speak before you. Please do the right thing. Remove Essure from the market.
A few years ago, I had a Bayer device implanted inside me. I chose this device, a birth control device, because it was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. This was device was also advertised as safe and effective. The biggest mistake of my life was choosing this device. It would change me, leaving me with permanent reminders of the day I almost died. The physical and emotional scars will never go away.
My name is Michelle Garcia and I live in Miami, Florida. I am an Essure victim, an Essure survivor and a voice to thousands. I stand before you with a simple, yet powerful message. Essure is dangerous and Essure does not belong on the market.
Essure is a form of birth control which is intended to be the non-surgical alternative to a tubal ligation. In April of 2013, Bayer announced the acquisition of a company called Conceptus. During the time they were in existence, Conceptus was never profitable. When Bayer acquired Conceptus, you also acquired Essure. Seven studies following less than six hundred women with Essure were published. The data from these studies was presented when Essure was approved for use in the United States. The same data is also used to support claims the device is safe and effective.
My story goes like this . . . A broken Essure coil pierced my fallopian tube, resulting in internal bleeding and hemorrhaging. Fortunately, while in the emergency room, the bleeding stopped but not before I lost a significant amount of blood and coming close to needing a blood transfusion. I could be dead; I should be dead. As terrified as I was and as frightening as my experience is, there are countless women with stories far worse than mine. For every story we do know, there are thousands more still unreported.
In 2011, a mom named Angie Firmalino, started a group called Essure Problems to warn her friends about the effects this device had on her body. I found the group in May of 2012 when there were only 30 members. Today, worldwide, we are more than 7,000 women strong, 10 times more than the size of your studies.
Gabriela Avina is a health care professional with a Master’s degree in Women’s Health Nursing. She was involved in the clinical trials professionally and became a clinical trial participant in October of 2000. In 2002, she presented to the United States Food and Drug Administration as a clinical trial patient. Gabriela went on to become a spokesperson for Essure, and she toured the United States promoting Essure. Little did she know, the device was slowly destroying her health.
Earlier this year, Gabriella made a second presentation to the United States Food and Drug Administration. During this presentation, she stated that she was wrong when she supported this device 12 years ago. In her own words, she said, “Lives of women have been changed by a device that was not adequately monitored during clinical trials, by physicians who were not adequately trained and by a company that has not adequately listened to their patients.”
So how safe and effective is your device? 3% of the ladies in our group is either currently pregnant or has been pregnant. 2% of the pregnancies ended in death of the child with 55% of our ladies suffering miscarriages. That is a big difference from your published success rate of 99%. The March of Dimes reports the expected rate for miscarriages is ten to fifteen percent.
We prepared a survey so we could collect more specific information from the ladies in our group. The responses support the urgent need to have this device immediately removed from the market. Almost 40% reported issues related to Essure almost immediately after placement with 32% reporting that their coils are no longer properly placed. After successful placement and confirmation of occlusion, the coils may move.
Ectopic pregnancy, which has an expected occurrence rate of 2%, occurred in 14% of our pregnancies. 48% indicated they have experienced three or more miscarriages. For a device that’s effective, 15% of the respondents reported they did not achieve successful tubal occlusion. That 85% failure rate is a significant difference from the success rate reported during the clinical trials.
Almost 1,000 women, over 16% of our membership, women as young as 22 years old, have had major surgeries, usually a hysterectomy to remove the coils. In many instances, one surgery isn’t enough to repair all the damage. Many have endured multiple surgical procedures costing significant amounts of money. These multiple surgeries are usually to find errant coils which have ended up outside the fallopian tube. Essure may be the non-surgical alternative to a tubal ligation, but it is NOT going to keep someone out of the operating room.
The “lucky” ladies have coils expel into their uterus. For some women, doctors have retrieved coils from the vicinity of their liver, kidney, chest cavity, abdominal cavity and the lining of their stomach. One woman had an Essure coil migrate into her colon. She was required to have a colon resection due to the buildup of scar tissue. Her intestines also fused to her rectum. Despite this, Essure continues to be labeled and marketed as a form of birth control that is SAFE.
For the 84% of our group who have not been able to get the coils removed due to a lack of financial resources or the inability to find a surgeon willing to remove them, they suffer from the same debilitating side effects which led the other ladies in our group to the operating room.
Many of these women can attribute their issues to an allergic reaction to nickel, and an Essure coil is over 50% nickel. Nickel is a common allergen and a contraindication was included when the device was first marketed. The contraindication was removed from the label in 2011. The CEO of Conceptus explained the purpose of the new label was to further strengthen our competitive advantage and leadership in the permanent birth control market. In the same press release, he states that Conceptus will be aggressively marketing this change to the members of the OB/GYN community who won’t use our product “primarily because of potential nickel allergy in patients.” The motivation for this change was not based on patient safety but on the manufacturer’s financial interest. They did such a great job with their aggressive marketing that 82% of the respondents to our survey were not asked about any metal sensitivities. And the change in label led some doctors to believe that nickel had been completely removed from the product.
Women suffering from an allergic reaction live with constant pain, irritation and inflammation.
Women without a nickel allergy are also suffering with similar intense side effects which rob us of our health and a quality of life. We suffer with severe pelvic plain, headaches, joint pain and deterioration, chronic inflammation, extreme fatigue, severe bloating, skin conditions, irregular bleeding and many other side efforts. The side effects of Essure affect everyone in a family, not just the patient. Children grow up with a mom who is not healthy — who can’t lift and hug her child. Couples are robbed of their ability to have an intimate relationship because the act of making love is far too painful. Women post messages in our group contemplating suicide because of the pain caused by Essure. They are just so sick that being dead just seems like a better alternative. All of this for birth control; just birth control.
I leave you with two final stories. The first is a baby named Julius. He was conceived because, as with so many, Essure failed. Julius’ mom went into premature labor when an Essure coil perforated her amniotic sack causing her water to break. Julius was born alive, and his under-developed lungs couldn’t sustain him. Julius died on the day he was born, an innocent victim of a device you continue to say is safe and effective.
We learned about the women in the last story when an adverse event report was filed with the "United States Food and Drug Administration". While we don’t know her name, we know she was someone’s wife, mother and daughter. She had Essure and went to the emergency room complaining of abdominal pain. An exam found that her reproductive system, specifically her cervix, fallopian tubes and uterus were necrotic. In layman’s term, her organs were dead. She went into renal failure and did not recover. Her cause of death is listed as necrosis and toxic shock syndrome. The question of what caused her organs to die resulting in her death can’t be answered based on a report; however, it’s a coincidence that can’t be ignored.
Julius and the women in report number are dead. Will you still say this device is safe and effective?
On behalf of the 7,000 women who trust me to be their voice, and the women we have yet to hear from, we ask you, pull Essure from the market. I thank you for the opportunity to speak before you. Please do the right thing. Remove Essure from the market.
Bayer's Love is Like Bad Medicine
Today was the big day; I read my speech at the Bayer Annual Stockholders meeting. And it was one heck of a day!
Many of you know me and how humble I am; you also know how fearless I am. I kid you not when I say I pale in comparison to some of the ladies I met today who are also Bayer Survivors. I can't seem to forget them.
The one who won't leave my thoughts is Felicity. At the age of 26, she was dead for 20 minutes because of a cardiac issue brought on by a Bayer product. As we were speaking, it was truly like looking into a mirror. Here is someone else, who like me, chose a product for only birth control, just birth control. She didn't buy a life time of health issues, or complications or even wake up one day saying I'm going to fight. She is just like me- right down to the fact she can look at a calendar and know that there is a day on that calendar that should be on her grave stone. She said it's changed me forever, and I can completely empathize with every word she said. She, like so many I met today, is one of us.
We aren't the victims anymore; we are the survivors; the thrivers and the fighters. We weren't born for this, but this became our reality.
As many of you know, two weeks ago, I learned I had to speak in German. Yes, two weeks ago. I came prepared to speak in English and German. I sat in the audience and watched at Bayer had their security staff escort a women from the room who wasn't able to give her remarks in German. I was stunned. I guess Bayer has not heard of the 'global economy.' Anyway, I openned my speech with a statement in English, and the rest was in German. I know they were not expecting a blonde from Miami with a Latin last name to speak German, but I did and I'll do it again.
Many of you know me and how humble I am; you also know how fearless I am. I kid you not when I say I pale in comparison to some of the ladies I met today who are also Bayer Survivors. I can't seem to forget them.
The one who won't leave my thoughts is Felicity. At the age of 26, she was dead for 20 minutes because of a cardiac issue brought on by a Bayer product. As we were speaking, it was truly like looking into a mirror. Here is someone else, who like me, chose a product for only birth control, just birth control. She didn't buy a life time of health issues, or complications or even wake up one day saying I'm going to fight. She is just like me- right down to the fact she can look at a calendar and know that there is a day on that calendar that should be on her grave stone. She said it's changed me forever, and I can completely empathize with every word she said. She, like so many I met today, is one of us.
We aren't the victims anymore; we are the survivors; the thrivers and the fighters. We weren't born for this, but this became our reality.
As many of you know, two weeks ago, I learned I had to speak in German. Yes, two weeks ago. I came prepared to speak in English and German. I sat in the audience and watched at Bayer had their security staff escort a women from the room who wasn't able to give her remarks in German. I was stunned. I guess Bayer has not heard of the 'global economy.' Anyway, I openned my speech with a statement in English, and the rest was in German. I know they were not expecting a blonde from Miami with a Latin last name to speak German, but I did and I'll do it again.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Bayer Made me a Globetrotting Superhero
Tomorrow is the big day. In less than 24 hours, the eyes of the world will be on me as I stand on the stage at the Bayer Annual Stockholders meeting and present to Dr. Marijn Dekkers, and the other members of the board at Bayer.
While I won’t be wearing a cape, I will have the arms of thousands of women embracing me as I give my presentation. I have made a point of doing all possible to keep myself relaxed today so that I am fresh and prepared for my presentation. I've been listening to the German recording over and over and I have also reviewed the speech in English. I've also have my questions prepared; however, me being honest, I don’t think they’ll allow me to ask any. I truly believe they will try to get me off the stage as quickly as possible because they don’t want me to ask the questions they don’t want to answer. The questions, by the way, will be asked in ENGLISH!
I can’t imagine that Bayer wants the world to know what I know, and I also can’t imagine they want me to say what I know out loud. I bet they have no idea how much I know, and that is okay with me as long as they assume I know everything and respect the knowledge they don’t know I have about everything.
As I’m sitting here typing this entry, I’ve learned that three separate newspapers (links below) will be publishing stories tomorrow about my speaking at the Bayer Stockholders meeting. Three?!?!!? Angela said our cause has become as big as beer, which is pretty big when you consider this is Germany.
http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/bayer-us-verhuetungsmittel-essure-soll-starke-nebenwirkungen-ausloesen-a-966124.html
http://www.ksta.de/wirtschaft/verhuetungsmittel-essure-in-den-usa-erin-brockovich-kaempft-gegen-bayer,15187248,26975216.html
http://www.fr-online.de/wirtschaft/verhuetungsmittel-erin-brockovich-gegen-bayer,1472780,26974740.html
Angela is sitting across from me and we’re watching the twitter feeds blow up in multiple languages. It’s just remarkable that a group of women is able to generate so much attention against a bad birth control device. Women and babies have died because of Essure; That is just WRONG.
Dear Bayer – accept that there is no way you can justify keeping this device on the market and instead of being defensive and posturing, work with us to do the right thing. You basically own the entire birth control market. Having one less product to sell can’t hurt that much? If you think it can, please take a look at my insides and tell me what’s really important? Your money or my health?
While I won’t be wearing a cape, I will have the arms of thousands of women embracing me as I give my presentation. I have made a point of doing all possible to keep myself relaxed today so that I am fresh and prepared for my presentation. I've been listening to the German recording over and over and I have also reviewed the speech in English. I've also have my questions prepared; however, me being honest, I don’t think they’ll allow me to ask any. I truly believe they will try to get me off the stage as quickly as possible because they don’t want me to ask the questions they don’t want to answer. The questions, by the way, will be asked in ENGLISH!
I can’t imagine that Bayer wants the world to know what I know, and I also can’t imagine they want me to say what I know out loud. I bet they have no idea how much I know, and that is okay with me as long as they assume I know everything and respect the knowledge they don’t know I have about everything.
As I’m sitting here typing this entry, I’ve learned that three separate newspapers (links below) will be publishing stories tomorrow about my speaking at the Bayer Stockholders meeting. Three?!?!!? Angela said our cause has become as big as beer, which is pretty big when you consider this is Germany.
http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/bayer-us-verhuetungsmittel-essure-soll-starke-nebenwirkungen-ausloesen-a-966124.html
http://www.ksta.de/wirtschaft/verhuetungsmittel-essure-in-den-usa-erin-brockovich-kaempft-gegen-bayer,15187248,26975216.html
http://www.fr-online.de/wirtschaft/verhuetungsmittel-erin-brockovich-gegen-bayer,1472780,26974740.html
Angela is sitting across from me and we’re watching the twitter feeds blow up in multiple languages. It’s just remarkable that a group of women is able to generate so much attention against a bad birth control device. Women and babies have died because of Essure; That is just WRONG.
Dear Bayer – accept that there is no way you can justify keeping this device on the market and instead of being defensive and posturing, work with us to do the right thing. You basically own the entire birth control market. Having one less product to sell can’t hurt that much? If you think it can, please take a look at my insides and tell me what’s really important? Your money or my health?
Sunday, April 27, 2014
When did I become a Globe Trotting Superhero?
If you would have told me two years ago that the week of my 43rd birthday would find me sitting in a hotel in Dusseldorf, Germany about to give a speech in front of stockholders of one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, I would have said you have me confused with someone else. The Michelle Garcia I used to be didn't have the confidence to stand in front of ten people, let alone tens of thousands of people and say my name.
Yet, here I am, in Germany, and I will be saying a lot more than just my name. I will be giving a speech in a building that holds over 20,000 people to the Board of Directors of Bayer and their stockholders and the media who have take a strong interest in the story of the thousands of women like me. As I type this entry, I am sitting in the lobby of the Hotel Intercontinental looking at a tree line canal. Did I mention that I’m in GERMANY?
Many of you might be asking, how did I get here? By plane… Seriously, it all started with a bad birth control device and anger, lots of anger.
Anger used in the wrong way is truly bad, however, when you take anger and channel it to make a difference, there is nothing that can stop you, or in my case, nothing that can stop me. I am the first to admit that I carry lots of anger toward Bayer and the FDA and instead of sitting around moaning and groaning, I chose to do something about it. The ladies on our Facebook support group know me as the fearless one. I simply say that when it comes to our fight, I’m afraid of nothing. That fear was put to the test a few weeks ago when we learned that speeches at the Bayer Stockholders meeting must be given in German. We have no idea where that requirement came from? Quite a few thought we were done. One who didn't is Angela Lynch-Desa. We both learned of the German language requirement at the same time, and yes, we both said THAT word, the one that rhymes with ‘fit.’ Okay, that’s a lie, we said the one that rhymes with ‘duck.’ I remember Angela’s exact words to me – “what are you going to do?” and I said let me think about it and don’t say anything to anyone till I figure this out.
Our friends at the Coalition Against Bayer Dangers quickly offered up a translator to give the speech for us in German. That just didn't feel right to me. I am sitting in Germany because thousands of women trusted me to be their voice. They gave monetary donations, sent me cards, gave me words of encouragement and most important, put their faith and trust in me. And I’m going to stand on a stage next to someone who doesn't know of the suffering caused by Bayer and let her speak. It just didn't seem right. I had an amazing speech that I had already written and had worked with my friend Tammy, who is a master speech writer to make even more amazing. I had spent weeks preparing with a woman named Ana, who is a master, and I do mean MASTER, at public speaking. Ana did so much more than prepare me for saying the words. She and I discussed everything from wardrobe, to shoes to lipstick and even the earrings I’ll be wearing. There is nothing more I could have done to make myself ready to speak.
I found both of these ladies thanks to the love and support of my dearest, dearest friend, Claudia, who is closer to me than most of my family. I’m sure than I’m going to get hell one of tongue lashing one of these days for not telling her how sick I was for so long. I offer a “peep” as penance. Or wine? Or both?
Anyway, all this love and support, and I’m going to just stand there? In the words of my 15 year old daughter, Rebekah, Ummmm No. It was more than just a no; it was an OH HELL NO. There was just no way speak in another language was going to stop me. Who cares if it’s German? German? Wait a second? GERMAN?!?!? One of the most difficult languages in the world where a ‘w’ is a ‘v’, the ‘v’ is an ‘f’ and ‘ie’ is an ‘eeee’ and ‘ei’ is an ‘iiiiii’ and forget about the sound of the ‘ch – think of clearing your throat with a “k” sound… Yeap, German….
The same night we found out about the language requirement, I found someone to translate the speech into German. I then went to work on finding someone to help me learn the speech in German. I first went to Angie’s list and found no one. Then, of all places, Craig’s list; that is where I found Monica. I refer to her as my German coach and she grew to become another cheerleader for our cause. We met every evening for the next two weeks getting me ready and even Easter Sunday was spent working on the speech. She jokes “I paid a lot” and she is worth every penny. I went from being afraid of words to pronouncing them like I had years of training – in only TWO weeks. My 15 year old didn't once complain about the amount of time I spent working on my speech in German, which made my less available to her. I did take a night off in between and I took Becky to a basketball game - round one of the Miami Heat v. Bobcats playoff game. Go HEAT!!!! Becky earned something big for being so understanding and she truly deserves so much for being the most amazing daughter a mom could ask for.
Anyway, Angela’s words when she learned of the plan – ‘I knew it. I know you and they were not going to shut you down.” Yes, I can and will give the speech in English and German.
So, back to how I got here – lots of love, support, hard work, and what counts most – people believing in me.
Dear Bayer – remember that email I sent to you in April of 2013, the one where I said “I’m clearly not going anywhere.” I guess I was wrong. I didn't go anywhere. I went somewhere – right to your front door.....
I guess you can’t ignore me now.
Yet, here I am, in Germany, and I will be saying a lot more than just my name. I will be giving a speech in a building that holds over 20,000 people to the Board of Directors of Bayer and their stockholders and the media who have take a strong interest in the story of the thousands of women like me. As I type this entry, I am sitting in the lobby of the Hotel Intercontinental looking at a tree line canal. Did I mention that I’m in GERMANY?
Many of you might be asking, how did I get here? By plane… Seriously, it all started with a bad birth control device and anger, lots of anger.
Anger used in the wrong way is truly bad, however, when you take anger and channel it to make a difference, there is nothing that can stop you, or in my case, nothing that can stop me. I am the first to admit that I carry lots of anger toward Bayer and the FDA and instead of sitting around moaning and groaning, I chose to do something about it. The ladies on our Facebook support group know me as the fearless one. I simply say that when it comes to our fight, I’m afraid of nothing. That fear was put to the test a few weeks ago when we learned that speeches at the Bayer Stockholders meeting must be given in German. We have no idea where that requirement came from? Quite a few thought we were done. One who didn't is Angela Lynch-Desa. We both learned of the German language requirement at the same time, and yes, we both said THAT word, the one that rhymes with ‘fit.’ Okay, that’s a lie, we said the one that rhymes with ‘duck.’ I remember Angela’s exact words to me – “what are you going to do?” and I said let me think about it and don’t say anything to anyone till I figure this out.
Our friends at the Coalition Against Bayer Dangers quickly offered up a translator to give the speech for us in German. That just didn't feel right to me. I am sitting in Germany because thousands of women trusted me to be their voice. They gave monetary donations, sent me cards, gave me words of encouragement and most important, put their faith and trust in me. And I’m going to stand on a stage next to someone who doesn't know of the suffering caused by Bayer and let her speak. It just didn't seem right. I had an amazing speech that I had already written and had worked with my friend Tammy, who is a master speech writer to make even more amazing. I had spent weeks preparing with a woman named Ana, who is a master, and I do mean MASTER, at public speaking. Ana did so much more than prepare me for saying the words. She and I discussed everything from wardrobe, to shoes to lipstick and even the earrings I’ll be wearing. There is nothing more I could have done to make myself ready to speak.
I found both of these ladies thanks to the love and support of my dearest, dearest friend, Claudia, who is closer to me than most of my family. I’m sure than I’m going to get hell one of tongue lashing one of these days for not telling her how sick I was for so long. I offer a “peep” as penance. Or wine? Or both?
Anyway, all this love and support, and I’m going to just stand there? In the words of my 15 year old daughter, Rebekah, Ummmm No. It was more than just a no; it was an OH HELL NO. There was just no way speak in another language was going to stop me. Who cares if it’s German? German? Wait a second? GERMAN?!?!? One of the most difficult languages in the world where a ‘w’ is a ‘v’, the ‘v’ is an ‘f’ and ‘ie’ is an ‘eeee’ and ‘ei’ is an ‘iiiiii’ and forget about the sound of the ‘ch – think of clearing your throat with a “k” sound… Yeap, German….
The same night we found out about the language requirement, I found someone to translate the speech into German. I then went to work on finding someone to help me learn the speech in German. I first went to Angie’s list and found no one. Then, of all places, Craig’s list; that is where I found Monica. I refer to her as my German coach and she grew to become another cheerleader for our cause. We met every evening for the next two weeks getting me ready and even Easter Sunday was spent working on the speech. She jokes “I paid a lot” and she is worth every penny. I went from being afraid of words to pronouncing them like I had years of training – in only TWO weeks. My 15 year old didn't once complain about the amount of time I spent working on my speech in German, which made my less available to her. I did take a night off in between and I took Becky to a basketball game - round one of the Miami Heat v. Bobcats playoff game. Go HEAT!!!! Becky earned something big for being so understanding and she truly deserves so much for being the most amazing daughter a mom could ask for.
Anyway, Angela’s words when she learned of the plan – ‘I knew it. I know you and they were not going to shut you down.” Yes, I can and will give the speech in English and German.
So, back to how I got here – lots of love, support, hard work, and what counts most – people believing in me.
Dear Bayer – remember that email I sent to you in April of 2013, the one where I said “I’m clearly not going anywhere.” I guess I was wrong. I didn't go anywhere. I went somewhere – right to your front door.....
I guess you can’t ignore me now.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Hi everyone and greetings from Chicago!
This is the last leg of our journey to Germany. The path to get us here has been incredibly emotional and there was even an attempt to thwart my efforts to Speak at the Bayer Stockholders meeting and that didn't work.
I have spent the last two week working with a wonderful women who taught me how to deliver my speech in German. So, Bayer may not have wanted to hear from me in one language, so instead they'll be hearing me in two. Before I learned of the necessity to deliver the speech in German, I had been working with an amazing women named Ana. She is more than just my public speaking coach; she is simply remarkable and made sure that I was prepared to give a speech that is heartfelt, sincere and powerful.
We wouldn't be on this journey if it wasn't for all the ladies who believe in us and trust us to be there voice. It very humbling to know that so many have such incredible faith in me. It's going to be quite a remarkable day and while only two of us will be on the stage, thousands of hands will be on my shoulder.
Hugs everyone!!!!
Ps - forgive the typos. This was posted from my iphone.
This is the last leg of our journey to Germany. The path to get us here has been incredibly emotional and there was even an attempt to thwart my efforts to Speak at the Bayer Stockholders meeting and that didn't work.
I have spent the last two week working with a wonderful women who taught me how to deliver my speech in German. So, Bayer may not have wanted to hear from me in one language, so instead they'll be hearing me in two. Before I learned of the necessity to deliver the speech in German, I had been working with an amazing women named Ana. She is more than just my public speaking coach; she is simply remarkable and made sure that I was prepared to give a speech that is heartfelt, sincere and powerful.
We wouldn't be on this journey if it wasn't for all the ladies who believe in us and trust us to be there voice. It very humbling to know that so many have such incredible faith in me. It's going to be quite a remarkable day and while only two of us will be on the stage, thousands of hands will be on my shoulder.
Hugs everyone!!!!
Ps - forgive the typos. This was posted from my iphone.
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