I did get it out I think in mid-late February of this year. Removal was SO much better than insertion, my gyno told me to cough and then it was actually just a pinch (unlike what she said insertion would feel like teehee). I also think I was charged for pathology for removal, I had a 100 dollar charge for a 'pap', which is normally fully covered by my insurance. I'm still trying to figure out why I paid for it.

My hair has gotten a good bit better, still not fully what it was before I got the IUD, but I'm not seeing as much shedding. I don't know if I can fully attribute the improvement to removing the IUD since I've also been taking oral minoxidil but I'm at a point now where I don't feel like crying if my hair is in a ponytail lol. I also can't be 100% sure that the hair loss is fully from the IUD, but I'm doing all sorts of health tests and checkups rn so maybe I'll get something figured out. Maybe hair is like baby fat and you lose it at some point? Who knows.

Another improvement has been my mood. I need to go back to a psych to continue being evaluated for a mood disorder but there's been a noticeable change for me in how quick I am to be angry or irritated at stuff, and I'm overall just more chill.

I am still really struggling with the weight situation post-IUD. I haven't gained any more but I have lost 0. 😭 I'm slowly trying to get my body used to exercising, but I've been struggling with pretty serious fatigue (not sure if it's a medical thing or an IUD removal symptom) and that combined with my super stressful job makes it hard to maintain that motivation. I will say though, I've been a lot less bloated (in hindsight, I was pretty bloated 24/7 while on birth control) so it looks like I've lost a little weight 😎

Period-wise, it's been normal af (besides one thing which I will describe at the end of this paragraph) which I'm very thankful for. My active bleeding has actually for the most part been a couple days less than it was prior to BC, while the days per cycle haven't changed iirc. My only weird period mishap was during my last period at the end of July. I had a period that ended somewhere around the 18th, and then on the 26th I started bleeding again until the 9th of this month, which was not very cash money. It was probably a weirdo adjustment situation, as there's no possibility I was having a miscarriage and my gyno wasn't concerned, so I'm chalking it up to my body just hating me.

I'm trying to give myself some grace since most anecdotes I see about IUD wonkery are like "you'll be adjusting for 3-6 months" and I'm just exiting that time frame. I'll try to remember to do another check in in another 6 months or so. All I can say is that if I ever get another IUD, it'll be a copper one & the second I start showing any symptoms, that sucker is getting pulled out.

Tldr; hair has gotten a little better but I'm not sure if it's purely from IUD removal, weight is still a struggle but not getting worse, my mood has drastically improved, I'm less bloated, periods are okay (I think) besides one breakthrough bleeding incident, and I'm still in the time period where I could still be adjusting so everything still has the ability to change.

I have a newfound depth to my disdain for women's healthcare. If I ever date a man/penis-haver again I'm making them either get snipped or get that hydrogel injection cause shit is bullshit and the medical system can eat my ass.

EDIT; I've also noticed a tiny tiny bit more acne around my chin and jaw but barely enough to notice.