Overbilled for overflow of water; Residents stuck with hefty water billScoreless Eagle up for award at NIL Summit
Food drive for mental health awareness While someone may look healthy, they may be fighting a real inner battle.
FORT MYERS Overbilled for overflow of water; Residents stuck with hefty water bill The Moore’s make ends meet living at The Cove for almost a year.
ESTERO Scoreless Eagle up for award at NIL Summit FGCU’s Brandon Dwyer is one of the big time performers in NIL despite having never scored a single point in his entire Eagle career.
What happens after a nuisance alligator is captured? For alligators, the month of May means we are in the heart of mating season in the Sunshine State.
Exclusive: Interview with woman who shares hope of recovery on National Fentanyl Awareness Day Lee County Sheriff’s Office said that in 2020 they seized nearly two thousand grams of fentanyl. In 2023, that number jumped to over 8,000.
ESTERO FGCU star in the circle reflects on historical senior season The Eagles’ ace told WINK News she is focused on making every moment count before she hangs up her cleats for the last time.
NAPLES Pastrami Dan’s reopens in Naples after SUV crash Pastrami Dan’s in Naples welcomed customers once again, with people waiting at the door.
FGCU Two FGCU softball players playing for those who impacted their lives Two FGCU softball players, Riley Oakes and Olivia Black, are playing for friends who impacted their lives in a major way.
Police: Cape Coral man breaks into ex-girlfriend’s home, kills fish named ‘Bean’ A man has been arrested after police said he broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home, damaged her property and killed her pet fish.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers family blessed with new home In about sixty days, Myrtle Dillard’s home on Lincoln Boulevard went from being run-down and unlivable to brand new.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte woman’s student loans forgiveness after consolidation One Port Charlotte woman was skeptical of her student loan consolidation and potential forgiveness but an email over the weekend changed her life.
FORT MYERS Accusations of animal abuse at Lee County shelter An animal activist group said a local animal shelter is failing to find homes for stray pets, among other complaints.
PORT CHARLOTTE Court hearing held for Trails End Drive murder suspects Two suspects in the Trails End Drive murders were meant to appear in court on Tuesday.
IRVING, Texas (AP) Boy Scouts of America changing name to more inclusive Scouting America after years of woes The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested after police allege he threatened to stab 7-Eleven workers Police have arrested a man who threatened to stab two 7-Eleven gas station employees with a knife.
Food drive for mental health awareness While someone may look healthy, they may be fighting a real inner battle.
FORT MYERS Overbilled for overflow of water; Residents stuck with hefty water bill The Moore’s make ends meet living at The Cove for almost a year.
ESTERO Scoreless Eagle up for award at NIL Summit FGCU’s Brandon Dwyer is one of the big time performers in NIL despite having never scored a single point in his entire Eagle career.
What happens after a nuisance alligator is captured? For alligators, the month of May means we are in the heart of mating season in the Sunshine State.
Exclusive: Interview with woman who shares hope of recovery on National Fentanyl Awareness Day Lee County Sheriff’s Office said that in 2020 they seized nearly two thousand grams of fentanyl. In 2023, that number jumped to over 8,000.
ESTERO FGCU star in the circle reflects on historical senior season The Eagles’ ace told WINK News she is focused on making every moment count before she hangs up her cleats for the last time.
NAPLES Pastrami Dan’s reopens in Naples after SUV crash Pastrami Dan’s in Naples welcomed customers once again, with people waiting at the door.
FGCU Two FGCU softball players playing for those who impacted their lives Two FGCU softball players, Riley Oakes and Olivia Black, are playing for friends who impacted their lives in a major way.
Police: Cape Coral man breaks into ex-girlfriend’s home, kills fish named ‘Bean’ A man has been arrested after police said he broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home, damaged her property and killed her pet fish.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers family blessed with new home In about sixty days, Myrtle Dillard’s home on Lincoln Boulevard went from being run-down and unlivable to brand new.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte woman’s student loans forgiveness after consolidation One Port Charlotte woman was skeptical of her student loan consolidation and potential forgiveness but an email over the weekend changed her life.
FORT MYERS Accusations of animal abuse at Lee County shelter An animal activist group said a local animal shelter is failing to find homes for stray pets, among other complaints.
PORT CHARLOTTE Court hearing held for Trails End Drive murder suspects Two suspects in the Trails End Drive murders were meant to appear in court on Tuesday.
IRVING, Texas (AP) Boy Scouts of America changing name to more inclusive Scouting America after years of woes The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested after police allege he threatened to stab 7-Eleven workers Police have arrested a man who threatened to stab two 7-Eleven gas station employees with a knife.
Photo via CBS News Tens of thousands of women say they suffered painful and serious side-effects from Essure, a medical device meant as a permanent birth control option. The device is the subject of nearly 27,000 complaints to the FDA since its approval in 2002. Women reported excessive pain, severe allergic reactions and, in some cases, perforated organs. Essure is FDA approved, but the agency recently restricted sales of the device to physicians who provide their patients with a checklist outlining the risks, reports CBS News correspondent Anna Werner. The FDA also gave the device a mandatory black box warning in 2016. Bayer, the device’s manufacturer, admits there is no way to know who might develop problems. Women who have had problems told us the experience affected every aspect of their lives. “The whole process was a very, very, very dark time for me,” Amanda Rusmisell said. Even now, Rusmisell feels the pain from the choice she made 10 years ago. It started after Rusmisell and her husband decided two children were enough. Her doctor recommended Essure, a newer method of permanent birth control. “‘You can go back to work the next day, it’s not invasive, it will be no problem at all,'” Rusmisell said she was told. Essure is a medical device designed to prevent pregnancy permanently, without surgery. A doctor inserts two small flexible coils in a woman’s fallopian tubes where they’re supposed to build up scar tissue and block the tubes. Bayer said Essure has been used in over a million women worldwide and advertises it as “surgery free, hormone free and worry free.” “It was the worst… pain I’ve ever been through,” Rusmisell said. The pain continued, along with heavy periods so debilitating, she started to miss work. Her doctor told her it was likely just her age. Then when the symptoms persisted said she’d need a hysterectomy. She was 38. “I didn’t have support of anyone who was dealing with this same things as me. And so it was very hard, and it was very — I felt like my body was failing me,” Rusmisell said. It wasn’t until she found a Facebook group that she realized she wasn’t alone. Thousands of other women posted about problems they experienced including pain, severe bloating, rashes. Some posted images they say show the devices perforated a fallopian tube or their uterus. Bayer declined to do an on-camera interview, but Dr. Edio Zampaglione, Bayer’s vice president of U.S. medical affairs, told us in a phone interview: “We take all of this very seriously.” He said the company’s studies show the product has “low and acceptable rates” of adverse events. And he said, “We do not see anything that would indicate that the risks of Essure outweigh the benefits.” Illinois Dr. Brett Cassidy says at first he agreed, implanting Essure in 114 patients. But his opinion changed, he said, after a patient came back. “She was having brain fog… migraines, joint pain in her knees arms wrists,” Cassidy said. “Those seem like strange symptoms to even be linked with a device like this,” Werner said. “My exact thoughts,” he said. He eventually determined she needed a hysterectomy, which removed the Essure devices along with the uterus. “And what happened to her symptoms?” Werner asked. “Gone. Completely gone,” Cassidy said. “Within a week she was feeling 100 percent better.” That was three years ago. Since then, Cassidy said he’s done over 100 hysterectomies for women with similar problems. He’s since concluded Essure can cause reactions in some women. “The coils are made of nickel and polyester fibers. And when they’re placed in the tube, it creates an inflammation reaction… But this inflammation reaction continues in the body,” Cassidy said. “So you’re basically saying that these two tiny little coils can make your whole body go haywire,” Werner said. “Yeah, it’s hard to imagine or believe,” Cassidy said. Bayer said hysterectomy is not the only option for Essure removal. Their executive said the reason for the complaints is “hard to say.” He told us “a lot of those symptoms can be hormonally-related and common as women go through reproductive life.” But the explanations aren’t good enough for Rusmisell. “We still want this product off the market… Everything we’ve done is because we have banged on people’s doors and we don’t go away,” Rusmisell said. One way those women have had an impact is on Essure sales. The company confirmed to us that sales have dropped. We also spoke with a doctor who is a paid consultant for Bayer, Dr. Peter Rothschild. He told us he has implanted Essure devices in more than 1,100 patients with no reported problems. The FDA has ordered Bayer to conduct a post-market trial to compare Essure side effects with those of tubal ligation. The final report date is 2023.