Breast Illness Happened to Me
“Breasticles, testicles, wallet and watch.” Wait, that’s not how it goes. But I just wanted to say “breasticles”. I also wanted to lead with humor because it’s just ME. And because today I’m going to talk about something that’s very personal and very important to me. Breast Implants and Breast Implant illness. I have breast implants, and later this week I am having them removed forrrrr–evvv–errrr (said like Squints Paladoris).
When I got breast implants 17 years ago, I did NOT believe breast implants could make a woman sick.
Before you read this, you MUST understand how emphatically I denied the existence of Breast Implant Illness! I assumed that only hypochondriacs “got it.” In fact, it wasn’t until eight months ago that I opened my mind to the idea that a mounting and gradual slew of unresolved health issues might have something to do with the silicone gel implants sitting in my chest.
Keeping You Abreast
I’m a very transparent person. Ask The Hubs. He likes to say that I can be with a person 10 minutes and they’ll know my entire life story. But this story is likely the most personal I’ve published to date. And not just because I’m posting a picture of myself in a bra! It’s private and confusing and scary to tell. It’s scary because it leaves me vulnerable to judgment. I’m not afraid of being judged for getting implants, but because there will be naysayers like I was, who won’t believe me. I don’t want to open a debate.
However, this is my story and I feel compelled to tell it. Because if you’re like me and have implants and unexplained ongoing health issues and have never connected the two, I’d like to save you some time and confusion. It took me 17 years, lots of money and frustration to connect the dots myself. And what good is my story if it can’t help someone else?
Could This Post Be For You?
If this sound like you or someone you know, keep reading. If you already have breast implants or are thinking about getting breast implants this might be for you. If you have implants and any health issues that can’t be diagnosed or maintained by medicine, please, read on.
*This is article is my personal story and is in no way intended to be taken as medical advice.
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About My Boobs
If you’ve followed me for any length of time on Instagram or Facebook, you may be already be acquainted with “The G-Sisters”, the human-head sized bosoms that I attempt to keep controlled and elevated in some modicum of comfort every day. Okay, they are closer to “H’s,” but they are getting ready for a name change. They are getting divorced if you will. Not from each other but from the dead weight that may have been slowly poisoning them and me for years. Since my breasts don’t have that Pamela Anderson tight, giant, boob-ball look, you may be surprised that The Sisters larger than life (or standard bra size) personality isn’t au natural. 😉
Seventeen years and 80 pounds ago I had breast augmentation. Though my entire body was MUCH smaller before breast implants, I was a full C-cup when I hoisted the pendulous girls up into a bra. I also had a significant amount of breast asymmetry and breast ptosis (sagging). The asymmetry was severe enough that when seeking consultations, separate surgeons agreed with the treatment plan to do the breast lift on only one side!
Hindsight is 20/20
In hindsight, I should have gone with my first thought, which was to just have a lift on both sides and called it done. But at that time, breast augmentation was becoming more and more prevalent and accessible, and I wanted fullness that I wasn’t going to get with only a lift.
Instead, I “super-sized” my order. Well, not really. They went to a respectable full D-cup. But now with the addition of added pounds and “heavy breast tissue”, my breasts are heavy, ugly and saggy like an old bosomy dowager. Not that I’ve seen any in person, I just watch too many British TV shows. 😉 You’ve heard of the “pencil test”? Well, I can hold a hairbrush under my boobs. And maybe the entire contents of a cute clutch too.
I had honestly NEVER wanted large breasts. Large breasts that sag and create that “butt crack” cleavage aren’t slimming or youthful to my eye. But I did want fuller, lifted boobs, so I opted for a one-sided Mastopexy and Silicone Gel Breast Implants.
January 11, 2001, was the day I had my first breast augmentation with silicone breast implants along with a breast lift. Followed by an implant replacement in June of the same year. And subsequent surgeries in the several years that followed for scar revision for keloid scarring (you could see the scars through my clothes) and yet another, more extensive lift on (not so) Little Miss Long-boob. Though not everyone has this experience, understand that if someone has breast implants, it is not a one and done procedure.
Breast Implant Illness? Nope! I Don’t Believe it.
I am NOT an impulsive person. I think most decisions around in circles. Before getting breast implants, I had done the research and knew that there were women claiming that silicone implants had made them sick. In fact, at that time, silicone breast implants could only be obtained if you met requirements to have them placed as part of a *study. To qualify, you must have needed to have either a mastopexy or breast reconstruction.
* Note: While symptoms of BII may not be noticed for many years, the study only followed silicone breast implant recipients for five years.
You see, silicone implants had been pulled from the market in the early 90’s because of lawsuits involving these sick women. But I still wanted them! I “needed” them! At least I thought so at the time. In all honesty, I thought these women must have been hypochondriacs. Also, for every bit of evidence you uncover that points to breast implants leading to sickness, there’s a doctor, the FDA, or breast implant manufacturer saying that breast implants are perfectly safe.
Missing the Signs of Breast Implant Illness
I was so sure that breast implant illness was at the very most, “rare”, that for 17 years it never even occurred to me that the myriad of symptoms I had been dealing with had anything to do with the implants in my chest. This is where breast implant illness gets confusing. Any number of factors could have caused my symptoms. But the thing was, there were never any lasting cures or reasons for my symptoms. Most of the time there wasn’t even a diagnosis.
I had actually given a little thought that maybe my implants were causing my weight gain. When ALL attempts to lose it failed, I Googled: Weight Gain + Breast Implants. At that time, I couldn’t find any link to corroborate my suspicions other than the few that talked about weight gain shortly after surgery. And that could have likely been due to fluid retention or something. I chalked it up to hormones, age, stress or just not working on it hard enough and in time, decided to try and make peace with my fuller figure. The positive that came from this was of course that dimples on my WHAT? was created!
Hair and Nose and Boobs, oh my!
I had started the consultation process to explant about a year and a half ago for purely aesthetic reasons. Have YOU ever tried to shop for a comfortable bra in a G or H cup? Ugh! However, I hated the surgeon I consulted with and not long after that we purchased My Cedar Palace to demo and renovate, so the boobs just got stuffed back into an industrial strength bra and I’ve been dealing with it. Then, about eight months ago I started having some weird issues with my hair and nose. I know. They don’t necessarily go together, or so I thought.
Bad Hair YEAR?
My hair had developed some sort of waxy buildup that no amount of treatment would remove. I had my (treated) water tested for hardness twice, and my hair was still hard to comb through when wet and stiff and unmanageable when styled. Even my stylists were baffled. It has gotten a bit better with the more frequent use of my RX shampoo that I have used for seborrheic dermatitis since I was in my teens. But it’s not the silken hair I was accustomed to having.
“It wasn’t a pick!”
My nose felt like it had a buildup too. It was kind of like scabby, bloody boogers 24/7. Sexy, right? It was uncomfortable, and of course one can’t go around picking their nose all the time. Nobody wants to be THAT kid in the class. Homeopathic remedies failed to help. A $700 ENT consult (gulp) and so-called “procedure” (the tiny scope he looked down my nose with.) solved absolutely nothing, and I was deemed an “unusual case” and sent on my way to “try” Himalayan salt therapy. Thanks for nothing! I’ve continued to wake either during the night or in the morning with a massive headache and congestion more days than not and keep tissues at the ready. Nobody wants to be caught in “a pick.” Am I right? 😉
When All Else Fails – Google!
It’s NOT always a good idea to START with Google in regards to medical issues. It will likely lead you to sleepless nights and a premature funeral plan. 😉 But in this case, modern and holistic medicine and professional hair treatments were failing me, and I had to become my own forensic investigator. I won’t bore you with all those details, but here I’ve outlined the highlights of my search.
As you can see, I’m stretching a tiny bit for the cause of my nose issues. I couldn’t find specific information linking either condition to the nasal lining. However, I don’t think I’m reaching to think that a condition the causes dry eyes and mouth might not affect the nose as well. That being said, the closest common denominator in the separate searches for the individual problems was Silicone Breast Implants.
I Could See the Matrix
I might be on to something. I was hoping it wasn’t right. I was hoping it was. Because I wanted, no, needed answers. It was not just because I was having a bad hair YEAR. And not just because I had become the gross, nose-picker in class. But because deep down I felt something just wasn’t right with me.
I continued searching: Silicone Breast Implant + Illness. Breast Implant Dangers. Side Effects of Breast Implants. Breast Implant Illness Symptoms. BOOM!
source: see for an exhaustive list of BII symptoms
There it was! Right there in black and white – literally!
Like in the movie The Matrix, I could finally see it. The puzzle of unresolved health issues that I would have never connected to breast implants suddenly came together. Brain fog. Memory Loss. Hysterectomy. Low No Libido. Major weight gain. Night sweats. Day sweats. Hormone Imbalance. HRT resistance. Exercise-induced hives. Insomnia. Joint pain. These were just a few (yep, a few) of the symptoms that were flying around in my head and attaching themselves to that “thing” I didn’t believe existed!
Breast Implant Illness.
Breast Implant Illness: noun, It’s a “Thing”.
The thing I didn’t think was a “thing”? The “thing” that I thought was only for hypochondriacs and attention seekers? Yeah, that! It might be a “thing”! And, it might be MY thing!
It turns out that this “thing”, breast implant illness, is too widespread not to have validity. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not only caused when a breast implant ruptures. And it’s not exclusive to silicone implants. Whether a woman has silicone or saline implants, the shell is made up of the same chemicals. YES, chemicals. And over time that begins to leach out into our systems causing a host of issues. Some women are sicker than others. And others don’t seem to get sick at all. But at the very least, implants must put a strain on our inflammatory response system.
Pillow: Magnolia Home | Bralette: Torrid | Leggings: Zella, Plus
Next Steps
Explant
Now it makes total sense to me to get these implants out! When we place a foreign object into our body made of chemicals and toxic metals, our body begins to protect itself by growing a capsule of scar tissue around the implant. In an in-depth news report that looks at breast implants and their effect on health (see the video here), a doctor who studies breast implants and the capsules say, “The capsule is always changing, for the worse.” I had never really thought about it. I imagined they sat static and benign within my body.
I have found a highly recommended surgeon, Dr. Brian Lee, to remove the implants appropriately and healthily. Though many, many doctors in the medical community don’t believe breast implant illness exists, Dr. Lee, thinks it does. At my first consultation, I nearly cried, but smiled instead, when he told me that he had so many women who come in with a similar story of having been tested for things like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, adrenal dysfunction, and thyroid issues. When the tests come back normal, they are sent on their way either feeling crazy or being diagnosed as crazy. He was telling me MY story. Except for the crazy part, which I already knew 😉 and the adrenal fatigue – mine was positive.
Proper Removal
There is a “right” way to remove the implant. The implant and the capsule formed around it should be taken out in tack. It’s called En Bloc. There can be fluids, toxins, fungus, mold and the like between the capsule and the implant and you don’t want that unleashed back into the chest cavity. I will be having my implants removed and not replaced at the end of this week.
Moving Forward
In a day or so I will walk into a surgery center with The G-Sisters and after the 4-hour surgery to remove these toxic bags from my chest and raise The Girls up above National Geographic levels of droop, and I’ll walk (or wheel) out with a literal weight off my chest. I will also be carrying a renewed hope that my body can be restored to a state of health. I’m not sure I can remember what that’s like. It’s not like I got implants and got sick the next day, or even the next week or month. I would have noticed that!
Dr. Lee also suggested that I be tested for MTHFR mutations. It’s a long explanation, but in short, I have a body a diminished ability to detox because I don’t have all the tools I need to make it happen efficiently. I have already started working on detoxing my body of the toxins and inflammation built up over the years through some dietary changes and immune support supplementation. So stay tuned for updates on my recovery, and detox. And of course, I’ll be learning to embrace the new shape of my body, AGAIN!
HOPE!
I am part of a private Facebook group call Breast Implant Illness and Healing started by Nicole Daruda of healingbreastimplantillness.com. It includes over 30,000 women and counting who share personal stories of breast implant illness and awareness. Many wake from surgery with immediate relief of a majority of symptoms. They use the catchphrase, “The Heal is Real”.
I imagine that like me, they go into surgery hoping they will feel better, but with at least a tiny bit of skepticism. But we HOPE!
I believe God has answered my prayers for answers. HOPE! I’m praying He will use my journey to help someone else see the matrix that might connect their unresolved health issues to their implants. HOPE!
If you have breast implants or know someone who does, I highly recommend checking out Nicole’s website and go from there.
Other articles of interest can be found at the bottom of this post.
Follow it. Pin it.
I have also created a Pinterest board where I will be collecting and pinning information about breast implant illness and healing. I will include lots of firsthand, personal accounts from women who have decided to embrace their natural bodies in order get their health back. You can follow that board here
Lastly, please keep me in your prayers. Surgery is always scary and I believe there is power in your prayers for a safe and speedy recovery. And if you want to throw “pain-free” in there too, I won’t be mad. 😉 HOPE!
Peace out from me. And one last time from the G-Sisters!
In this case, sharing REALLY is caring. You never know who will see this story and unlock their own healing journey! Pin it
I made it!
Come on over and find out how I’m doing six-months later. Hint… It’s good.
Three years later and I’ve found FREEDOM!
This is my personal story and experience. The information in this article is not meant to be taken as medical advice.
Other Articles on Breast Implant Illness to Resource
All About the PIP Implant Scandal
MD Anderson Implant Study Disputed
BII and 6 Other Breast Implant Dangers
Paula,
First of all. I will be praying for you and with you before the Throne. Thank you for writing this too , as I know it must have been difficult. I have heard of this before. There is anothger blogger who has already had the surgery probably about 2 years ago and she writes about it as well and tries to educate women on this issue. Her story is A LOT like yours. Her name is Tammy Trayer of Trayer Wilderness. May the Almighty bless and keep you during this time in your life.
Prayers for a successful removal and quick healing time. Thanks for being so transparent with your story.
Author
Thanks Ronna, I really appreciate it.
I need your help please, I am sick very sick. Many things are happening one is we have a surgery for ny other half to remove his stomach due to cancer gene cdh1 with that my teeth well whats left the bottoms are falling apart they need takin out the doctor said and dentures. I want to be better I want to find away to get the implant out of me. Please help me find a way. I have to…
Author
Hi Crystal,
I’m so sorry to hear you are so sick and feel so desperate. I will definitely be in prayer for you and your partner and your health issues as prayer is always my first line of defense.
I don’t know of any public or private funds for helping someone get their implants out, although and Go Fund Me account may be a place to start.
I would also suggest joining the facebook group Breast Implant Illness and Healing by Nicole (if you haven’t already). You can pose your questions and dilemma to the group and since there are over 50,000 members of the group and someone may know of funding that I haven’t heard of.
I hope this is of some help to you and that someone else in the group might be able to get you to a fund or a doctor who might be able to provide assistance.
Hugs and Prayers,
Paula
Praying God’s peace for your mind and healing for your body!! Thanks for sharing and giving hope in your stories!
Your story stirs up lots of emotion for me. Being born into a family where the women, grandmother, aunts, and cousins, have all been blessed with a very busty figure, it would have to be me that got left (WAY) out. I’ve spent my whole teenage and adult lifetime battling the feeling that I am an inferior female because of my breast size. All the insults, teasing and downright mean remarks have taken there toll, even today, at 52, I carry that wish that I could get the pitiful little things made “right”! Reading your story makes me cry, for you, for me, for all of us who carry the struggles that come with wanting to be beautiful and the price we’re willing to pay to get there. My words aren’t coming out quite the way I’d like, but, you have given me a lot to think about. I will be praying for you, your surgery, your health and well being, which is far more important than ample boobs. May your surgery and recovery be smooth, as pain free as possible, and bring you the physical and emotional relief you need. I know it won’t be easy, but God’s got your back and you’re going to do great!
The link for prepare for explant surgery looks like it links to porn. FYI
Author
Oh no, thank you for bringing that to my attention Heather. I’ll check it out.
Prayers for an amazingly fast recovering and renewed health! Thank you for sharing your story!
We can make hats out of your old bras after this 😉 All joking aside, I pray the surgery goes better than well and you begin to get relief from all the ailments!
Author
I wish I could have easily found that photo of you and Rachel with my bra on your heads to put in the post.
Love ya,
Paula
What about breast reconstruction after a hysterectomy? Do they use implants and if so, what is an alternative?
You will definitely be in my prayers…
Thank you for sharing your story. While I didn’t have breast implants, I did have “diseased tissue” in both breasts and had to have a significant amount of tissue removed from both. It is scary but I promise you’ll come through it. Follow the doctor’s orders and pay attention to your body.
xoxo
Thanks for posting this Paula…I will be thinking about you! You know I’ve been thinking about removing mine as well so you’ve given me something to think about! XOXO
Prayers going upwards for you!
Absolutely wonderful!! I am so happy for you (and me!) to have found a support network that provides the necessary tools to survive the matrix. Congratulations dear one, and continued success in recovering you and sharing your story in support of sisters far and wide. I delight in your descriptive tales, especially the nose gunk . . . I had figured that was an allergic reaction. Onward and upward; hope to see you on the other side soon! XOX Diana
I’m praying for you Paula💗🙏🏼
Praying that the Lord will guide the doctor in your care and grants you a complete healing.
This seems to be so common now. I just read about another gal who had all sorts of issues and then had her implants removed. They are a foreign object in one’s body and is clearly not safe..
Praying for you!!!
I don’t have implants but found this so interesting to read. I had to laugh because you describing your G sisters is what I’m carrying around right now but an H.(I’ve always been large there but I gained some weight in the past several years and my girls are hoarding all the fat.) So glad that you decided to do this and are educating others on the REAL possibility of this illness. Prayers being sent your way.
Praying for you! And so are many, many more women!!!
I love how u use humore to soften the “cup” of truth so that any judgment gets “nip”ped in the bud. LauriePOP
Paula, thank you for sharing your story. It is women like you who help make the journey a little bit easier for others. I am of the same mindset…that I cannot let my struggle be in vain…I need to share my story and provide a rough road map for others who may be traveling a similar road. I am so glad that you finally have identified the issue and are taking the necessary steps to rectify it and get back to healthy! You will be in my thoughts and prayers…wishing you a speedy recovery. I love the way you always inject your sense of humor into serious topics, too. Because if we can’t laugh at the worst of situations, we really have nothing left, in my opinion! I have literally laughed through all the tragedies in my life! By the way, I have a nice giant weighty breast size of H’s as well…without implants…and Prima Donna bras have really saved my life and my wardrobe! They are pricey but the are so pretty and so supportive and I can’t really wear any other brand these days. Just sharing that information with you because I have wasted years, actual years, and a whole ton of money, trying to find the right bra!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Author
Thanks for your words of encouragement Shelbee! I’m doing much better and am walking around now with D\DD’s – so DeeDee’s! 😉 Much more manageable but scarred and I have taken to calling them Franken-boobs. I was nearly an H and I will tell you that for a really good bralette for The GaH sisters, Torrid is my go-to place.
XO,
Paula
Paula,
Wow! I had never heard of this disease before and you did a wonderful thing about sharing your journey with other women. Your openness about having to go through all of your searching for the problems you were having to only find the answers on Google!
I hope your surgery goes well my friend and I shall be praying for a speedy recovery so that I can see you here and other places we dwell together.
Hugs,
Robin
https://helloim50ish.com/
I feel like the more we share, and listen to each other, the better everyone can be. And your story is incredible. If it’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, listening to my patients, it’s that our bodies are incredible machines. And no amount of studies or doctors know everything!!
Here’s to fast healing, and the knowledge that your story has helped many other women!
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
You and I have already discussed this my friend & it is definitely something to think about. I’m glad that you came through the surgery okay and are now up and about. Kudos to you for sharing this because it’s so important (in my opinion) that no matter what the struggle is we need to know that we aren’t alone.
Debbie
http://www.fashionfairydust.com
Paula, honey, so shocked. Never knew you have been going through this. Since we moved home to Texas, we have lost the close contact our families used to have. Years later, myself being an author of a book about a horrible childhood, and us so busy with our lives, it just doesn’t seem real something like this happening to you. I am so sorry your mom went through all her medical problems as well. I knew about that, just never knew about you. Honey, my heart is heavy ready your blog, but so proud you have come to the place of sharing to help others. Paula, I can say I am proud of you, and God bless you. We love you honey.
You are very brave and courageous and I will be praying for you
Paula, you are an amazingly strong person and to share this story with the world is very brave. We will keep you in our prayers for a speedy and pain free recovery. God Bless you.
Hi! Thank you for sharing your story. As I’m researching more and more all this fear of sounding crazy about my hair, and everything being dry, and itching and the blood test for lupus I was just ordered from my GP are all falling into place. I would really appreciate the information for Dr. Lee!
Author
Hi Alysia,
I’ve included Dr. Lee’s info. Depending on where you’re located, there are many other approved doctors across the country as well. You can find them listed by state here: http://healingbreastimplantillness.com/explant-surgeons/
Hope that helps you out. It’s very frustrating coming to this realization. But yay! You are seeing it now and can be proactive about taking charge of your health. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help you in your decision or just processing it all.
Dr. Brian Lee
Aspire Plastic Surgery
7735 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
XO,
Paula
Curious to know how surgery went and if your symptoms were relieved? Thanks for sharing❤️
Author
Hi Debbie!
Thanks for asking. I’m doing okay. I’ve had a few bumps in my recovery but all in all I’m very happy with my decision. I will be workng on a follow-up post shortly. But for now the short version is that intially most of my big symptoms were gone. But as is common some came back. The detox process is a journey and they say it takes approx. a month per year you’ve had implants to fully detox. I had mine for 17 years. However, I’m super happy to report that the “bloody boogers” were eliminated within the first week after surgery and have not returned. Doing a happy dance over that for sure.
XO
Paula
Hi Paula. Glad your nose is back to normal. Glad to hear you are no longer a G/H too.
HI Paula, will you be posting a follow up to this? Id love to read how you are doing as im in the process of figuring out if this is happening to me.
Author
Hi Emily!
Yes, I was just thinking about that last night as I’m approach 6 months post op. I need to get going on that.
Paula,
My story is similar to yours and I had my breast implants removed nearly 6 yrs. ago. Unfortunately, I did not detoxify before or after and still have serious hormonal issues, thyroid and adrenal issues to date. It has been a roller-coaster ride from h…! I had saline implants for 12 yrs. and had nothing but problems from the get go. Capsular Contracture, then hashimotos 2 yrs in, adrenal fatigue, shingles outbreaks almost monthly and a host of other symptoms related to my breast implants I’m sure. I still suffer from thyroid and hormonal issues but am so glad that I had them removed. I had a wonderful Dr. from Orlando, FL (Dr. Scott Rotatori) that removed my implants En Bloc and did a breast lift. Best thing I ever did!
I hope everything went well with your surgery!
Author
Hello Vicki! I finally got around to posting an update to my explant. It was just published. I have to agree with 100%, it’s already the best decision I’ve made this year.
Hugs,
Paula
Thanks for giving the information to us.
Its so great to hear you’re story! It all sounds so familiar! I can totally relate to it almost word for word. I curse have an appointment to start the process for removal. I’m nervous but excited to feel better. The weight gain, bloating and brain fog has me at a major dead end. Thanks again for the words of hope!
I am concerned that I may be experiencing breast implant illness (BII). I had a breast augmentation and lift done at the same time, and everything was perfect in the beginning. Recently, for the past year I would say, I have developed an allergy to ice cream (my favorite) and I have developed severe post nasal drip, that has caused an upper respiratory infection. Prior to my implants, I didn’t have any allergies and I experienced zero post nasal drip. I’m freaking out because getting my implants removed is not an option at the moment. I feel like I may have made the worst mistake of my life, especially because I received so many compliments on my breast prior to surgery.
Author
I’m sorry to hear this Syd. First, don’t freak out. Stress adds to inflammation and essentially your implants (especially the capsules around them) are big balls of chronic inflammation and you don’t need to add to that.
The surgeon that removed mine suggested a genetic test to see if I had a “broken” MTHFR” gene. He says that most women with this genetic abnormality tend to have BII more than those that don’t. He says that we can help ourselves by knowing this and making dietary changes to help our bodies.
So my suggestion to you is to first, join the Breast Implant Illness and Healing by Nicole FB group as a way to stay informed.
2nd, until you are in a position to have an explant, do research on the MTHFR gene mutation and do everything you can to reduce inflammation. Here’s an article that talks about it in relation to weight loss but it’s very good and talks about it in terms we can understand.
https://instantloss.com/lets-talk-mthfr/
3rd, maybe get allergy testing. I used to be allergic to nothing but this year I had allergy testing again and find I’m allergic to everything! It’s a pain, but your allergies may not be related to your implants.
Best wishes and prayers in your journey Syd. I hope I’ve helped you, even in a small way.
Paula,
Thank you for sharing your story. I’m in the process of having my implants removed.
I got implants in 1994 when I was 24. It’s a long story but basically I never went through puberty, I was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure at 17. My body looked like a little kids. My mom and sister has big boobs and I just wanted to feel feminine, I asked my plastic surgeon for a “C” cup, he told me he will give me what he feels is appropriate for my body, I woke up from surgery a”D” cup.
Fast forward 27 years later and after developing many autoimmune disorders (Sjogren’s, hashimotos, almost 100 pound weight gain, peripheral neuropathy pain on the tops of my feet and numbness on the bottoms, narcolepsy, anxiety, joint pain and I’m sure I’m forgetting some other issues). No one in my family has any autoimmune disorders because I’ve got them all. My mom sent me an article on Breast Implant Illness and said she thought this is what I have. I got referred to an awesome plastic surgeon and am on my way to having these babies removed.
Knowledge is power and I give you ladies so much credit for putting your personal stories out there. Thank you!!!
Author
You’ve been through the ringer Holly. Although it’s not easy, I pray that, over time, explanting leads you to great healing. Some of my symptoms were gone when I woke up from surgery and others have taken a long time to dissipate. Give yourself time and grace in this process. My greatest healing has been mental and emotional. My breasts aren’t perfect but there’s so much freedom that comes from accepting this body. May it be the same for YOU!
Blessings,
Paula