POSTED UNDER Breast Implant Removal REVIEWS
Explant/capsulectomy 20 y/o Saline implants
ORIGINAL POST
Hello! I'm a little nervous about sharing my...
WORTH IT$5,000
Hello! I'm a little nervous about sharing my experience online, but I have been so encouraged by the other reviews I have read on this site that I feel I must do so to help others along in their journey. In less than a month I will be explanting my 20 y/o (wow!) submuscular, saline implants. I am choosing to explant due to the fact that I have been experiencing health issues for approximately 5 years and have been diagnosed with undifferentiated connective tissue disease, which is non-specific autoimmune disease. My surgeon will remove the implants and perform a complete capsulectomy. My insurance company declined coverage of the surgery, so unfortunately I will be paying for the procedure out of pocket.
I chose to have augmentation at the age of 25 because of a pretty significant asymmetry. One breast was a full cup size larger than the other. This bothered me at the time because I was a lifeguard in high school and college and spent a lot of time in a bathing suit. I thought that everyone was looking at what I considered to be my deformity. I swore that once I landed my first decent paying job I would buy matching breasts. The surgeon who performed my augmentation suggested that I increase my then A and B cups to a full C with two different sized implants. Initially I was happy with the result, other than the fact that I lost sensitivity in my left breast. However, after having a child and gaining weight over the years my breasts have grown to double D's. I am now very embarrassed by these foreign objects in my body and I am looking forward to regaining my health and returning to a smaller size. I am also looking forward to being able to sleep in any position I want, being able to run without painful bouncing, not feeling like kettle bells are sitting on my chest, not having to go up a size in clothing to accommodate my breasts, not looking like Jayne Mansfield in a bathing suit, ...and the list goes on! I am nervous about the surgery, but I feel that I am in the best hands with my surgeon, Dr. Chang at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
I chose to have augmentation at the age of 25 because of a pretty significant asymmetry. One breast was a full cup size larger than the other. This bothered me at the time because I was a lifeguard in high school and college and spent a lot of time in a bathing suit. I thought that everyone was looking at what I considered to be my deformity. I swore that once I landed my first decent paying job I would buy matching breasts. The surgeon who performed my augmentation suggested that I increase my then A and B cups to a full C with two different sized implants. Initially I was happy with the result, other than the fact that I lost sensitivity in my left breast. However, after having a child and gaining weight over the years my breasts have grown to double D's. I am now very embarrassed by these foreign objects in my body and I am looking forward to regaining my health and returning to a smaller size. I am also looking forward to being able to sleep in any position I want, being able to run without painful bouncing, not feeling like kettle bells are sitting on my chest, not having to go up a size in clothing to accommodate my breasts, not looking like Jayne Mansfield in a bathing suit, ...and the list goes on! I am nervous about the surgery, but I feel that I am in the best hands with my surgeon, Dr. Chang at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
KeepOnGrowing's provider
UPDATED FROM KeepOnGrowing
10 days pre
Scary health issues
I have about a week and a half to go before my surgery. I wanted to share some of the symptoms I have been experiencing. Over the years I have suffered with periods of crushing fatigue, hair loss, shortness of breath, costochondritis, numbness and tingling in my hands and feet, brain fog, memory & concentration problems, new food intolerances, irregular or absent periods, exercise intolerance, blurry vision that comes & goes, dry eyes & eye twitching, swollen lymph nodes in my armpits, malar rash, a blistering skin condition, positive ANA & SSA/Ro, anxiety, very low vitamin D, and osteopenia. I am so terrified of my declining health that I worry about not being around to see my daughter grow to adulthood. I am hoping that women who are considering getting implants will stumble across some of these explant stories and learn about the truth about breast implant illness. It is real.
Replies (3)
June 23, 2017
Hi KeepOn! I tried to post a comment to you last week, but my computer hit some sort of glitch once I had it all typed in and I couldn't post. I had a LOT of the same conditions you have mentioned in your post above, and I wanted to share with you the changes in those conditions since explanting - and hopefully turn your nervousness about the surgery into absolute enthusiasm. It's a little lengthy, so I cannot address them right now, but will do after work tonight. But I do want to tell you about the pain following explant. Everyone is different, but mostly I think you might initially be sore, and probably frustrated trying to get into a comfortable position for sleeping at night. By sore, I mean "sore," and not the excruciating kind of pain following breast augmentation (that's what I experienced and was not prepared for from the augmentation surgery). I'm not trying to downplay the significance of the surgery you are about to have. It is invasive and you will need to take time to rest and recuperate, but the pain level is nothing like the intensity of the augmentation (I mean not even close in my experience, anyway). If you haven't checked it out already, go review Meecro's reviews/posts. She recently had hers removed, and I think it will put your mind at better ease if you review her posts. This is an incredible community, and a tremendous source for information and support. I'll check back in tonight and post a comment to you about the post-explant changes I've experienced in the issues we have/had in common. Hang in there. Stay strong. I think the thought of the upcoming surgery and recuperation is scarier in our minds than the reality turns out to be.
June 24, 2017
Hi Keepon! I'm back and, as promised, am posting the health issues that I have had in common with those you have listed above, and changes I have personally experienced since explant. We all heal at our own pace, but I thought it might be helpful and give you some peace of mind if I shared my experiences with you.
1. Crushing Fatigue. I described this as nightmarish fatigue. It did not matter how much or how little sleep I got. I felt the same. I'd fight every morning to "wake up." I always felt like I was trying to fight from coming out from under anesthesia in the mornings. I would drag through my days, putting on a brave face, while every cell in my body wanted me to do nothing but collapse. I simply cannot accurately describe how horrid the exhaustion was, and unless someone has personally experienced it they could never understand. So, since explant it is GONE, GONE, GONE. This happened right away (within a day or two), though I didn't expect it to happen (if it were going to) for probably months. It was a pleasant surprise. I now awake in the morning refreshed from a good night's sleep. I get through my days without aching for a nap. At bedtime, I feel sleepy - not overwhelmingly exhausted. It is so wonderful to simply feel tired when it is time to sleep. It is a whole new world when your whole body does not feel like a dead weight. Energy and enthusiasm for the day ahead are so priceless.
2. Hair Loss. My hair fell out by the handfuls on a daily basis. If I had not started with an excessively thick head of hair, I am quite sure I would have been bald by the time of my explant (or would have had large bald spots). Also, my leg and arm hair had stopped growing. Armpit hair still grew, but at a very slow pace. On the plus side I didn't have to shave my legs, or wax my lip hair. They simply didn't exist. Within a few days of the explant, my hair stopped falling out by the handfuls. At about 3 weeks post-explant, my arm and leg hair began growing. I now have to shave them about twice a week, and am now shaving my armpits on a daily basis. Yesterday I noticed that my receding hair line is filling in nicely (its been 8 weeks today since my explant surgery).
3. Shortness of Breath. I had an immediate resolution to this issue. I mean I noticed the difference before I even made it home from the surgery (and that was with the tightly bound ace bandage wrapped around my chest). Also, I had developed a problem with my ribs constantly popping out of place. I was constantly nervous about my movements because it was such a painful experience and long recuperation every time it happened, and I always felt like I was on the cusp on popping a rib out. Not only has that not happened one single time since explant, but I have never felt I was even close to having a rib pop out since explant. I never had connected that issue with the implants.
4. Numbness and Tingling In Hands and Feet. I experienced immediate and complete resolution. I've not experienced it since explant.
5. Brain Fog. Totally gone. I didn't pay attention to the date it happened. I think I was too busy marveling at my body's ability to heal itself once those toxic bags were gone, and all the wonderful changes I was experiencing. I noticed, though, that I had not experienced brain fog when I was about a week in.
6. Memory and Concentration Problems. Ditto to what I wrote about Brain Fog.
7. New Food Intolerances. I swear the variety of foods I could tolerate was dwindling down to almost nothing, and I was eating just the same few foods every day. In fact, when I went out to eat with colleagues, they would make comments or would announce what I would order before we even gave our food orders. I don't know when I began tolerating more foods post-explant, because I was nervous to try, but eventually did. I started with what I thought would be easy foods and eventually even tried dairy (successfully), but am still avoiding gluten and corn like the plague.
8. Exercise Intolerance. Before augmentation, I worked out religiously. After a few years, workouts and even simple exercises like walking were too much for me. Even when I really pushed, I experienced no benefit, and would have to spend the next day trying to recuperate from having exercised. Now, my body literally craves exercise. I walk. I hike. I ride my bicycle. I workout. At the end of each workout or exercise, I feel energized, and I look forward to the next day's workout or exercise.
9. Vision and Eye Problems. My vision and eye problems were so bad that I went to an eye doctor thinking that I would leave with a prescription for glasses at a minimum. He conducted a very comprehensive series of tests on my eyes, but found nothing to be wrong. I did not need even reading glasses, but the pain and dryness persisted. This resolved immediately after explant surgery. I have not experienced any eye pain, any blurriness, pressure, or dryness.
10. Swollen Lymph Nodes in Armpits. This is really rotten, isn't it? And painful even with the slightest arm movements. My lymph nodes were constantly being overtaxed and swelling, and I was constantly getting sick. I wouldn't just get a little sick if I picked up a bug. I could never shake anything off on my own. My immune system was too weak or too overworked to deal with anything extra, so I was constantly finding myself on antibiotics (which I am loathe to do) to fight strep throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc. Since explant, I've had one episode of lymph node swelling, but it was along my jawline and resolved within one day. Also, I picked up a bug from my granddaughter when she was pretty ill (germs from daycare), and I ended up feeling run down for one day and that was it. No doctor's visit. No antibiotics. My body successfully fought off the bug on its own.
11. Blistering Skin Condition. I don't know if I had the same issue to which you are referring, but I constantly had sores on my skin with no apparent cause and for no apparent reason. They were always very slow to heal. Since explant, I have had no skin issues.
12. Positive ANA. My doctor had me cut out gluten which helped the issue, but did not fully resolve. I have not yet been retested post-explant, but will share my results with you once I have it done. I had planned to do already, but my schedule hasn't permitted. I should be able to next week.
13. Anxiety. I cannot tell you how bad it was, or how often I went without sleep because I was so anxious and my heart was pounding so hard and/or I was experiencing palpations to the point that falling asleep was impossible despite my level of exhaustion. It's gone. Totally gone. I had one bout a few days after explant and that was it - nothing since.
14. Low Vitamin D. My doctor was alarmed at my results, even though I was supplementing to the tune of 4,000 i.u.'s per day. This is another thing I need to retest next week, and will share results with you when I have received them.
This is not a full and complete list of the ailments from which I was suffering. it is only a list of the things we've had in common based on your posting above. I feel so incredible now. I feel years younger, and people who do not even know that I've had explant surgery keep commenting on how good/healthy I look, and have been asking what I've been doing. My skin looks so much better. I've regained my sense of smell. I've stopped snoring. My libido has returned with a vengeance (poor hubby). My neck, back and shoulder pain and constant burning immediately resolved following explant. I could go on and on and on. There were issues I was certain were related to the implants, but I've been amazed at the number of improvements I've had with things that I had never connected to the implants. I had mine for 17 years. I expected some improvement to my health, but anticipated a long road to recovery. I would not say that I am 100% there, but the difference in how I feel today compared with how I felt before explant is night and day. I am so happy, and feel so good. I feel like I have a new lease on life. You keep hanging in there. You are less than a week away from being free of the explants. Just wait! You're going to love how your breasts feel without the implants. And your going to get a spring back in your step. You're going to be amazed at the body's ability to heal itself, and the positive changes that are headed your way. Just put your head back. Close your eyes, and focus on the improvements to your health and overall well-being instead of the drains that you will have for only a few days, or the temporary soreness that will come with the recuperation period. You've got this! And you've got a lot of support here.
1. Crushing Fatigue. I described this as nightmarish fatigue. It did not matter how much or how little sleep I got. I felt the same. I'd fight every morning to "wake up." I always felt like I was trying to fight from coming out from under anesthesia in the mornings. I would drag through my days, putting on a brave face, while every cell in my body wanted me to do nothing but collapse. I simply cannot accurately describe how horrid the exhaustion was, and unless someone has personally experienced it they could never understand. So, since explant it is GONE, GONE, GONE. This happened right away (within a day or two), though I didn't expect it to happen (if it were going to) for probably months. It was a pleasant surprise. I now awake in the morning refreshed from a good night's sleep. I get through my days without aching for a nap. At bedtime, I feel sleepy - not overwhelmingly exhausted. It is so wonderful to simply feel tired when it is time to sleep. It is a whole new world when your whole body does not feel like a dead weight. Energy and enthusiasm for the day ahead are so priceless.
2. Hair Loss. My hair fell out by the handfuls on a daily basis. If I had not started with an excessively thick head of hair, I am quite sure I would have been bald by the time of my explant (or would have had large bald spots). Also, my leg and arm hair had stopped growing. Armpit hair still grew, but at a very slow pace. On the plus side I didn't have to shave my legs, or wax my lip hair. They simply didn't exist. Within a few days of the explant, my hair stopped falling out by the handfuls. At about 3 weeks post-explant, my arm and leg hair began growing. I now have to shave them about twice a week, and am now shaving my armpits on a daily basis. Yesterday I noticed that my receding hair line is filling in nicely (its been 8 weeks today since my explant surgery).
3. Shortness of Breath. I had an immediate resolution to this issue. I mean I noticed the difference before I even made it home from the surgery (and that was with the tightly bound ace bandage wrapped around my chest). Also, I had developed a problem with my ribs constantly popping out of place. I was constantly nervous about my movements because it was such a painful experience and long recuperation every time it happened, and I always felt like I was on the cusp on popping a rib out. Not only has that not happened one single time since explant, but I have never felt I was even close to having a rib pop out since explant. I never had connected that issue with the implants.
4. Numbness and Tingling In Hands and Feet. I experienced immediate and complete resolution. I've not experienced it since explant.
5. Brain Fog. Totally gone. I didn't pay attention to the date it happened. I think I was too busy marveling at my body's ability to heal itself once those toxic bags were gone, and all the wonderful changes I was experiencing. I noticed, though, that I had not experienced brain fog when I was about a week in.
6. Memory and Concentration Problems. Ditto to what I wrote about Brain Fog.
7. New Food Intolerances. I swear the variety of foods I could tolerate was dwindling down to almost nothing, and I was eating just the same few foods every day. In fact, when I went out to eat with colleagues, they would make comments or would announce what I would order before we even gave our food orders. I don't know when I began tolerating more foods post-explant, because I was nervous to try, but eventually did. I started with what I thought would be easy foods and eventually even tried dairy (successfully), but am still avoiding gluten and corn like the plague.
8. Exercise Intolerance. Before augmentation, I worked out religiously. After a few years, workouts and even simple exercises like walking were too much for me. Even when I really pushed, I experienced no benefit, and would have to spend the next day trying to recuperate from having exercised. Now, my body literally craves exercise. I walk. I hike. I ride my bicycle. I workout. At the end of each workout or exercise, I feel energized, and I look forward to the next day's workout or exercise.
9. Vision and Eye Problems. My vision and eye problems were so bad that I went to an eye doctor thinking that I would leave with a prescription for glasses at a minimum. He conducted a very comprehensive series of tests on my eyes, but found nothing to be wrong. I did not need even reading glasses, but the pain and dryness persisted. This resolved immediately after explant surgery. I have not experienced any eye pain, any blurriness, pressure, or dryness.
10. Swollen Lymph Nodes in Armpits. This is really rotten, isn't it? And painful even with the slightest arm movements. My lymph nodes were constantly being overtaxed and swelling, and I was constantly getting sick. I wouldn't just get a little sick if I picked up a bug. I could never shake anything off on my own. My immune system was too weak or too overworked to deal with anything extra, so I was constantly finding myself on antibiotics (which I am loathe to do) to fight strep throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc. Since explant, I've had one episode of lymph node swelling, but it was along my jawline and resolved within one day. Also, I picked up a bug from my granddaughter when she was pretty ill (germs from daycare), and I ended up feeling run down for one day and that was it. No doctor's visit. No antibiotics. My body successfully fought off the bug on its own.
11. Blistering Skin Condition. I don't know if I had the same issue to which you are referring, but I constantly had sores on my skin with no apparent cause and for no apparent reason. They were always very slow to heal. Since explant, I have had no skin issues.
12. Positive ANA. My doctor had me cut out gluten which helped the issue, but did not fully resolve. I have not yet been retested post-explant, but will share my results with you once I have it done. I had planned to do already, but my schedule hasn't permitted. I should be able to next week.
13. Anxiety. I cannot tell you how bad it was, or how often I went without sleep because I was so anxious and my heart was pounding so hard and/or I was experiencing palpations to the point that falling asleep was impossible despite my level of exhaustion. It's gone. Totally gone. I had one bout a few days after explant and that was it - nothing since.
14. Low Vitamin D. My doctor was alarmed at my results, even though I was supplementing to the tune of 4,000 i.u.'s per day. This is another thing I need to retest next week, and will share results with you when I have received them.
This is not a full and complete list of the ailments from which I was suffering. it is only a list of the things we've had in common based on your posting above. I feel so incredible now. I feel years younger, and people who do not even know that I've had explant surgery keep commenting on how good/healthy I look, and have been asking what I've been doing. My skin looks so much better. I've regained my sense of smell. I've stopped snoring. My libido has returned with a vengeance (poor hubby). My neck, back and shoulder pain and constant burning immediately resolved following explant. I could go on and on and on. There were issues I was certain were related to the implants, but I've been amazed at the number of improvements I've had with things that I had never connected to the implants. I had mine for 17 years. I expected some improvement to my health, but anticipated a long road to recovery. I would not say that I am 100% there, but the difference in how I feel today compared with how I felt before explant is night and day. I am so happy, and feel so good. I feel like I have a new lease on life. You keep hanging in there. You are less than a week away from being free of the explants. Just wait! You're going to love how your breasts feel without the implants. And your going to get a spring back in your step. You're going to be amazed at the body's ability to heal itself, and the positive changes that are headed your way. Just put your head back. Close your eyes, and focus on the improvements to your health and overall well-being instead of the drains that you will have for only a few days, or the temporary soreness that will come with the recuperation period. You've got this! And you've got a lot of support here.
June 24, 2017
Hi! I can't thank you enough for your encouraging words. I'm sorry that you too experienced scary and debilitating symptoms, but it's comforting to know that I'm not alone, and I'm not crazy! Hearing that your wellness & well being improved so quickly after explant makes me feel so much better about going through all of this. As you suggested, I'm trying to focus on how great I will feel in a few weeks. Just to see an improvement in my energy level alone would be worth it. I am thankful I found this site and connected with the brave women who have gone before me on this journey. I would be a lot more nervous going into this without their support and feedback! Thanks again!
UPDATED FROM KeepOnGrowing
9 days pre
Pre-op appointment
I had my pre-op appointment on June 9th with Dr. Chang. He said the procedure should take about an hour and I will wear drains for approximately a week. I purchased a surgical bra at shop near Dr. Chang's office within the hospital. It has detachable pockets designed to hold the drains. Once the drains are removed I can remove the pockets and just wear the surgical bra. They kept it there at the hospital and said I would wake up from surgery wearing the bra. Dr. Chang does a lot of reconstructive breast surgery which is one of the reasons I chose him. Everyone has been very kind and helpful thus far. Dr. Chang thinks I will end up a cup to a cup and a half smaller than my current size, which sounds great to me. As you can see in my pre op photo, I have some natural breast tissue on top of my implants which seem to be "botttoming out" below the muscle. They are so uncomfortable. Ready to get this show on the road!
Replies (6)
June 23, 2017
I am scheduled fir July 31st and cant wait! ... a little scared though
Keep me posted!
Keep me posted!
June 24, 2017
We are explanting just 2 days apart! I will follow your progress. Best of luck!
June 30, 2017
I see you wrote July 31st. Hang in there! Your surgery day will be here before you know it!
June 24, 2017
I have only had implants for 4 years. I am planning on getting them out. I am 59. I have had issues with them since I got them. I don't want more surgeries and can't afford to keep fixing problems. I was a C before implants and lift. I have been told by two doctors I will be a small B after removal and lift. I always thought I would be a c even after I had implants out. Scary to not know what I will look like. I am conflicted, but felel I will get rid of my neck and shoulder issues with these weights off my chest.
June 24, 2017
I am 50. Not 59. Lol. 5 ft 120 lbs with 300 textured subfascial implants. If Dr said you will be a large B or small C I don't think I would be worrying about it. Ugh
June 24, 2017
Hi! Thankfully, there are plenty of reviews on this site to help you make your decision. I am not worried about what they will look like after, only that my health will (hopefully) improve. Good luck!
Replies (8)