POSTED UNDER En Bloc Capsulectomy Reviews
Don't Let Anyone Tell You Breast Implant Illness Isn't Real
ORIGINAL POST
Don't Let Anyone Tell You Breast Implant Illness Isn't Real
Curly13March 22, 2024
WORTH IT
Where do I begin? Twenty-one years ago I decided to get breast implants. I was always small-chested and said if I could ever afford it, I would buy myself breasts. I should have known from the beginning they were not right for me as my first set encapsulated within three months and I was in a lot of pain. I replaced them with a second set; they dropped and softened. I didn't have any issues for years. Then, nine years after getting the implants I developed MS. Was it tied to the implants? I'll never know, but I do believe they acted as a conduit to any autoimmune illness that may have been lurking in my body. However, I didn't want to make the connection and kept them in.
Fast forward to 2019 and I started having a myriad of symptoms: extreme fatigue, hair loss, cog fog, weight loss, crazy rashes from head to toe, anxiety, depression...the list goes on and on. I started researching what could be wrong with me and seeing so many doctors. Most of the doctors chalked it up to menopause and MS, as all the symptoms overlapped. By 2022 my symptoms were horrific. I barely had the energy to get out of bed each day. My hair was falling out. I had so much anxiety and depression. In October of 2023, I was reading Danica Patrick's story and I knew I wasn't imagining any of it. I joined a Facebook group about BII (Breast Implant Illness and Healing by Nicole). She provided recommendations for doctors, by state, who knew how to perform proper en bloc removals. That is how I found Dr. Dhaval Patel. When I say he gave me my life back, I am in no way exaggerating. I went on a consult and he could tell just by looking at me that I had breast implant illness. He wasn't dismissing it as menopause. I felt very comfortable with him and his credentials were impeccable. Those are things I look for, as well as bedside manner. I made a second consult visit and brought my husband along so he could meet him. After that appointment, my husband and I agreed he was the doctor to do the removal. I scheduled the procedure for January 2024, though I think he would have taken me sooner as my case was quite bad. However, I was not in the proper headspace yet. I needed to mentally prepare myself. I mean I've had these implants for 20 years. I went from barely an A cup to a large C/small D. That's a lot to wrap your head around!! I was very nervous and I had heard stories on another FB group I joined from women built like me who were left looking caved in and gutted after the removal. It was a lot!!
January came and there was no backing out. Dr. Patel said to me there's no guarantee your symptoms will alleviate. Some women do get relief, and some do not. I was willing to take the chance because I couldn't possibly feel any worse! I trusted him implicitly. The surgery went well. Now,10 weeks post-op, I can honestly say it was the best thing I could have done for my health! My fatigue is gone; my anxiety is gone, I have more energy than I ever thought I could have again. My joint pain is gone. My rashes are gone. I'm putting on weight again after three years of being between 91-94 lbs (normal weight is 105). To sum it up...I feel amazing!! Yes, my breasts are definitely smaller, but he did an amazing job and I can't even begin to tell you how good I feel.
Ladies, if you are struggling with the decision to explant...don't. Take your life back and get them out!! And more importantly, get them out with a surgeon who knows what he is doing!!! It's a big surgery and you need a surgeon who is very skilled in doing this. I have no regrets about using him. I consulted with three plastic surgeons and I went with Dr. Patel. He is double board-certified in surgery and plastic surgery and did his fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. Yes, credentials do matter!! I trusted him and he did the job right. I feel amazing and I will forever be grateful that he gave me my life back!! The heal is real!
Fast forward to 2019 and I started having a myriad of symptoms: extreme fatigue, hair loss, cog fog, weight loss, crazy rashes from head to toe, anxiety, depression...the list goes on and on. I started researching what could be wrong with me and seeing so many doctors. Most of the doctors chalked it up to menopause and MS, as all the symptoms overlapped. By 2022 my symptoms were horrific. I barely had the energy to get out of bed each day. My hair was falling out. I had so much anxiety and depression. In October of 2023, I was reading Danica Patrick's story and I knew I wasn't imagining any of it. I joined a Facebook group about BII (Breast Implant Illness and Healing by Nicole). She provided recommendations for doctors, by state, who knew how to perform proper en bloc removals. That is how I found Dr. Dhaval Patel. When I say he gave me my life back, I am in no way exaggerating. I went on a consult and he could tell just by looking at me that I had breast implant illness. He wasn't dismissing it as menopause. I felt very comfortable with him and his credentials were impeccable. Those are things I look for, as well as bedside manner. I made a second consult visit and brought my husband along so he could meet him. After that appointment, my husband and I agreed he was the doctor to do the removal. I scheduled the procedure for January 2024, though I think he would have taken me sooner as my case was quite bad. However, I was not in the proper headspace yet. I needed to mentally prepare myself. I mean I've had these implants for 20 years. I went from barely an A cup to a large C/small D. That's a lot to wrap your head around!! I was very nervous and I had heard stories on another FB group I joined from women built like me who were left looking caved in and gutted after the removal. It was a lot!!
January came and there was no backing out. Dr. Patel said to me there's no guarantee your symptoms will alleviate. Some women do get relief, and some do not. I was willing to take the chance because I couldn't possibly feel any worse! I trusted him implicitly. The surgery went well. Now,10 weeks post-op, I can honestly say it was the best thing I could have done for my health! My fatigue is gone; my anxiety is gone, I have more energy than I ever thought I could have again. My joint pain is gone. My rashes are gone. I'm putting on weight again after three years of being between 91-94 lbs (normal weight is 105). To sum it up...I feel amazing!! Yes, my breasts are definitely smaller, but he did an amazing job and I can't even begin to tell you how good I feel.
Ladies, if you are struggling with the decision to explant...don't. Take your life back and get them out!! And more importantly, get them out with a surgeon who knows what he is doing!!! It's a big surgery and you need a surgeon who is very skilled in doing this. I have no regrets about using him. I consulted with three plastic surgeons and I went with Dr. Patel. He is double board-certified in surgery and plastic surgery and did his fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. Yes, credentials do matter!! I trusted him and he did the job right. I feel amazing and I will forever be grateful that he gave me my life back!! The heal is real!
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