Ruptured Implant Removal After 15 Years with Medical Complications. Yeah! - Fort Mill, SC

Hi ladies, once again I'm sorry to hear of so many women experiencing breast plant illness. There are a lot of us and we're not alone. Done with my research and am now focusing on recovery. I'm happy now that I'm feeling so much better having them out of me. I'm dreaming of possibilities for my future instead of the nightmare of feeling hopeless with pain and thoughts of dying. For me the worst of illnesses over the past 5 years was my depression. The day after they were removed I could already feel a huge weight had lifted from my chest and shoulders. I know I was on pain meds but it felt awesome not having headaches anymore. I could write much more about my horrible experience but I'd much rather focus on the bright future I now feel ahead of me. Not to forget but to move forward. I do feel anger that there is no warning about breast plant illness when we get them. All the years of suffering and not knowing. It's not right! Show them the money!

Moving forward. I joined a couple of breast implant illness groups on Facebook. I've never been one to be on the computer much nor paid much attention to on-line social groups. Yet here I am. My favorite sites are Pinterest and Etsy. Before my illnesses started to take over my life and I lived in California, I abandoned a business of Decorative Painting and as the Event Coordinator and Teacher at Michaels craft store. Prior to that I worked 15 years at California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita as the Student Loan Coordinator before taking on the position as Vice President for Administration for a collection agency specializing in student loans. Didn't like that industry. I have had a successful career.

Moving forward, here I am living with my new husband of 5 years in South Carolina near Charlotte. My first husband passed away at a young age about 15 years ago. My 3 boys are now men and I love my life being a homemaker and wife. It's a little like retirement. I do miss working. My health has held me back. My husband has been wonderfully supportive and his love holds it all together. I've been wanting to do something again with my decorative painting and crafts. I have a beautiful art and craft room with a conference table set up. My husband had suggested offering classes for children from home here. Working with children is rewarding but at my age now it's a little more than I'd like to take on. My thoughts are to start out with Etsy and work forward from there. My business name in California was A Dynamic Dimension. I was thinking about resuming here with the dba name of Dynamic Dimension or maybe ChristinaDreams. That's where my mindset is now. What do you girls think?

Thought I would just share some thoughts and look forward to my life without breast implant illness. I still have some physical symptoms although not near as bad as they were. This rash I developed on my left shoulder since surgery has been irritating. It seems to be healing but taking awhile. I've been able to soak in a bath of Epson Salt, Apple Cider Vinegar and Lavender. I remember reading this somewhere. It is better. My brain fog has lifted and appears like I'm better able to focus on matters. Getting my house cleaned up has been uplifting. I don't spend much time walking into rooms and then forgetting why I went there in the first place. I spend less time watching TV and am more productive. I look forward to life and am dreaming of a better future without so much illness that no doctor could diagnose and no traditional medical treatment was helping.

I plan to be proactive in putting breast implant illness awareness out there. I don't have a picture yet. I am in love with my natural breast. I'm no longer ashamed thanks to all the brave women I've met through on-line social media. One month ago I thought I would skip Christmas decorating. I believe and am now getting into the spirit. Looking forward to celebrating with friends and family. My heart and prayers reach out to all the women in this community! May the spirit of the Christmas season be with you in Jesus Christ our savior. God bless and heal us all. I love you!

I just had mine removed 3 weeks ago and couldn't be more happier. I too was never really uncomfortable having them and always self conscious. I hated having them touched by my husband. I had silicone implants about 15 years ago and they had both ruptured and didn't even realize it. I had been having medical issues for a long time and never associated with the implants until my illnesses became extremely unbearable. I have been seeing numerous doctors for the last couple of years and had gone to emergency 3 times. They were treating me for high blood pressure, anxiety and depression but nothing was helping. It was my cardiologist during a cat scan that brought my attention to the implants being ruptured and probably for years.  My chest felt like it was on fire and every part of my body was feeling the pain from head to toe. My cardiologist made the appointment to consult with a plastic surgeon which turned out to be horrible. He refused to support the possibility that my implants had anything to do with my health. He didn't even want to take the time to look at the copy of my cat scan. All he wanted to talk about was appearances and sell me on new implants. I had already talked with my insurance provider and the indicated they would cover the cost of explant due to medical complications. The plastic surgeon wanted no part of an insurance claim and said he would do the surgery for a fee. He gave me a quote for $4,250.00 and the available dates. It wouldn't be for another month or so. I was in tears. I went home and looked up the plastic surgeons that were under my insurance plan. A couple of plastic surgeons would not even take an appointment under an insurance claim. Then I found one that would but his next available appointment wouldn't be for another week. By this time my pain was so extreme I was sobbing feeling hopeless.  My primary care doctor contacted the plastic surgeon for me and speeded up the process putting me on pain medication during the interim. A week later I was in surgery having my toxic breast implants removed. The waiting period was horrible. I counted down the days wondering if I was going to make it. I was required to pay his fees upfront in the amount of $2,800.00 and have to file my own insurance claim but he will support the claim for me along with my primary care doctor and cardiologist. I was at the point I didn't care and would pay whatever it cost to have them removed. It's been a long uphill battle finding our what has been wrong with me. I am feeling so much better now and have recovered nicely from surgery. It's kind of like recovering from the initial surgery of having them in except for having tubes draining fluids from the capsule area. They were really uncomfortable. Thank goodness for pain meds. My blood pressure is down dramatically and I'm on the lowest dose possible right now. It's amazing how much pain can cause your blood pressure to sky rocket. It's only been 3 weeks since explant and I'm amazed at how much better I feel. The plastic surgeon is treating me only for the surgery portion of my recovery. I had my post op appointment with my primary care doctor a few days ago.  I still have minor symptoms of fibromyalgia which she is treating with Tramadol right now. Having the implants removed was the first step towards getting better. I no longer have the extreme burning sensations. I was treated with antibiotics of course and did develop a yeast infection that was treated. I did break out with a rash on my back that was really itchy similar to poison ivy that I guess was from the toxins escaping from my pores. Beginning to heal now. My doctor wants me to wait a month before I begin any type of detox cleanse. I can hardly wait to soak in a tub with Epson salt to clean out my pores. I never realized how much my implants contributed to my bad health. It wasn't until my cardiologist pointed it out that I started my own research and am so thankful for reading all the brave stories of so many women with the same issues and grateful for all the support of this group. It was all these stories that got me through the waiting period and gave me hope and confidence. I love my breasts just the way they are now and am feeling wonderful again about myself. I don't have pictures to post yet but I will. The implants were awful looking and the silicone that had leaked out was yucky. Thank you all so much!