If You Are Sick for No Reason It Could Be Your Implants - Melbourne, AU

The best way to start would be to say if you are thinking of getting Implants DON’T DO IT and if you have them and are thinking of explanting DO IT as soon as possible, I had no idea my implants had ruptured at all, but they had.

I had implants put in June 2006 and after quiet a bit of pain and struggle just to lie down, I loved them, I could finally wear those dresses that looked ridiculous on me before. I was a small B cup on my right side and an A on my left. I only wanted to go up to a full C cup on both sides but woke up with DDs, but I got used to them eventually, they were done very nicely and looked very natural, nobody except my husband and daughter knew I had them, people just thought I had put on weight and I didn’t correct them. I found ways around not being able to lie on my stomach, (a rolled up towel on the higher part of my chest lifted me enough so I could lie on my stomach) I could finally wear a bikini without a tee shirt over the top and strapless dresses appeared in my wardrobe.

There were some down sides, I used to like swimming but found it uncomfortable so stopped, I couldn’t bear hug anymore and I couldn’t weed the garden without them getting in the way and when it was hot in summer time the constant sweat under the crease gave me a rash and stained my tshirts, overall I was happily cruising along in life, I had just resigned from a job that was very stressful and bought my own mobile dog grooming business that I couldn’t wait to make my own and build up to be the only groomer people wanted for their best friend, then it all went horribly wrong.
It started with constant Diarrea and vomiting which lasted for months, I never knew which I would have when I woke up, I had a constant headache that never went away, it just changed in its severity, I couldnt eat properly without being sick, I lived on jellybeans for breakfast, home made beef jerkey strips for the rest of the day and Lemon Lime and Bitters was the only drink I could have, everything else either came up or went out the other way. I was constantly tired, I would work for a week and then spend the next 2 on the couch unable to move, hanging 1 wet towel on the line to dry put me to sleep for 3 hours with arms that were so tired I couldnt move them. With the lack of eating I lost 14kilos, no clothes fit and I could see all of my ribs and I had legs that looked like they belonged on a chicken.

During this time I had had all sorts of tests which came up all clear, then depression and anxiety kicked in and onto anti depression tablets I went, with the weight loss I found some lumps under my armpits, an Ultra sound and Mammogram showed both implants had ruptured and silicone had travelled into my lymph nodes in the arm pits, the Mammogram squished more silicone into my system and that was when it became noticeable to me as the breasts started to sag a little and I got very sick again. At this stage I changed GPs as the one I had seemed a little out of his depth, I couldnt find my original surgeon, my new GP gave me a referral to the lovely Dr Sugitha Seneviratne who was fantastic, She asked if I wanted replacements I said no and she never mentioned it again, she was helpful and answered every question I had, was never in a hurry and took time to look over everything properly, the surgery happened within 5 days of seeing her.

Unfortunately I had to be rushed back into surgery after a few hours as the right breast filled up with blood and swelled up like a watermelon, it looked very muticolored with bruising until yesterday. Luckily the capsules were taken out which was good because further testing found that both had silicone granules in them, I had drains for 4 days, they didnt hurt , not even when they came out, more annoying than anything, you have a tube on each side simliar to what you have in a fish tank filter and they are attached to a clear bottle on each side, the tubes are quiet long so you can sit on a couch and have the bottles on the floor, I carried mine around in a pillow case so I had 1 hand free, I found sleeping on the couch more comfortable as I could just put them on the floor, I had pain killers for the first few days but the pain was quiet good compared to when I got the implants, I was still taking painkillers as my headache was still around but it got worse after the operation so I think I was more concerned about that, it got worse before it got better, 2 and a half weeks after the surgery and I have had 2 and half days with out pain killers for the headache and I am starting to feel alot better, I have had comments on the color coming back into my face and my eyes looking brighter, I feel lighter and my shoulders seem to sit a bit higher but to be honest a I'm little sad to be giving away my dresses but then again I never ever want to be that sick again, unless its for medical reasons only.

We are not meant to have foreign things in our body and the last 12 to 14 months has shown me that. The best advice I could give anybody for after the surgery is to follow what the doctor tells you, no housework, no work, dont lift your arms above your head and dont lift anything heavier than a coffee cup, dont do anything that moves or puts pressure on the chest muscles, even get someone else to wash your hair if you can or if not wash it with your elbows close to your face, dont drive until you are cleared by the surgeon, you will feel better after a week or 2 but this doesnt mean the inside has healed, and just take it slowly, it gets frustrating especially if you are used to being active like I used to be but the rest and relaxation works. When I got the implants I didnt listen and was up as soon as I could be and regretted it, this time I have followed 100% of what the doctor has told me and things are going to plan, until today the left one has been bigger than the right one, but the right breast seems to be slowly getting there, I have more energy and even went for a walk down the beach yesterday, things are looking brighter and I plan to start the New Year with a whole, new, healthier body and outlook on life.
If any of the above has helped in any way I am glad, If you have any questions please ask and I will do my best to answer them.

So it has been 6 weeks and I am feeling great, I am eating most things, I no longer feel sick all the time, most of the symptoms from the last 12 months have gone away and I have energy back. My right breast still looks a bit sorry for itself but the left has bounced back and looks a little bigger than it was before the implants so fingers crossed it stays that way. looking at some other posts on this website tells me the right one still has a chance to get a bit fuller so toes are crossed for that one :-)
I have to say a big thank you to the wonderful women on this web site that have shared their stories, before I had the explant I was so worried about everything and reading the posts on here helped me to look forward and not backward, after the explant, when my breasts looked so deflated and more like a man without muscles chest, this site reminded me that it will take time to readjust and that my breasts will hopefully fluff up, which they seem to be doing at their own pace. I am liking my new/old body and have decided I will not regret getting the implants as I have learnt alot about myself this year but it would have been nice to have learned theses lessons in any other way,
We have big boobs shoved in our faces by the media all the time but if you think about it, do we really want the kind of people that are attracted to us by big breasts first and the rest of us second to be a part of our lives? I dont. I wish I had figured that out 6 and a half years ago! Good luck to those who are still waiting for surgery, you are doing the right thing and wont regret getting the ballons out at all, Onwards and upwards 2013 is going to be awesome :-)