43 and Want to Be Free - Palo Alto, CA

Hi ladies. I've spent the last 6 months pouring over all your stories. I got implants a little over a year ago and have hated them ever since. I have an appointment to remove them in about 5 weeks! I am scared what I will be left with but determined to choose my health. A little about my story... I have struggled with body image for most of my life. Sadly I look back at photos of my 20 something self and can see how blessed I was. Anyhow my weight has fluctuated a lot over the years and a pregnancy/breastfeeding left my once full breasts looking flat and sad. So I had a breast lift about four years ago. They looked great but I still wanted that upper pole fullness and last year I got implants. My husband was against all of it and said my breasts were lovely as they were. Naturally I thought he was lying and my surgeon conveniently agreed. I have silicone 371 under the muscle. I already had a c cup.. These giant implants left me a 34DDD. I did not want them this big to begin with and I should have stood my ground but felt like the surgeon knew best. I didn't even get the fullness I wanted, maybe due to placement or simply because they are too heavy. So I am left with giant sagging implants. Yuck. I am so uncomfortable all the time. It is physically uncomfortable to haul these around. I am fairly athletic and a runner and I feel ridiculous and spend a lot of energy into covering them up. I am so self conscious. I have gained weight. I cannot get used to a foreign object in my body, alien globes that feel like they are poisoning me. I have a laundry list of new ailments that I can't help but feel are connected. Funny how I didn't research the "negative" before I did this! I just wanted them so badly that I only read into the positive. As you all we'll know there is plenty of the negative. The original surgeon did not want to remove them. I had two other consults. One stated that It would be an "aesthetically unpleasant" outcome and was generally unpleasant. I left his office in tears and am going with third Dr. He explained I could undergo removal with a local but I'm choosing general...I am squeamish and would rather be out. I may want to do a lift in the future but he wants me to see how they settle over the next 6 months. I feel like such an idiot for the money I wasted and time/energy I spent obsessing over the LOOK of my breasts and putting my body thru voluntary surgery . It is through this site that I have found support and realized that I am not the only one. I can forgive myself and move on. I'm scared of droopy flat boobs again but looking forward to tank tops and sleeping on my side again!! And to be free of the worry of health complications due to plastic boobs. Sorry if this post was "all over the place"! Keep u all posted...

Woke up in the middle of the night with piercing pain behind one of my nipples and soaked in sweat. This has happened a few times before. So weird. I will be free of these in a month and then I wont have to wonder if random ailments are related to these implants. Hoping my fatigue and joint aches disappear as well. I wish I could share photos but I am heavily tattooed and dont know how to photoshop. Lol. All these stories are priceless and have helped me so much. Thank you

Im freaking out. My explant is in 2 weeks and I have fungus/ringworm on my breasts. I have been trying everything and it wont go away....even with prescription cream. I'm almost positive (via Internet) that I cannot have surgery with it present. I am so upset. I want these out and have planned time off work,etc. All my research tells me how impossible it is to get rid of fungus. :(