61 Yr Old Has Ruptured Dow Corning Removed After 34 Yrs - Little Rock, AR

I had Dow Corning silicone implants put in 1980. I've had them 34 years. Nothing but trouble. Beginning about 8 years my health started getting worse. Of course at the time I was still young and never made a connection that the implants were the cause. Back in the 80 I was told it was so safe. Would have perky books in my 70s. Just what you wanted to hear. No disclaimers at all. Fast forward to 1990s. Dow Corning lawsuit. I joined class action and it dragged on and on they filed bankruptcy and i figured that's that but stayed on the suit. Didn't take their first $1250.00 settlement to have them removed. Just rode on with it. Forgot it really. 2000 had heavy bleeding to point of blood transfusions. Fibroid tumors so big and numerous had to have hysterectomy to stop beeding. Still made no connection with implants. Then one thing led to another. Mental problems, depression, anxiety, hair loss, arthritis, foggy thinking, on and on. Still no connection made to implants. No doctor even mentioned it could be the problem. My implants capsular early. I just lived with that. Just bought better bras. 2011 coherent Al cancer hit. Still no connection made. Went through all those treatments chemo surgery .After removal of cancer the reversal of the colostomy and now thought I was recovered. Went for my 3 year cancer free checkup in April this year. All looked good. Doctor did marker tests. Looked good. I thought I was good to go for 5 year mark. Well CT then PET shows metasasis everywhere. Lymph nodes, abdomen, lungs, spleen, all over the place. I feel fine. I was stunned beyond belief as there is no cure. Just more chemotherapy til they kill me.

then I thought something else may be the cause. I raise mules and had an accident resulting in the right implant getting exploded about 2 months prior to these last tests...Hello!!! I Google can silicone mimic metasasis on PET scan. I found studies by a mayo clinic and others. Yes ladies it can mimic and show as metastatic disease.

So..I had my implants removed yesterday 5-8-2014. It's over. They are gone. I immediately feel better after surgery. Just sore. I'm so happy to have them out. I did not do a lift or put anything back in. I don't care the p's said they are safe now. That's what they told me 34 years ago.

so now I did contact the cancer institute where I am a patient and sent the information from Mayo and my Dr and nuclear radiologist agree that it could be a false reading and want to do a more extensive review. I'm praying it is only silicone.

In the meantime dow corning gave until June 2nd to get implants removed for all women who joined class action all those years ago so I will get 5000.00 settlement and my insurance paid 80% of the ruptured implant removal. Then the courts are open for settlements until 2019 for all of you out there that had given up. I found a team of lawyers who are still pursuing this on behalf of women with these awful products
.just FYI. Not my main reason, just added that fir your information.

I will include photos and updates as I go along but don't hesitate to get these removed. It's totally worth it and don't fall for the "they are safe" hype or you could wind up a statistic like myself. Just don't do it.

I wrote this review earlier and see alot of type - o's from auto correct. My cancer was colorectal and i had an ileostomy not colostomy. Anyway going to try to add before and after photos. I'm in day 3 and doing good. No pain or soreness or swelling today. No bruising. Dr. David Bauer at Arkansas Plastic Surgery did my procedure. The left one came out in tack with the capsule en closing it. The right one was a mess completely smashed and all over the place. I'm pleased so far with the outcome.

I took off the surgical bra which had be very tight today for the first time and had a look while standing. To tell the truth I was expecting my nipple to be looking at my toes hanging from thin loose skin. That's how I envisioned the unveiling.:)) so to my surprise they aren't beautiful but they are mine. I am so pleasantly pleased. He did a good job. I have wrinkling and some bulges but like I said I have kept these old gals tightly bound all week. Didn't take it off. Only laying down the first day to check the color like he said to do.

Tomorrow I make the 200 mile trip to get my stitches out and the drains. The right one was busted so bad. He warned me about it that it may not look so good as the left so I was afraid to see.

I saw the oncologist yesterday. 400 mile round trip. He did not discredit that it could be silicone instead of cancer but they are meeting tomorrow my surgeon, radiologist and oncologist to review my slides to determine the best way to biopsy. Probably aspirations.

I just returned from the 400 mile round trip for my first followup with ps. If you wonder you definitely can get your implants given back to you. At least the hospital where I was. The Dr himself didn't even know where pathology was located but he had ordered them saved and i have them after they were gone through pathology. I'm posting these graphic images only to show the real up front and personal view of what implants actually become after 34 years. The darkest one is the one that was ruptured. He had a time getting it out. Silicone was all over the area and he said he had to remove alot of breast tissue on that one all the way to the dermis. He described it as "grossly ruptured". The lighter colored one is my left side which was still in its capsule. The Dr has on his report that even though it was encapsulated when he removed it he looked inside. Silicone bleed all around it. So those things do leak even if not ruptured. HELLO?

ANYWAY. They rode behind my seat on the drive home and not on my chest. Of course I guess with my history of cancer that pathology cut them all up. I got a gore detailed summary given with the implants. There was no cancer in there but let's of crystallization on the exterior of the capsules. Granulomas.

Dr told me he could take out left drain. It was about dry. But the ruptured one is still draining so he fave me instructions and see by Sunday if it let's up. That has to come out or you get swelling he told me. So the compression bra is necessary. He said keep it tight while draining to prevent buildup.

Gee long story..long trip. I'm pooped but feel good. He did tell me that pretty much what I see now is what it will be. Maybe he just doesn't want to get my hopes up but hey...it's 1000 times better than I had it pictured. I expected a long flap of skin hanging to my bellybutton with sad nipple looking at my toes cross eyed....smiles....

Hope this helps someone else.xoxoxo

Man. I haven't gained weight but my stomach and waist line is so swollen. Maybe just water. It came all of a sudden like when I was younger during my period. Just bloated! Anyone else had that? I've actually lost 3 ponds by the scake. Weird...but I won't worry bout tgat. Just a minor observation when I took this photo.

Gosh. I took some photos on the 17th. I had surgery on May 8th. So anyway still had the one drain going on the right one that was such a problem. Okay those looked pretty good. I could live with that.I went a day without the ccompression bra after i took out the right drain yesterday and dang if they look like i got 2 flat tires. That's okay too but what's up with the all of a sudden sunken spots?? Did I take that bra off too early? Sure can't live in it forever but I'm hoping the weight didn't pull them down before they healed. Course the right one took a beating getting all that out of there so I lost a lot of breast tissue but until today it looked the best. Oh well..boo hoo..I'm still happy. I took a picture in a sports bra and clothes. Heck no one will ever know and now I can buy smaller tops. Yay..those are always on sale...smiles

so tomorrow is the biopsy. I can't sleep. Ihave to kknow but it's scarier than getting these out was.

I'll keep you posted and hope this all helps someone else. There's lots of us out there.

Okay posted before i added all photos.

Had the biopsy yesterday. Will get results later. Enjoying a cup of coffee on my back deck and listening to cows mooing in the distance. Wild turkeys gobbling in the holler. Frogs croaking on the pond. Crows cawing...so nice. I have to remember why i moved here years ago from the city. Sending some of it your way...Attaching calming photo of the mountains from my deck and telepathically sending you a cup of coffee.

Hey gals. I wanted to share these bras. They are fruit of the loom and danskin brands. What I like is they are soft and wire free but better yet the cups are foam and actually round you out nicely. Sport bras at wal mart. I didnt want to spend alot right away til I figured out the size. These I guessed at C cup but may be able to go down to B but for now im wearing these.

I forgot the photos..lol

I am doing good. Preliminary biopsy posted "suspicious" for malignancy. But im waiting on final pathology report. Course you know it had to be a holiday weekend so I could fret a few more days.:(( I go back Wednesday to see plastic surgeon and then over to the cancer institute to see drs there si I figure I will know then.

Hope you are all recovering well and have your chins up. Maybe these little cheap sports bras will work gor some if you. I really look normal wearing them and they feel so good. I bought another danskin brand that is wider across the front and zips. Thats great to sleep in.
Just FYI.

Xoxoxo

Hey girls: Just an update on my pathology. I got it yesterday. They diagnosed Large B Cell Lymphoma. I am totally shocked and maybe in denial. I started with colorectal in 2011, now this is a new thing altogether. I don't think any of the drs expected it. I sure didn't. I don't have any of the symptoms of it. My blood tests are all in normal range on CBC and CEA (Cancer markers), I'm actually putting on a pound or two since I got those nasty implants out. I feel great, have energy, good mood, my color has not changed, I just have to wonder on this. They did the biopsy with ultrasound and fine needle aspiration. I just can't believe it's true. Has anyone ever been diagnosed with this? I just still believe it is silicone in there and they just missed it. If silicone can light up on a PET scan same as a metastasis, then couldn't it on a slide do the same thing? I guess I'm grasping at straws, but if I felt sick that would be another thing. I don't. I'll be 62 in August and everyone says I look 45, so how in the world can you look and feel healthy and have such a drastic life threatening disease. If it is true diagnosis, then I'm looking at stage 111 or IV with the many different sites it showed up on the PET, heck, looks like I'd be in a wheelchair. I'm just at a loss. I see the oncologist asap, they are trying to set me an appt. Heavy doses of bag MOJO chemo this time around, bone or stem cell transplants, the whole big shebang. Oh, Lord.....I have to keep my spirits up and I guess denial in the beginning is normal, so just hoping the big "minds" made a mistake, but they are the top notch team in the state, it's not a little cancer institute, it's state of the art. But, what if they didn't consider my history on the pathology and didn't even think to "think outside the box"?? I don't know. I'm thinking maybe have it sent to Mayo since they are the ones who wrote the first article on how silicone can imitate cancer and that it will migrate. Maybe they could take a different view. I don't even know how to go about doing that but I'm going to find out before I line up for the bullets.

Thanks for all your prayers and support and I'm sending the same back to all of you. Kinda like we are in the same boat, just different courses we are following, so we aren't alone. With God's help...........:)))))

xoxoxoxoxo

Hey gals. Got my new sexy pushup bra in the mail today. Found it on BostonProper site. This one has extra foam in the cups kinda pushes the sides in then those spaghetti criss cross areas mask my "dips" sunken spots where they are drooping. I just tried it on without much adjusting but I think I like it.

Not perfect but heres what the bra is hiding. After 34 years of paying for my vanity ...I dont miss the implants and love my new all me breasts.

Question...anyone on here know anything or have large b cell lymphoma? Id appreciate knowing anything.

Just got back from another doctor for blood draws for Dow Corning suit. Dr told me you can feel and look fine and not have symptoms and have good bllodtests etc snd still hhave lymphoma.:(( only a biopsy shows it. But he did say it was better than metatasized colorectal because if I had that I was done. He told me lymphoma is hard but a chance of curing it. Especially where I am going. They are best in the country on myeloma and LYMPHOMA. So some good mews but busted my bubble about feeling good etc. He is board certified internal medicine. So...onward and upward and put on my hardhat. Things are gonna get tough looks like. Ill know more wed when I see hematologist specialist at UAMS in Little Rock. I have requested my pathology report as it is all hinges on that right now that it is correct or NOT. Still questioning...thats me...I dont go down easy.:)))xoxoxo