Juviderm is Ruining Lives 2 Years Later - Southampton, NY

Hi veyhopeless and 4halex and everyone else going through these filler reaction nightmares. I am so sorry that you're going through this...as we all mentioned, at least we going through it together. I went to my latest hyalurondiase appointment this past Tuesday. Here's the quick overview and update: I usually come in the office (2.5 hours drive from my home) hopeful and grateful that this wonderful PS is treating me - at no charge! - and he's not even the doctor who injected me! He has truly been a God send in this ordeal. However, he's never seen this reaction before either, so it has been up to me to do most of the research and suggestions on what to do - from antibiotics for biofilm to repeated doses of hyaluronidase. But again I cannot complain - this doctor has treated me for free (I imagine mostly since he did my mid face implants in 2012 and he had a concern they may have been the problem to begin with. We both thought that. But has the evidence comes in over the months, this seems more symptomatic of a Juvederm issue/reaction because there are no other signs of mid face implant infection.) Along with you guys, I understand well the madness associated with having this happen and dealing with it alone because the doctor who injected has no clue, and many other well-meaning doctors do not either. That right there is just crazy. 4halex - as you mentioned, and I agree, if you don't know how to treat the adverse effects, you shouldn't be doing the injections in the first place. That has to be where all of this is heading because this minority seems to be growing. And honestly, that is a bummer. We all thought this was a relatively safe way to augment ourselves cosmetically. It worked for me for 3 years prior to getting facial implants - which I loved! It's just too much irony that this happened in my left cheek years after stopping fillers (since I got implants) and as a side effect of originally going in to get an injection of juvederm to in my nose! I wanted to see if it was a viable option to yet another surgery after breaking it for the 3rd time. That filling the hollow on my left cheek was an afterthought is the irony of ironies - I didn't even go in to have that done!!! If only I'd said, "nah...I don't need/want it." But not having any bad reactions to juvederm before, I thought, "sure!". Well...now I have set a new consciousness in motion due to the whole experience. And maybe that's priceless in the end. Because, I have to say, while in this doctor's office he talked about all these ways we could "fix up my face" to have all this long term volume...like with Arte Fill. It sure sounded good then! It supposedly lasts for 5 years plus. You can get seduced into this constant upkeep of your looks and it can become never ending. At this point in time, I have never loved my cheek hollow like I do now! Boy how I love that indented feature of my face! Boy how I miss it and can't wait to see it again! And I feel I am on the long road to seeing it again, but there is some progress. Anyway, I was in this bummed place of feeling like even though my doctor is awesome and treating me for free, I still feel alone because as far as I know, he hasn't consulted with any other doctors about this and offers no real course of treatment. (And I have offered to pay for treatment!) I respectfully think it's not his forte and he is doing what he can, but I feel like I need an expert. However, on this visit, he did triple the hyaluronidase - I asked him to go for it and put the firehouse in there. Since juvederm ultra plus was used in that area (since the original target was the bridge of my nose!) I think it's going to take more than thought to get rid of this. It is making progress, but I just thought by now it'd be gone. I woke up the following morning with my mind racing...got on line to research more issues, experts, etc. It felt maddening! I have to do due diligence, but then, I can't run willy nilly at everything. I decided to just let go for a week or so. Get quiet and let solutions come to the surface. I know this may sound new age-y and what not, but there is a comfort in surrendering to the situation when it gets to the maddening stage of, "now what? who can fix this? how do we fix it? has it affected my implant" is there still an infection? was there ever an infection? is it just that juvederm in that area is too hydrophilic? is there a collection of filler that I need to have excised out?" And on and on! Too many questions and directions for this girl! And I'm used to problem solving - it's what I do for a living. But sometimes we need to step back and allow a higher consciousness to guide us. That is where I am for now. I have researched myself to crazy town! Now, I'm finding comfort in the reflection I am getting in my new "downtime" (since this issue keeps me from socializing as much. I don't feel up to it and don't look up to it right now, as much.) In my reflection time, I see how crazy it was to get so focused on keeping my looks up. I think some nice cosmetic tweaks are great. But, really, I was over concerned and I am glad I am waking up to that now. Graceful tweaks are nice, but wow, chill out. It also got me thinking about making conscious choices about what I'm doing with myself, my body and my life. Again, a nice by-product from such an ordeal. I've gotten comfort from doing some healing meditations - "The Secret of Healing" by Deepak Chopra is great, as well as, his book about how the body heals as a whole "The Mystery of Healing". Both of these books are on Audible.com. A friend of mine also told me about a woman who created a book of healing "glyphs". It sounded kooky enough (right up my ally) so I ordered it! It's called "Unlocking the Power of Glyphs" by Jean Logan, PH.D. I got the book this past Wednesday and started using the glyphs...I have to say, some interesting changes are occurring. I'll be glad to report back later as I move along. Google her and the book and see what you think. Thanks for all your updates and sharing your stories! It always helps to know you're not alone, yet wouldn't want anyone else to endure this all the same! I wish you all complete healing! Biggyc

4halex I'm so sorry; I know too well what you're going through. questions: I is this your eyes you're talking about (I assumed because you said kidney shape) How long did it take for the troubles to start after you first got injections? It's all so convoluted..they have absolute NO CLUE what they're doing with adverse reactions...everyone's having different yet similar reactions...my dissolver injections HAVE ABSOLUTELY helped my lips, but not much around the eyes really, and my case, all was fine UNTIL, the crap started breaking down, 22 months AFTER injection...Everyone breaks it down differently, time wise. But it's absolute proof, that it lingers forever, when the dissolver DOES make a difference. As for the "biofilm" theory, I am beginning to believe that given time it's time, this does VERY SLOWLY wear away over time. My eyes are very slowly improving. When I say slowly, I mean it's been 8 months dealing with this hideous situation, and I believe for the first time in 8 months now, that this WILL wear itself away...I still have festoons, but I have noticed that the more water I drink, salt I avoid, it is seeming to go down on it's own! I believe there is a HORRID stage that some of us go through as this garbage starts breaking down...Our bodies react in all different ways, with me, it is edema & water retention...Your body WILL fight this infection & triumph 4halex. I know this doesn't bring much solace right now, but it is 3 years with this stuff in me and I've had somany stages of horror with it; The good news, is that it DOES keep changing. First worse, and then veeeery slowly for the better. These are the first twinges of hope I have had in a full year of wanting to kill myself when I look in the mirror. When it comes to the face, it's near impossible to be patient, I know. But feeling it will never get better is intolerable...I can honestly say, I think this is getting better, simply from time. Little solace I know, but I am dead serious...it is FINALLY, beginning to work itself out. My heart goes out

I am so happy you are beginning to see an improvement, you have waited 3 years too long. It was about 2 months when I noticed a lot of bruising, swelling and then the horrible redness and lump. I just finished my last pill and am worried to death that the red will come back. If that happens, my doctor wants to operate right away to get this out since I have had soooo many antibiotics and shots. From everything I have read, it is very difficult since it is encased in layers that my body has built around it. I also have discoloration from the infection and excess skin along with deep hollow eye sockets! Some days I think, oh, maybe it is a little better but then I catch a glimpse in the mirror and start crying. The right eye is at least flat and saggy but the left still has the lump and from trying to dissolve it so many times, I have an indentation under the kidney bean. It is a mess and I am 58 and have enough wrinkles and sun damage, so I don't need another thing. My husband is actually going to see the original doctor and try and work something out so I am not broke from all of this. The surgery is expensive and then I have to get some volume back and don't know how I am going to do it. Anyway, you have been through so much and it seems you are finally coming out the other end of this nightmare.

That's how most of my doctor appointments go. I'm so sorry :(.