Why I Removed My Saline Breast Implants

Tuesday, November 6, 2018 I voted. After submitting our ballots, my husband drove me to the hospital to remove saline breast implants via En Bloc Total Capsulectomy.

That day I joined a growing community of women suffering from unexplained autoimmune symptoms potentially related to Breast Implant Illness. It’s taken me over 21 years to get here. That’s the amount of time I’ve lived with two sets of Mentor saline breast implants.

It’s also the amount of time I’ve lived with fatigue, unexplained weight gain, inflammation, bloating, brain fog, excessive hair loss, joint pain, gut issues, food sensitives, chemical sensitivity, constipation and digestive issues. I’ve been diagnosed and treated for bursitis, adrenal fatigue, hormone imbalance and hypothyroidism. All of which escalated to the point where my quality of life was suffering.

The past year has been the hardest and lowest point of my journey. I wasn’t convinced breast implants were making me sick but I was emotionally and physically exhausted from trying to find answers. It took years of dealing with unexplained issues that mimic hormone imbalance, hypothyroidism, menopause and “mommy brain” to finally see the light.

If you are reading this and have breast implants or considering breast implants please keep reading. You might be thinking – this isn’t me, this won’t happen to me but what you don’t realize is there are hundreds upon thousands of women out there including ME that thought the same thing.

There is no recorded data that Breast Implant Illness is recognized by medical professions or the FDA. It’s been recently documented that the FDA has not publicly reported injuries related to breast implants.

What I can tell you is that after joining several Facebook groups with over 58,0000 + women online (not including over 450,000 that were represented in the Dow lawsuit ) experiencing similar if not the same symptoms, suspecting they have breast implant illness or considering breast implants but are being warned by friends and family members – I was shaken to the core.

Breast implants are a ticking time bomb. They do not last. They rupture and over 50%  rupture within 10 years.

I’m Not Against Breast Implants

Don’t get it twisted. I’m not against breast implants or plastic surgery. I do Botox! I’ve had a tummy tuck, liposuction and as of November 6th – four breast surgeries. I’m against the FDA approving breast implants made from toxic ingredients including heavy metals and silicone. Ingredients that are making women very sick.

I worry about the women considering breast implants to correct undeveloped or misshaped breasts (I was that woman), women with small breasts who want to boost self-esteem and more importantly breast cancer survivors who “need” breast implants to regain their confidence and normalcy after a double mastectomy.

Everyone reacts and responds to chemicals differently. You won’t know until it’s possibly too late…..

The hardest part of experiencing so many breast implant illness symptoms is the lack of knowledge and acknowledgement from the medical community. I’ve spent years feeling stressed, frustrated, constantly searching for answers. On the outside I look completely normal and healthy while spending thousands of dollars on specialized lab tests, countless doctor visits, hours searching online, reading book after book, trying every food program (Paleo, Keto, Autoimmune, Bulletproof, Juice Cleansing, Raw), every exercise program – you name it, I’ve done it ALL. But yet, nothing helped or provided any type of relief.

I eliminated almost every environmental toxin possible by using homemade cleaners, essential oils, clean beauty products and natural deodorant. I added a Smart Meter cover , tested our home with an EMF Meter, added xZubi Discs to all our cell phones and began turning off the Wi-Fi router at night. Read more about EMF dangers here.

I’ve seen every type of doctor – General Practitioner, OB GYNs, Endocrinologists, Functional, Integrative, Naturopathic, Chiropractors, Massage Therapists – anyone that could possibly help and was willing to run lab tests to diagnose why I felt so horrible.

You know those new patient forms doctors require? I’ve always listed breast augmentation with breast implants as a past surgical procedure. Not one doctor made the connection or asked me a single question.

My breast implant illness journey was slow, silent and mysterious. I collected more and more autoimmune symptoms while lab tests continually showed I was a healthy human being. Nothing I did from diet to exercise to ANY lifestyle change made a difference.

But let’s start from the beginning on how I got here….

Life before Breast Implants

In college I earned a BA in Marketing with a minor in Kinesiology. I taught group fitness classes and my dream was a career in fitness management. I was extremely fit, healthy and at the gym every morning by 5:30 am – all while taking 18 hours of courses and working 20 hours a week.

After graduate school I moved to Dallas to complete an internship at the Cooper Institute and pursue a career in fitness and wellness management specializing in nutrition. I was teaching group fitness classes, training clients and competing in aerobic competitions. My favorite classes to teach were at 6:00 am.

Around the age of 25 I was feeling less than confident about my body. After two rounds of losing 25 pounds once in high school and another in grad school, my body felt great but my breasts looked terrible. It was never about bigger boobs (mine were big enough), I just wanted to be more comfortable with my body after working so hard to get into shape.

Consulting three referred plastic surgeons, each one recommended the least invasive and most affordable option – breast augmentation with breast implants. What I really wanted was a breast lift and reconstruction surgery however based on my age, none of the surgeons thought this would be an ideal solution because of scarring and cost.

I decided to take a leap of faith and hope for the best and moved forward with the smallest Mentor tear drop saline breast implants. It was the 90’s and saline implants were being promoted as a safer alternative to silicone implants. Anyone remember the Dow breast implant lawsuit??

I was familiar with the health risks of silicone implants, however plastic surgeons failed to explain that saline implants are made with silicone and many other toxic ingredients. The inside may be “safer” but the external perimeter of an implant which is closest to the body is not. It never crossed my mind to ask.

Life After Breast Implants

Immediately following surgery I was thrilled with the results. Clothes fit better, I looked amazing in a bathing suit, I had more confidence –breast implants were life changing for the better. I loved my new breasts!! I couldn’t have been happier.

Within two years of implanting, chronic fluid developed on my right knee and I was diagnosed with bursitis. Knee bursitis is inflammation of a small fluid-filled sac (bursa) situated near your knee joint. Here I was 28 walking around with a mid-sized ball of fluid on the very top of my kneecap. I had retired from the fitness industry, building a career as a meeting event planner, traveling the world and working insane hours.

When the pain was finally unbearable, I sought treatment from a top orthopedic practice in Dallas. Doctors were surprised and confused as to how someone my age would develop knee bursitis. I wasn’t an athlete, plumber, carpet installer, runner, volleyball player or any other typical candidate.

We moved forward with surgery to have the bursa sac removed. Oddly enough the surgery didn’t work, the fluid/inflammation returned, my doctor couldn’t explain why and a second surgery was required.

It was after the second knee surgery when chronic joint problems began. I honestly felt like my body was falling apart and I wasn’t even 30. My hip joints began popping, I developed sacroiliitis and my lower back was in constant pain. My only relief came from chiropractic and massage therapy. Even though I had great medical insurance, this type of treatment was all out of pocket.

Let’s not forget I was extremely fit, well versed in exercise and nutrition. I knew how my body responded to eating healthy and working out. But nothing I was doing was effective.

Returning to the orthopedic hoping to determine why my joints and ligaments were in chronic pain and inflammation, another round of x-rays were ordered and I was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and tendonitis. Other than reducing stress to the joints and muscles (no high impact activity), continuing massage therapy and chiropractic care – there was nothing else they could do.

When Breast Implants Rupture

A few years later, less than five years after implanting, my right implant deflated during a business trip in the Bahamas. Talk about freaking out.. My first concern was where does the saline go? Does it absorb into the body? Is that even safe?

The rupture really made me reconsider and question the safety of breast implants. How could this happen out of the blue without direct trauma? What happens during a mammogram? Are implants able to sustain the pressure? By this time, the tear drop shaped implants were no longer cute and perky but saggy and had stretched out my skin even further. Unexplained weight gain was causing even more problems with my back, hips and neck. All I wanted was to be done with breast implants, but my new plastic surgeon had other plans.

Seeking help from Dr Craig Hobar (one of Dallas’ most renowned plastic surgeons) I was hopeful that this time around the implants would be removed and a breast lift would be the right solution.

Once again the amount of scarring was a concern and I was reassured that replacing the saline breast implants was less invasive for someone my age. The recommendation for gaining a “perkier look”was a  periareolar lift (aka donut lift).

The cost of both procedures was around $5,500. And because Mentor provides a life time warranty, they provided smooth round saline implants at no charge and a $2,000 credit to my doctor. I have no clue if the original capsules were removed with the old implants and was unsuccessful obtaining the pre-op report as of today. 

Again I trusted my doctor and we never discussed the process of replacing implants or the condition of the capsules.

The results of this surgery were less than desirable. My areola sutures were jagged and unnatural looking and soon after I was regretting my decision. Why did I do this to my body – again?

Not long after the second breast augmentation, I developed severe digestive issues and fatigue. My stomach was a disaster after eating certain foods, but I could never pinpoint what was causing the problem. Could I be more sensitive from cutting out inflammatory foods like bread, pasta, gluten and dairy?

The fatigue I chalked up to working long hours and traveling. I went from surviving off 5-7 hours to needing 9-10 hours to function properly. I pushed most of these things out of my mind because I was busy starting my own company, in a long term- relationship and soon began planning a wedding.

Is it Hormonal or Breast Implant Illness

It wasn’t until the birth of my first child that I knew something was undeniably wrong. My daughter was turning one when I made an appointment with my general practitioner.

As I sat in his office tears streaming down my face trying to explain that something wasn’t right, trying to put into words the only tangible symptoms I could verbalize (hair loss, extreme fatigue, weight gain, inability to lose weight)…I knew what would ultimately be the outcome of this visit.

I was convinced it was hormonal. I’d read countless articles how women were misdiagnosed after motherhood with depression because doctors refused to look at hormone levels. I refused to leave his office until he agreed to test every type of hormone and run a thyroid panel. The doctor was convinced I was depressed.

I was depressed and worried because I could feel it in my bones that my health was taking a turn for the worse. I left with a prescription for Lexapro and an order for lab tests.

That horrible day was August 2008 {7 years after the second set of saline breast implants, 12 years total with breast implants}……It was the beginning of a very long road and onset of more and more symptoms. Over the course of the next ten years, I was diagnosed with and developed the following symptoms.

• Low Energy/Fatigue
• Adrenal Fatigue
• Hypothyroidism
• Bursitis
• Low Ferratin
• Low Vitamin D
• B12 Malabsorption
• Candida
• Brain Fog
• Excessive Hair Loss
• Tangled, dry hair
• No Libido
• Easily Agitated/Mood Swings
• Anxiety
• Unexplained Weight gain
• Inability to lose weight
• Digestive Issues
• Constipation
• Breast pain and tingling
• Food intolerances
• Chemical Sensitivity
• Muscle weakness
• Joint pain and muscle pain after exercising
• Depression
• Heavy Periods
• Skin Rash
• Ear Aches

Breast Implant Illness Symptoms

Time for a Mommy Makeover

In 2012 my second daughter turned three and I treated myself to a mommy makeover – breast lift, tummy tuck and liposuction. My plastic surgeon Dr James Platis came highly recommended from a friend who’d had the same procedure with amazing results.

We discussed things like my lower back pain, how I was being treated for pelvic floor issues by a physical therapist and a plan to repair the abdominal diastasis that occurred during the second pregnancy.

In my mind this would be the very last time I would have breast surgery and it needed to be right. For whatever reason, we decided that a lollipop and second periareolar lift along with a tummy tuck and liposuction would provide the best results.

I ignored and take full responsibility for the fact that my current breast implants were 10 years old. I knew and understood that implants have a shelf life. What disappoints me is that Dr Platis was fully confident that my implants were in “good shape” and perfectly fine.

Why did I not insist on removing?? It was a dumb move on my part and something I regret to this day.

The results were everything I wanted. I looked amazing after surgery and was so happy. That lasted a little less than a year. Somehow my breasts became even bigger, I was puffy and steadily gaining weight. The ability to push myself at the gym was almost non existent. I was too tired to try so I became obsessed with eating healthy, supplements, doctors and lab tests.

Discovering Breast Implant Illness

The summer of 2017 I sought treatment from Dr Carlos Reyes an integrative doctor in Oak Park, hoping he’d be the answer to my prayers. In some ways he was, but not how I would anticipate.

After listening to my history of ailments and issues, he was instantly convinced all my symptoms were caused from low testosterone. Remember how I said Breast Implant Illness mimics hormonal issues? Dr Reyes ordered a salvia test for testosterone, IGG, Cortisol and Progesterone . I paid $300 out of pocket and held my breath for weeks waiting for results.

Once again – everything came back normal. Once again another doctor was at a loss. In passing I asked about breast implants letting him know I was on my second set. He suggested having surgery to remove as soon as possible and recommended the Hashimoto’s Protocol A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back by Isabella Wentz – a thyroid pharmacist.

By now I’d developed over 20 symptoms that fell under Hashimoto’s disease (an autoimmune disease), however my thyroid antibodies were normal. Without any medical proof from lab tests, I wasn’t treatable beyond supplements and diet. There wasn’t a day that went by that I wasn’t hyper aware of how I was feeling and what I looked like. It became an obsession from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed at night. I felt like a hypochondriac.

Was it motherhood? Was it age? Was it a food sensitivity? Did I have Lyme disease? What was the root cause of all these unexplained symptoms? My time bomb was ticking daily and my anxiety was through the roof.

I didn’t pursue Dr Reyes’ recommendation to remove my breast implants because I was wasn’t convinced. How could I spend even more money for another breast surgery? It seemed so selfish. And then I came to the section on breast implants in the Hashimoto’s Protocol. You can read more on Dr. Wentz’s research regarding the risks associated with breast implants here.

The light bulb finally went off. Google became my best friend leading me to several Breast Implant Illness Facebook groups and finding a plastic surgeon that would perform an En Blonc Total Capsulectomy.

I booked a consultation with Dr DeWolfe October 13, 2018. And anxiously waited for two months…..

The Decision to Remove Saline Implants

The irony is I have a very close childhood friend who has Breast Implant Illness. I’d known for several years but Anne’s symptoms were much more severe than mine…..

So severe she wrote the book Perfection about breast implant illness taking her gallbladder, killing her thyroid and taking an ovary. Anne’s been featured on The Doctor’s Show, Animal Planet’s Monster’s Inside Me, Cosmo and over 1600 other media outlets and founded the non-profit The Implant Truth Survivors Committee. Today she advocates for Breast Implant Awareness while helping women obtain insurance coverage and raise funds to help with explant surgery.

I knew what Anne was going through and we had spoken several times while writing her book, however it never crossed my mind because I was never as sick.

If it wasn’t for Anne I may not have believed in breast implant illness or had the courage to explant. She encouraged and supported me to take a leap of faith. What did I have to lose? The thought of continually living with symptoms that were untreatable by doctors was unbearable.

With Anne’s support, she successfully obtained pre-approval from my insurance company to cover the cost of a total capsulectomy, guided me to take possession of my implants from pathology post-surgery (even though my plastic surgeon said it wasn’t possible) and continues to help me through recovery.

Explanting is the first phase to gaining my life back. The next phase is healing my body and detoxing. Time will only tell.

A lot of people ask if I’m sure explanting is going to solve ALL my health issues. There’s never a guarantee but it gives me hope. Hope that I can get back to being the person I was before breast implants.

The explant went well and guess what…My right implant had a tear and was half deflated, but because I had so much breast tissue it was undetectable – even by a multiple mammograms. I’ll be sharing more about life after explanting, stay tuned for more….

I am NOT a doctor nor claim to be one, this is my personal breast implant experience. If you are looking for answers related to breast implant illness, these are resources that helped get me through a very difficult time.

Breast Implant Illness Resources

The Implant Truths Survivors Committee

Healing Breast Implant Illness (where I found my explant surgeon)

Breast Implant Info

Finding a Plastic Surgeon to Remove Breast Implants

Size Happy with Christina

Not convinced the FDA approves dangerous and toxic medical devices? Watch The Bleeding Edge on Netflix…

Breast Implant Facebook Support Groups

If you are in need of more information, these are the best groups to ask questions, find answers and support!

Healing Breast Implant Illness by Nicole  (Over 58,000 members)

Breast Implant Illness Rejuvenation and Education With Christina (really great group of women!)

Breast Implant Illness and Explant

Breast implant illness healing and information. by Erin Elizabeth

Breast Implant Illness in the News

Johnson & Johnson’s Mentor sued over silicone breast implants

Can Breast Implant Illness Trigger Hashimoto’s

Medical Medium Podcast Breast Implant Illness

Are Your Breast Implants Poisoning You

FDA-reported breast implant injuries kept hidden by summary reporting 

Breast Implant Illness on Dr Axe

The Breast Implant Illness Epidemic

Doctors, patients raise alarms about cancer linked to breast implants:

https://www.facebook.com/nbcnightlynews/videos/1191481710992532/

Celebrities that Have Removed Breast Implants

Tawny Kitaen
Crystal Hefner 
Yolanda Foster
Pamela Anderson
Victoria Beckham

Disclosure: Please note that I am NOT a doctor nor claim to be one. The above referenced post is purely informational purposes and opinion only. If you feel you are sick and have a health issue, please contact your doctor or other medical personnel. If you have breast implants or are considering breast implants PLEASE do your research!