Re: Confused after MD consult

[Guest guest]

, after reading about your story (sounds just like mine) I had to write to you. I was very sick form having my smooth saline breast implants for over 8 years. Unusally sick for being at the time of all the illnesses, (about 5 years into having them) only 25. I had a bells palsy attack, resistant viral and fungal/yeast infections, (my son on the infections as well) tested postive for Hashimtos Thyroid Disease, and Rheumatoid Arthrits, and had so many symptoms, headaches, neck pains, stiff joints, memory problems, depression, crawly feelings under the skin, muscle twitching, nerve ending pains, these are just the tip of the symptom iceberg. If I listened to all my docs, I think I would be still depressed, and on my way of dying. I had a special test called a Live cell analysis, when I had them- where they view your live blood on a tv screeen, and it was full of fungas everywhere.The doctors office had never seen an infection this bad with any patients but AIDS patients, and was horrified! After seeing over 16 doctors, and multiple appointments as I needed two doctors letters requesting coverage to my insurance company, for coverage of explant, I finally found three that would write the letters. The rest literally told me I was crazy. I was very sick, and had them removed about 5 months ago. I cant tell you the relief I have now, as well as steady continued health from the removal, my blood work proves I have gotten better, and I feel alot better. I can tell you this: my surgery took over 6 hours to remove the nasty things, and my capsules were so embedded ith infections, it was a lenghty one. Anyone that tells you, doctors or otherwise, that they are not making you sick, do not believe them for a minute.They do not have the knowledge or the expereince to say otherwise. Doctors do not have the time to research this, and are trained on treating illnesses only. Not investigating the source as to why you are sick. They do not have the time, nor energy to do this. Only you do, and it is your health at stake.

Funny, after explant, I went back to all of these doctors (16 more appts) -my husband thought I was nuts, as we are building a home, and are so very busy, but I felt I had to tell them to show them for future patients how sick they truely were making me. That they would never dimiss other sick women from the notion, that they could be making women chronically ill. I knew by then, how to talk the talk with doctors. The way to talk to doctors is through studies, and blood tests, it talks loud and clear to them, and I have proof that I have gotten better as my thyroid antibodies that stayed the same for over a year, immediatly went down from over 12,000 to 90 within weeks of my explant. (and have continued to lower since explant) Can I tell you the great elation I felt, as they sat there speechless, as these were the same ones that old me to accept my auto immnue conditions, and that most likely I would never improve! And more than 13 of them fully agrred that "Something was defintly going on there" HELLO?????

I know this: If you coninue to keep them in your body, as they are supressing an already taxed immune system ,you will no chance of ever getting any better. They are aggravating your condition, and most likely the main biggest cause. I am relieved to say the least, they were literally a burden lifted off my chest, and I realy honestly love my new natural breasts, and so does my husband. They look good! There is hope, I had them very long, and I am getting better. They were time bombs to me. Go through it, get them out, the journey is a long lengthy one, and expensive to, but always remember it is your life at stake. And you are the only one that truely will care of you. I drove 15 hours to Atlanta Georgia to see Dr Kolb from Chicago Il, and would not change a thing. I am so happy that I did every single thing. Good luck to you, and feel free to email me personally if you would like to talk on the phone. Love,

[Guest guest]

Patty,

I almost forgot... I'd like to get in touch with your friend about

the doctor she used in NY. You have her email me or if you want to

give me her info I'll get in touch with her.

Thanks,

> Hi ,

> Well, this goes to show that we still need to question these

doctors on this list very carefully. I am sorry that she left you

feeling very confused. I have no doubt that if you went to Dr. Kolb

or Dr. Feng, you would be told something entirely different. Perhaps

Dr. Ahn is on the list because she knows how to do a total

capsulectomy, and someone has previously had a very good experience

with her. Acttually this makes me mad enough to write her and tell

her how wrong she is!

>

> However, with the symptoms you have experienced in the past and are

experiencing now, there is no doubt in my mind that your immune

system cannot handle the challenge of having these foreign objects in

your body, and your best hope of every regaining your health would be

to get them out. I just don't see how your body can recover health

with them. It is your body, you know it best, and you should pay

attention to the intuition that you feel inside. I think this Dr.

has done you a great disservice by telling you that you may be worse

off by getting them out! It is actually the opposite--you will be

better off for getting them out.

>

> It seems that you have already experienced the fact that treating

for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome does nothing to help you. We have

experienced in our group a great number of women who have gotten

their implants removed and have healed. Almost all of us have had

the same symptoms you have. Many of us had to quit our jobs, or we

lost them. I just remember my symptoms as being the darkest, most

tragic days of my life, and all I wanted was my health back. And

after getting my implants out and detoxing my body, I DID get my

health back. It took over 4 years, but I got it back! I can work

again and live a normal life. At least you can have hope that

removing these foreign objects from your body will be a positive step

in the right direction. There is NO doubt about that. So, I say Dr.

Ahn IS WRONG.

>

> What about the other Manhattan Dr. listed, Dr. Copeland?

I know a girl who saw her, maybe I can put you two in touch? Would

you like me to have her contact you?

> I am really sorry that you have been left confused by this, but to

tell you the truth, you would probably hear the same words from 95%

of the plastic surgeons out there. They simply do not want to

believe that implants make women ill. Thank God for women like Dr.

Feng and Dr. Kolb, who KNOW the truth and are not afraid to say it.

Let me know i fyou want to talk to my friend okay?

> Patty

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: lisalynh <lisalynh@a...>

>

> Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 3:43 PM

> Subject: Confused after MD consult

>

>

> Thanks to suggestions from this group, I made an appointment for

a

> consultation with Dr. Ahn in NYC to discuss having my

> saline implants and capusles removed. To quickly recap, I had my

> second set of implants put in six months ago, after the first set

> (put in in 1995) had to be removed (in 1999) because of an

infection

> in my right breast. I have a history of health problems that

manifest

> after the first set of implants in 1995, but I never made the

> correllation between my poor health and the saline implants. I

only

> made the correllation when, after getting my second set of

implant in

> late July of this year, my health took a drastic turn for the

worse.

> I am so horribly frustrated with how miserable I've been feeling

> (very sever chronic fatigue that has caused me to havt to quit my

> job, sudden onset allergies, muscle pain, recurrent infections,

> depressed immune system) that after going to tons of doctors

> (including self-paying for a week at the Mayo clinic to find out

what

> was going on only to be told eveything looked normal!) and doing

some

> research on breast implants and visiting this site I decided I

should

> probably get the things out of my body, even though most doctors

and

> people say that the saline implants do not cause these kinds of

> problems.

>

> So, I went to Dr. Ahn today and she was very nice and listened

> patiently to my entire convoluted history and then looked at and

felt

> my breasts (no infections, feel fine... no capsular contraction,

just

> minor " normal " rippling) and I was vey surprised at her

conclusion...

> that since I was not having any problem with the implants like

> swelling, infection, hardening, etc. I should assume that they

are

> fine and are not related to my health issues. Then she proceeded

to

> tell me that " there is no evidence that saline implants cause

> autoimmune disorders " and suggested I probably have chronic

fatigue

> syndrome and should try to seek out treatment for that (which is

what

> I've been doing for years!). She said she wouldn't want me to get

my

> hopes up that taking the implants out would make me feel better

> because it was likely that if I got them out I'd still be sick

AND

> I'd be flat-chested and then be even more depressed and worse

off.

> She also said (and this may be a very valid point) that the

surgery

> itself could take more of a toll on my body than leaving in the

> implants because to remove submuscular implants and the capusle

was a

> very intensive procedure.

>

> So now I'm really confused. I don't want to get my implants out

if

> they're not doing me any harm, because I got them in for a reason-

- I

> was completely (and I mean completely) flat chested and VERY self

> conscious and miserable about how " abnormal " I was. I like how

the

> implants LOOK, but if they're making me sick, they're definitely

not

> worth it. On the other hand, if they're not making me sick, I

want to

> keep them. But I don't know whether they are or not and now I'm

just

> so confused!!!! Any suggestions/similar experiences? I don't know

> what to do.

>

> Thanks,

>

[Guest guest]

,

I'll make those changes on the list. I wrote to Dr. Ahn, too.

Patty

----- Original Message -----

From: Heer

Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 8:26 PM

Subject: Re: Confused after MD consult

,

I hate to say it, but this was why I went all the way to Ohio from California to have Dr Feng do my surgery. She totally believed in me, and like you said, you don't want a Dr operating on you that does not believe you or believe that you will get better. I am sad though because I really thought that I was helping you when I suggested you see this Dr and feel bad. This is why I normally only recomend my own personal Dr, because it just seems too scarey to recomend someone you don't have personal experience and contact with. I can tell you that I was just exactly where you are not so long ago, so sick and yet so torn because I liked the implants and did not want to give up the implants and still be ill. However, when I think back to the days with implants, my life really was a living hell. I can only thank god that my parents beleived in me and that they helped me with the money needed for that trip to cleveland. Dr Feng believed in me from day one, she told me my symptoms were very very common and that she sees them everyday, so that right there made me feel so at ease and comfortable with her, she assured me(without any guarantees of course) that she felt I would get better, and ya know what , yep I have.

I won't lie to you and tell you that days don't happen where I wish I had more breast, trust me I do, but not at the cost of my health and my whole life. I mean at least now I can get up and do things, back then with implants, yeah I looked good in a tank top, but for what, laying on the couch and crying all day? So not worth it.

Hang in there, you will know what to do, you will feel it and you will have to follow that intuition if you want your life back, it is hard to take those first steps, but you have all of us to lean on. In the meantime I really think we need to make notes on the list that Dr Ahn will remove implants but that she does not feel there is anything wrong with them, period.

Hang in there, you can get better I know it, just trust in god, and trust your inner voice, then get in touch with Dr Feng. At least you are not that far from her, and you know you will be in great hands.

hang in there,

hugs

[Guest guest]

Thanks Patty, it means alot.

[Guest guest]

,

Kudos to you for having the nerve and tenacity to go back to all your old doctors who said your implants had nothing to do with your illness and show them the proof in your bloodwork! You go girl! That is awesome. I am glad you were vindicated right before their eyes! So many of us have felt like victims, and have not been able to teach our own doctors what they should have been able to tell us all along, that implants do cause illness. Many of these doctors are simply unteachable.

I'm proud of you!

Love,

Patty

----- Original Message -----

From: JULIEJJPALANCA@...

Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 9:05 PM

Subject: Re: Confused after MD consult

, after reading about your story (sounds just like mine) I had to write to you. I was very sick form having my smooth saline breast implants for over 8 years. Unusally sick for being at the time of all the illnesses, (about 5 years into having them) only 25. I had a bells palsy attack, resistant viral and fungal/yeast infections, (my son on the infections as well) tested postive for Hashimtos Thyroid Disease, and Rheumatoid Arthrits, and had so many symptoms, headaches, neck pains, stiff joints, memory problems, depression, crawly feelings under the skin, muscle twitching, nerve ending pains, these are just the tip of the symptom iceberg. If I listened to all my docs, I think I would be still depressed, and on my way of dying. I had a special test called a Live cell analysis, when I had them- where they view your live blood on a tv screeen, and it was full of fungas everywhere.The doctors office had never seen an infection this bad with any patients but AIDS patients, and was horrified! After seeing over 16 doctors, and multiple appointments as I needed two doctors letters requesting coverage to my insurance company, for coverage of explant, I finally found three that would write the letters. The rest literally told me I was crazy. I was very sick, and had them removed about 5 months ago. I cant tell you the relief I have now, as well as steady continued health from the removal, my blood work proves I have gotten better, and I feel alot better. I can tell you this: my surgery took over 6 hours to remove the nasty things, and my capsules were so embedded ith infections, it was a lenghty one. Anyone that tells you, doctors or otherwise, that they are not making you sick, do not believe them for a minute.They do not have the knowledge or the expereince to say otherwise. Doctors do not have the time to research this, and are trained on treating illnesses only. Not investigating the source as to why you are sick. They do not have the time, nor energy to do this. Only you do, and it is your health at stake. Funny, after explant, I went back to all of these doctors (16 more appts) -my husband thought I was nuts, as we are building a home, and are so very busy, but I felt I had to tell them to show them for future patients how sick they truely were making me. That they would never dimiss other sick women from the notion, that they could be making women chronically ill. I knew by then, how to talk the talk with doctors. The way to talk to doctors is through studies, and blood tests, it talks loud and clear to them, and I have proof that I have gotten better as my thyroid antibodies that stayed the same for over a year, immediatly went down from over 12,000 to 90 within weeks of my explant. (and have continued to lower since explant) Can I tell you the great elation I felt, as they sat there speechless, as these were the same ones that old me to accept my auto immnue conditions, and that most likely I would never improve! And more than 13 of them fu lly agrred that "Something was defintly going on there" HELLO????? I know this: If you coninue to keep them in your body, as they are supressing an already taxed immune system ,you will no chance of ever getting any better. They are aggravating your condition, and most likely the main biggest cause. I am relieved to say the least, they were literally a burden lifted off my chest, and I realy honestly love my new natural breasts, and so does my husband. They look good! There is hope, I had them very long, and I am getting better. They were time bombs to me. Go through it, get them out, the journey is a long lengthy one, and expensive to, but always remember it is your life at stake. And you are the only one that truely will care of you. I drove 15 hours to Atlanta Georgia to see Dr Kolb from Chicago Il, and would not change a thing. I am so happy that I did every single thing. Good luck to you, and feel free to email me personally if you would like to talk on the phone. Love,