Re: Diseased & Need Advice

[Guest guest]

HI

I am , I am 38 years old and in the best shape I have ever been

in my entire life. It has been a hard tough road to get here.

Yesterday I had an appt to get a fitness analasis, it was fun and

exciting to here that I was making such progress with my health, and

stregnth. I found out my body fat percentage, it is down to 19% that

is really a great place to be. I am on a new program to try to get

into the 16% range. I love fitness, it has been my goal since losing

60 pounds about 6 years ago. So your probably wondering what all this

has to do with implants and illness. I am getting to that. 3 years

ago I was sick like you, with all those horrible symptoms you

described, desperate and in denial as well. I was fit, but ill, I

looked amazing, but inside I was dying from illness from Textured

McGhan implants, like you have. Now here I am explanted 2 years later

(i had the time bombs for 18 months only) and I am the picture of

health, and energy! I feel wonderful, though I still have some

obstacles to overcome, don't we all???? I am living breathing proof

that you can not only get well but move on, get fit, live a very

active productive life(getting ready to go back to college) work full

time, and getting ready to do one of my 30 mile bike rides as soon as

it warms up outside. I guess my point of telling you all this is to

show you that you don't need to hang on to the dream of having those

big boobies or to toxic implants that are doing so much damage to

your life. You can look good, feel good and be healthy, you don't

need to have implants, they do nothing for you on the inside, your

still beautiful, with small breasts, or no breasts or whatever. I am

very small, and I am ok, I mean sure I would love breasts, but real

ones thank you not bags of toxins killing me. I am so low on the body

fat that I doubt I will ever have breasts again, but my breasts match

my size, they are soft, and small, and they are the breasts of a

woman who has overcome, and I am a better stronger woman for it,

without all that fear of autoimmune disease hanging over my head

everyday. I mean seriously, you have a son to think of, what good are

you to him if your dying from autoimmune disease, or if you are too

sick to enjoy all the little things in life. I know because implants

ruined my relationship with my daughter, that I can never get back

again. I don't know what answers you want, but unfortunately, just as

I was told when I asked those very same questions. Your not going to

get the answers you want to hear, from a Dr or here or anywhere else.

Bottom line, your not going to get better with implants in your body,

I have never seen it done, not yet, I have been around this issue

long enough to know the only way to get well is to get them out. You

owe it to yourself and to your baby. What good are those big boobs

doing you? Is it your self esteem? Is it for a man? Think about it?

YOu are more than a bag of silicone and water! You won't find many

Dr's who will help you, there are a handful of good ones, a few that

believe us, most of them are all a bunch of hypocrites that don't

believe and won't help. You will have to find your own way through

this to health, with the help of this group of ladies here of course!

Trust me, I wanted the same things as you, to keep my boobs, to find

an answer. It kept me up at night, but in the end there was no answer

except that I had to part with the implants to regain my health.

I am so much happier now and healthy, I travel, exercise, work, am

going back to school, this is something I never ever would have done

had I not got those things out. Not only that but I am now married to

the best man in the world, we have an awesome close, spiritual

connection that runs so much deeper than the superficial crap with

implants. The men who looked at me and were interested in me becuase

I was a 34 D cup were not worth a crap.

I hope you will talk to some of our special Dr's to see how they may

be able to help you regarding the financial aspects of explant. My

surgeon was Dr Lu Feng and she is in my opinion the BEST.She

does not come cheap though, there are others too, that may be of help

to you. You say your in San Diego, there is a Dr Lee that I have

heard is awesome too. There is a few who care and can even get

explant covered. So don't give up, and ask yourself why you want to

hang on to something that is hurting you so much. IS it ego? Self

esteem? Etc, try to work through those issues. You do not have to be

deformed either, none of us are deformed that I know of, that went to

a good surgeon. Yes small, yes that is true but that is not deformed.

ok then, please know that we all care allot about you and everyother

woman suffering this fate. Please keep us informed.

hugs

In , " deej11902 " <denisetjohnson@c...>

wrote:

> Hi, everyone. Thanks to ~Patty~ I am here.

>

> I'm ill and beside myself with my new-found realization that my

> illness may be due to my saline-filled breast implants. Because I

am

> in shock, racked with fear and consumed with thoughts of my

situation

> everyday, I apologize up front if I ramble on and/or ask too many

> questions.

>

> I just turned 37 in May and I feel as if I'm 77. I'm a single

mother

> of one child, a 15-year-old son. We live alone in the San Diego

> area. All my family live back East.

>

> I had breast augmentation in October 1993. About six months later

I

> began feeling dizzy at times and/or in a fog. I had neck and upper

> back pain and simply associated it to my career (I'm a court

> reporter) I practically live at my chiropractor's office,

oftentimes

> going in more than once in a day crying saying, " What's wrong with

> me? Fix it. " ....etc. To this day I often suffer from severe brain

> fog that makes me zombie-like. I get confused, run into things

with

> my car and I get very forgetful. I'm simply weird.

>

> Last November I became so ill that I ended up in the hospital. I

had

> apthous ulcers in my mouth and down my esophogus. It was so bad I

> could not eat or drink ANYTHING. I also had body pain all over.

> Docs put me on morphine. After two grueling weeks in the hospital,

> the docs, calling me " The Mystery Woman " since they couldn't

diagnose

> me, got me well on prednisone and sent me home.

>

> The doc I saw as an outpatient diagnosed me with Crohn's disease

> although I did not have Crohn's symptoms. I thought that was so

> odd! I beg to differ with him but it fell on deaf ears so I left

him

> and went elsewhere.

>

> In the meantime, my chiropractor ask me the question one day, " Do

you

> have breast implants and if so, are they silicone-filled? " When I

> told him yes, I have breast implants but they are saline-filled, he

> dismissed the possibility that my sickness was cause by them, but I

> did not (I am a ruthless truth-seeker!)

>

> After he and I had that discussion, I went to see my rheumatologist

> (my new doc) and asked her if the implants could be doing this to

> me. She said no. They all say no. All the doctors. I can't help

> but think it is the implants since all these weird pains started

> right after implantation.

>

> I found Dr. Kolb online and called her up. She and I spoke. She

> suggested I call my doctor and ask for a T cell sensitivity test.

> So I did. My doc said no, that breast implants and autoimmune

> disease is a very controversial subject and she did not want to go

> down that path. I thought " What a bitch! " And so I fired her too.

>

> I found a new doc and see her next week.

> I have a laundry list of symptoms. To name a few besides what I

> already mentioned I have peripheral neuropathy (numbness and

tingling

> in feet and hands), joint pain, headaches, twitching muscles, loss

of

> sensation in various areas of the body, night sweats, sleep

> disturbance.

> I am currently on Imuran, a chemotherapy drug. It seems to help

the

> symptoms enough so that I can function, work, make money. Some

days

> are better than others.

>

> I finally got my operative report from my plastic surgeon. I about

> lost it when I saw on it that I, in fact, have textured McGhan

> implants. I thought they were smooth. Dr. Feng and Dr. Kolb both

> told me they see lots of problems with patients who have textured

> implants.

>

> It's starting to " add up " and looking more to me that it is, in

fact,

> my implants that are making me so ill but I still have some

questions:

>

>

> Q. Is it possible to find out for certain that it's the implants

> making me ill?

>

> Q. How do I know if I have an infection from the implants or if

my

> body is simply reacting to the metals in the bag?

>

> Q. What doctors can I trust?

>

> Q. If I do decide to get explanted, (think I should??) how do I

> pay for it as I do not have the funds for it right now???

>

> Q. Imuran is poison (chemotherapy). If the

> implants are poisoning me AND I'm taking Imuran, what can result?

>

> I just found out today that someone at my firm's office has

> implants. Now, I know she has an autoimmune disease (Graves), but

> didn't know about her implants. Come to find out her disease came

on

> shortly after her augmentation surgery. When I spoke to her about

> it, she said that right after having a mercury filling removed from

a

> tooth, the disease came on putting her in the hospital; therefore,

> she attributes her disease to the filling. (I too have an excuse

for

> all my symptoms....are we simply in denial?) She refuses to

believe

> her implants are causing her illness. Others who work in the

office

> with her daily say she complains often of fatique, tires easily and

> has the infamous " brain fog. "

>

> Q. Isn't there mercury in the implant bags? (Someone told me

that

> there is.)

>

> Thank you for taking the time to read this. Any input is

appreciated

> more than you could ever know.

>

> Sincerly, Dee AKA Explant Scaredy-cat.

[Guest guest]

I think this was done before on a trial basis, moving fat around and it was determined that the fat didn't stay put, it dissipates. You have to have all the blood vessels intact in the fat supply as well, so it seems that it would be a very time consuming and expensive surgery. I asked about that when I was explanted and the nurse just told me how difficult the whole thing was and that they only reserve that kind of surgery for women who have had their breasts removed and needed the fat moved for reconstruction. But for those who are doing it purely for cosmetic reasons, it just doesn't stay put. I remember seeing a show like 20/20 or something like that where this lady had fat moved from her thighs to her breasts, but after several months, it was all gone. I would place bets that this lady has implants today.

Patty

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

From: kim przybylski

Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 7:56 AM

Subject: Re: Diseased & Need Advice

Probably relly pricey!! Right...? And how log wouldthat last and where do they take it from?How come thisis not an opportunity to implants?--- <julieyourrealtor@...> wrote:> I decided I do not want to do that because I do not> want to open another can of worms and transfer fat> (lipo?) from another part of my body. I did think> of it a little, but I think I also would be out of> work for more than a week as well with recovery. I> care more about how they look not size, I originally> had "tubular" breasts and had them fixed because I> did not like the way my breasts were shaped, not so> much for size. Anyhow, I have one more consultation> with my doctor and I am discussing the option still> (pricing as well)...julie>

[Guest guest]

:

You're awesome. Thank you for all you wrote. It's exactly what I

needed to hear.

I used to be very fit as I worked out daily lifting weights,

aerobics, etc. Now I'm lucky if I can go to the mailbox and back

without losing my breath, I've lost my tone and am flabby. I can

only dream of working out. I envy you for your regained health and

hope to be there also one day (and soon)!!!

Thanks again, .

> > Hi, everyone. Thanks to ~Patty~ I am here.

> >

> > I'm ill and beside myself with my new-found realization that my

> > illness may be due to my saline-filled breast implants. Because

I

> am

> > in shock, racked with fear and consumed with thoughts of my

> situation

> > everyday, I apologize up front if I ramble on and/or ask too many

> > questions.

> >

> > I just turned 37 in May and I feel as if I'm 77. I'm a single

> mother

> > of one child, a 15-year-old son. We live alone in the San Diego

> > area. All my family live back East.

> >

> > I had breast augmentation in October 1993. About six months

later

> I

> > began feeling dizzy at times and/or in a fog. I had neck and

upper

> > back pain and simply associated it to my career (I'm a court

> > reporter) I practically live at my chiropractor's office,

> oftentimes

> > going in more than once in a day crying saying, " What's wrong

with

> > me? Fix it. " ....etc. To this day I often suffer from severe

brain

> > fog that makes me zombie-like. I get confused, run into things

> with

> > my car and I get very forgetful. I'm simply weird.

> >

> > Last November I became so ill that I ended up in the hospital. I

> had

> > apthous ulcers in my mouth and down my esophogus. It was so bad

I

> > could not eat or drink ANYTHING. I also had body pain all over.

> > Docs put me on morphine. After two grueling weeks in the

hospital,

> > the docs, calling me " The Mystery Woman " since they couldn't

> diagnose

> > me, got me well on prednisone and sent me home.

> >

> > The doc I saw as an outpatient diagnosed me with Crohn's disease

> > although I did not have Crohn's symptoms. I thought that was so

> > odd! I beg to differ with him but it fell on deaf ears so I left

> him

> > and went elsewhere.

> >

> > In the meantime, my chiropractor ask me the question one day, " Do

> you

> > have breast implants and if so, are they silicone-filled? " When

I

> > told him yes, I have breast implants but they are saline-filled,

he

> > dismissed the possibility that my sickness was cause by them, but

I

> > did not (I am a ruthless truth-seeker!)

> >

> > After he and I had that discussion, I went to see my

rheumatologist

> > (my new doc) and asked her if the implants could be doing this to

> > me. She said no. They all say no. All the doctors. I can't

help

> > but think it is the implants since all these weird pains started

> > right after implantation.

> >

> > I found Dr. Kolb online and called her up. She and I spoke. She

> > suggested I call my doctor and ask for a T cell sensitivity

test.

> > So I did. My doc said no, that breast implants and autoimmune

> > disease is a very controversial subject and she did not want to

go

> > down that path. I thought " What a bitch! " And so I fired her

too.

> >

> > I found a new doc and see her next week.

> > I have a laundry list of symptoms. To name a few besides what I

> > already mentioned I have peripheral neuropathy (numbness and

> tingling

> > in feet and hands), joint pain, headaches, twitching muscles,

loss

> of

> > sensation in various areas of the body, night sweats, sleep

> > disturbance.

> > I am currently on Imuran, a chemotherapy drug. It seems to help

> the

> > symptoms enough so that I can function, work, make money. Some

> days

> > are better than others.

> >

> > I finally got my operative report from my plastic surgeon. I

about

> > lost it when I saw on it that I, in fact, have textured McGhan

> > implants. I thought they were smooth. Dr. Feng and Dr. Kolb

both

> > told me they see lots of problems with patients who have textured

> > implants.

> >

> > It's starting to " add up " and looking more to me that it is, in

> fact,

> > my implants that are making me so ill but I still have some

> questions:

> >

> >

> > Q. Is it possible to find out for certain that it's the

implants

> > making me ill?

> >

> > Q. How do I know if I have an infection from the implants or

if

> my

> > body is simply reacting to the metals in the bag?

> >

> > Q. What doctors can I trust?

> >

> > Q. If I do decide to get explanted, (think I should??) how do

I

> > pay for it as I do not have the funds for it right now???

> >

> > Q. Imuran is poison (chemotherapy). If the

> > implants are poisoning me AND I'm taking Imuran, what can result?

> >

> > I just found out today that someone at my firm's office has

> > implants. Now, I know she has an autoimmune disease (Graves),

but

> > didn't know about her implants. Come to find out her disease

came

> on

> > shortly after her augmentation surgery. When I spoke to her

about

> > it, she said that right after having a mercury filling removed

from

> a

> > tooth, the disease came on putting her in the hospital;

therefore,

> > she attributes her disease to the filling. (I too have an excuse

> for

> > all my symptoms....are we simply in denial?) She refuses to

> believe

> > her implants are causing her illness. Others who work in the

> office

> > with her daily say she complains often of fatique, tires easily

and

> > has the infamous " brain fog. "

> >

> > Q. Isn't there mercury in the implant bags? (Someone told me

> that

> > there is.)

> >

> > Thank you for taking the time to read this. Any input is

> appreciated

> > more than you could ever know.

> >

> > Sincerly, Dee AKA Explant Scaredy-cat.

[Guest guest]

Dee,

I would urge you to get off that Imuran. I am not a doctor and you don't need to take any of my advice, but the fact that you have been so sick and your body is already toxic and struggling makes me wonder how you can even function adding more poison to your already overloaded body. You poor thing! Why in the world would any doctor give you chemotherapy drugs????? I am in total shock!

Is is actually making you feel better? Did they give it to you as an alternative to the prednisone?

Prednisone definitely stops inflammation that is going on in your body. However, prednisone is also very toxic and leaves long lasting side effects. It basically cripples the immune system. (I myself would run from any doctor who handed me a prescription for prednisone! ) Please understand I am not saying anything against your treatment, for I know you were desperate for help and relief from those ulcers. In 5 years I have heard from many women in such desperate need of relief, and prednisone does bring them back to a place where they can function. It certainly does the job. It is just such a nasty drug in terms of what it does to the body.

I can identify with all the symptoms you wrote about......the brain fog being the worst for me personally. It sounds like you have been sick for 10 years, is this right? How have you ever managed to function in all that time with these symptoms? I think I would have been totally insane by now....anyway, I am glad you have finally made the connection and are seeking the answers that will help you.

I'll try to answer your questions one by one:

Q. Is it possible to find out for certain that it's the implants making me ill?

Not really. There are no specific tests. However, we have many years worth of anecdotal reports that show women have improvement in their health once the implants are removed. This is also verified with blood work that improves.

Q. How do I know if I have an infection from the implants or if my body is simply reacting to the metals in the bag?

An infection in and around the implants can be verified upon explant. One lady told me that when she was explanted, her implants were sitting in her chest in a sea of green ooze. There will be other ways to verify infection, either through blood work, tissue samples, pathology reports, implant analysis, etc. The situation regarding the metals is a little more questionable, basically because allopathic medicine rarely recognizes toxic metal syndromes.

Alternative medicine practitioners are more well versed in this and can test for metal toxicity and treat with chelation therapy.

Q. What doctors can I trust? Very few MD's. Very few Plastic surgeons. Mostly, alternative medicine practitioners who understand toxicity in the body.

Q. If I do decide to get explanted, (think I should??) how do I pay for it as I do not have the funds for it right now???Yes, you should get explanted. Not having the funds is the number one problem for most sick women. It is the golden hurdle! Beg, borrow from relatives, put it on the credit card, set up a payment plan with your explanting p/s, negotiate with your insurance company, whatever you have to do. Everyone sooner or later finds a way.

Q. Imuran is poison (chemotherapy). If the implants are poisoning me AND I'm taking Imuran, what can result?Not much good, I am afraid. I seriously question the wisdom of taking these kinds of drugs....it seems to be totally contrary to the direction your body would really like to go for healing, and that is to totally clean out and detox.

Q. Isn't there mercury in the implant bags? (Someone told me that there is.)There are metal catalysts in the silicone shell, such as platinum, tin, and a few others. Mercury I doubt, but it is possible. I'll have to find the link that discusses the shell contents and let you know.

Patty

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

From: deej11902

Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 8:24 PM

Subject: Diseased & Need Advice

Hi, everyone. Thanks to ~Patty~ I am here.I'm ill and beside myself with my new-found realization that my illness may be due to my saline-filled breast implants. Because I am in shock, racked with fear and consumed with thoughts of my situation everyday, I apologize up front if I ramble on and/or ask too many questions.I just turned 37 in May and I feel as if I'm 77. I'm a single mother of one child, a 15-year-old son. We live alone in the San Diego area. All my family live back East.I had breast augmentation in October 1993. About six months later I began feeling dizzy at times and/or in a fog. I had neck and upper back pain and simply associated it to my career (I'm a court reporter) I practically live at my chiropractor's office, oftentimes going in more than once in a day crying saying, "What's wrong with me? Fix it."....etc. To this day I often suffer from severe brain fog that makes me zombie-like. I get confused, run into things with my car and I get very forgetful. I'm simply weird.Last November I became so ill that I ended up in the hospital. I had apthous ulcers in my mouth and down my esophogus. It was so bad I could not eat or drink ANYTHING. I also had body pain all over. Docs put me on morphine. After two grueling weeks in the hospital, the docs, calling me "The Mystery Woman" since they couldn't diagnose me, got me well on prednisone and sent me home. The doc I saw as an outpatient diagnosed me with Crohn's disease although I did not have Crohn's symptoms. I thought that was so odd! I beg to differ with him but it fell on deaf ears so I left him and went elsewhere.In the meantime, my chiropractor ask me the question one day, "Do you have breast implants and if so, are they silicone-filled?" When I told him yes, I have breast implants but they are saline-filled, he dismissed the possibility that my sickness was cause by them, but I did not (I am a ruthless truth-seeker!)After he and I had that discussion, I went to see my rheumatologist (my new doc) and asked her if the implants could be doing this to me. She said no. They all say no. All the doctors. I can't help but think it is the implants since all these weird pains started right after implantation. I found Dr. Kolb online and called her up. She and I spoke. She suggested I call my doctor and ask for a T cell sensitivity test. So I did. My doc said no, that breast implants and autoimmune disease is a very controversial subject and she did not want to go down that path. I thought "What a bitch!" And so I fired her too.I found a new doc and see her next week. I have a laundry list of symptoms. To name a few besides what I already mentioned I have peripheral neuropathy (numbness and tingling in feet and hands), joint pain, headaches, twitching muscles, loss of sensation in various areas of the body, night sweats, sleep disturbance. I am currently on Imuran, a chemotherapy drug. It seems to help the symptoms enough so that I can function, work, make money. Some days are better than others.I finally got my operative report from my plastic surgeon. I about lost it when I saw on it that I, in fact, have textured McGhan implants. I thought they were smooth. Dr. Feng and Dr. Kolb both told me they see lots of problems with patients who have textured implants.It's starting to "add up" and looking more to me that it is, in fact, my implants that are making me so ill but I still have some questions:I just found out today that someone at my firm's office has implants. Now, I know she has an autoimmune disease (Graves), but didn't know about her implants. Come to find out her disease came on shortly after her augmentation surgery. When I spoke to her about it, she said that right after having a mercury filling removed from a tooth, the disease came on putting her in the hospital; therefore, she attributes her disease to the filling. (I too have an excuse for all my symptoms....are we simply in denial?) She refuses to believe her implants are causing her illness. Others who work in the office with her daily say she complains often of fatique, tires easily and has the infamous "brain fog."Thank you for taking the time to read this. Any input is appreciated more than you could ever know.Sincerly, Dee AKA Explant Scaredy-cat

[Guest guest]

Awesome ! I am so glad you have a support system there for you, and yes, Dr. Gilbert Lee comes highly recommended. Ilena is a good friend of mine, and I trust her judgement with all my heart. I know you can't wait for this surgery! It seemed like time slowed to a crawl when I was waiting for my surgery date to come around. I hope you and Dee can be connected for each other as well. So glad you guys live in the same area!

Patty

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

From:

Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 6:26 AM

Subject: Re: Diseased & Need Advice

Hello Dee...

I also live in San Diego (santee), I was implanted in July of 2000. I am 36 and have a husband and 3 sons. I was implanted with Mcghan as well. I have many of the same sympotoms as you and have been trying unsuccesfully for a year and a half to have my doctor pinpoint the problems and symptoms to the implants. Between cardiovascular, asthma and nuerologists, no one can figure out what is wrong with me. Of course they say it cannot be the implants. "they are the safe Saline implants"I have all the following symptoms:

joint pain, headaches, twitching muscles, memory loss, muscular aches, asthmatic symptoms, night sweats, sleep disturbance. ( I cannot even walk across the street with out becoming winded and achy)

Anyhow, I have done quite a bit of research and I am opting for removal. I went to my original PS, she thought I was a loon for wanting them out and they could not be making me sick. I went to another, he said think about it for 6 months, they could not be making me sick. Another, Dr. Marek Dobke, was pretty supportive and I may get better getting them out, but he wanted to do replacement with some fat cells from other parts of my body to make me look normal I was an "a" now "d". Going back to "a".

I finally saw Dr. Lee in Carmel Valley area, Ilena Rosenthal( I found her at www.explantation.com) highly recommended him, his website is www.changesplasticsurgery.com He actually specializes in repairing nerves as well. I spoke recently to another patient on the phone, who was very sick, like us, she had lost 18 lbs in 3 months, she had them removed by him back in March and is crediting him with saving her life.

I have scheduled surgery for the 27th of June and my husband backs my decision 100%, he wants to see me get better and be able to run again. If you need to talk to someone feel free to e-mail me at scott258@...

Take care....