Fw: Private Intro to Saline Support

[Guest guest]

I'd like to share this message with the group, while at the same time respecting this woman's desire for anonymity. I hope you will all encourage our new friend as she prepares for explant, and offer her your friendship. I think she will be very grateful for all of your support and encouragement, right here on the group.

Patty

----- Original Message ----- From: **********

fdp@...

Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 12:16 PM

Subject: Private Intro to Saline Support

Hello Patty,My name is ******, and I am very well known over the internet, so I did not want to post publicly. Right now I am dealing with the devastating fact that my saline implants I had placed in me, August 16, 1977, may be making me sick or have greatly contributed to it. How do I remember the date so well? It was the same day that Elvis died. Ironic because I am now fighting for my life, things have been touch and go since February 2000.I became totally disabled in 1986 with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but I developed some bizarre health issues one year after my implants after looking back. I have been housebound since that time.I became suddenly ill, which manifested at first with NUMB arms, hands, legs and feet and brain fog followed shortly thereafter. MS was ruled out, then lupus, then MS again, then Huntington's then Lyme, MS again, then Lyme again. Now my diagnosis is CFS with secondary FM and MCS. I was only recently able to face the fact that my implants had deflated. I suspect they gradually went down and did not rupture, but I can't be sure. I had remained at my teenage weight until I got worse in 2000, which partly due to the onset of hypothyroidism, and I gained 20 pounds which a lot of that is fluid and a lot of fluid in my breasts. I am very petite, so I only recently realized my implants had deflated. I have had them so long, I really do not even think about them.I was upset because I did not think my health would permit me to get new implants, and so I started searching for a group to see if I could just find some information on a top notch surgeon, and to my shock, I found that women are getting sick from saline implants! I had NO idea. I have read and read in the archives in your group, and I have cried and cried. Maybe I just did not want to know. Now I will not only NOT have them replaced, I know I must have them OUT ASAP.I think God led me to your group, I am a very committed Christian, and I related to your story so very much. I have a wonderful loving spouse who is also my caretaker. He has to cook, clean, shop and most everything. God gifted him with caretaking, but we are both more than ready for me to be better. Maybe I can be, it was seeming there was no more hope of that. I have spent thousands of dollars on treatments and supplements, which I know have kept me alive, but I am still progressive.

I have a lot of immunity issues and I am frail and I have genetic defects so that I do not detox some drugs normally. The genetic issue is probably why I am so very ill, detoxing in even a normal person is important, but my body has a major toxic dump sitting right on it in two spots. I have had a lot of immune testing because I have been seeing the top MD in CFS treatment for 13 years and he also does research, I am one of his sickest patients. I never thought to even tell him about the implants, I have just had them so long, I never thought about them. I was fortunate that the P/S I had never told me there would be no problems. He said the company says they will last forever, but he said HE did not know that, and he did not want silicone all over my body from a rupture. He also did not want to overfill because of the strain on the implant. He did not want to overfill me either. I was flat chested and petite, and he did not want me to try and be huge, and I did not even want the Barbie look, I just wanted to be a 32B and not have to wear a padded bra to be one. Maybe that why my implants lasted for the top of their life, 25 years. Or maybe it was just God. I have a poem that took the Net by storm in 1998, My Cyber Friend, so my name is well known, you can stick my name in a search engine and find out. I just really do not want this out. I can't deal with this being public. If you want to share my story on the list with identification taken out, you are welcome to do that. I was working in medical before I became ill, I was such an active person, I was serving the Lord and had a zest for life that did not end. I had never thought one day of all these years these implants could be making me sick. I am totally overwhelmed, if my health were not so fragile, I am not scared to give up my breasts, I am trying to live, breasts mean little to me now. I am a total health nut, I do detox ALL the time. I have to do even be alive. But the years are taking their toll. I am not only housebound now but bedbound. Thank you for your story, the list, the answers I am receiving in my searches in the archives. I do not feel so alone now. God bless you and keep healing you. : )

Hi Patty, I spent more hours and hours reading on your list and the Google breast group...I am SO impressed with Dr. Feng. I still want my breasts to look good after the surgery, and Cleveland is only about 8 hours from me. I think it is worth the extra time. This will be IT for me.Am I correct that Dr. Feng explanted you?Did your insurance pay for the procedure except for co-pays?And do you have an opinion on her fat transplant to the breast considering that I was totally flat chested? I am going to call her office in a little while. I have tried to examine my breasts some more, and one breast is quite a bit smaller than the other, I think I am slowly leaking, I do not believe my implants are ruptured, they are most likely leaking from the valve. I realize now my smooth saline implants are probably more durable than what is being implanted today. I think I got mine right before the quality went down. Mine are Dow Corning, but my P/S has long been out of practice. Do you have a recommendation of nice padded bras? The old ones I wore 26 years ago were hot and heavy and not comfortable. It was what made me want the surgery. My dear 84 year old grandmother was buried in her padded bra (guess we know where I got mine as my Mother is HUGE...so is my daugheter). I got $2000 inheritance from her and thought it fitting that I could spend that to get the implants and not be buried in a padded bra.The Lord is so gracious to love and forgive this foolish child who was not happy with the body he gave her. I really loved my small breasts, I could go braless and they were not heavy nor sagged. My Mother always told me how lucky she was and she would swap with me. I thought she was nuts. But after wagging just these small implants (I believe mine were only 250cc) around, I agree, flat was so comfy. : )Thanks again for your list, I started reading there pretty freaked out about all of this, and now I am at peace and really looking forward to being me and real again, but I do want to go to THE best. I got into the uploaded files section and found out about Dr. Feng, and I was SO impressed with the photos of her work, she is something else! God bless and have a wonderful day!

Patty, I just called and talked to at Dr. Feng's office for a very long time. She is very sure that this is why my health has crumbled and feels I will come out of my wheelchair and regain much of my health if not all of it. She said with it being saline, I will have a better recovery. I have never felt as secure and confident with anyone, I knew God brought me to your list and to this doctor. How will I ever thank you enough for your website so I could see those photos and read the stories and learn about Dr. Feng!!! I have been fighting to live for the last three years, and I kept feeling that God was going to bring me save my life and bring me out of this bed, but I kept being very ill. I feel as if my prayer is about to be answered.Please be praying for me. I see Dr. Feng on September 18, and my surgery will be the next day, I will come home about Tuesday of the next week. I have always had pain with my implants, I thought it was because they were under the muscle, and I just assumed everyone had pain from an object shoved up under a muscle, sadly said "No". The eczema started about that time as well as horrible allergies.....just all sorts of things! I never ever thought it was the implants because it was slow an insidious. When I told her about my very numb hands, arms, legs and feet, she said that is classic, everything I was saying was classic. I broke down and cried at that point and I was trying not to. I am going to have the procedure done that will naturally lift my breast, and I just wish I were going tomorrow, but I had expected it to be a lot longer to get in than just 7 weeks. I am SO thankful!My dream is to get to go to Christmas family get togethers this year...maybe even Thanksgiving! I have missed all of them for 3 years. I have not seen my 84 year old Mother in two years. I am asking God to bless you with even more healing of your body and in your whole life for the blessing you have been to me. Forever grateful,

********

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thanks for the update, I know how scary it can be to have the new symptoms, especially after explant, but DO NOT be discouraged, sweetie, you are still healing. Gosh, remember, you are only 10 months post explant....you have to remember how long of a road this healing is and that sometimes you might have some weird things go on that catch you off guard. You already know it took me 4 years to feel my best, so keep that in mind! 10 months is really not that long, even though it feels like forever. I had some of my worst symptoms after explant. In particular I had one episode that totally freaked me out, it still does when I think about it, and I am sure I've mentioned this one before. It was when I woke up early one morning, like 4 am and had to go to the bathroom but when I went to push down on the bed with my arm to raise myself up, my arm was dead, no feeling whatsoever. I remember staring at my arm, wondering why it was laying there. Then I picked it up with my other hand and it fell back on the bed with a thump, like a dead log! I started to panic and beat the crap out of it because I didn't know what was going on, and eventually the feeling came back to my arm very slowly, with all the tingling and pins and needles feeling. I've never forgotten that moment. I have never had that happen before in my life, nor has it happened since.

Remember also Kristi Wilmore, who MTV did a story on a few years ago, she was a college student and had all the symptoms we did, and more. She wrote me, mentioning that she was falling down on her way to classes--just walking along and suddenly falling down for no reason--I've heard that from other women as well, but today, from what I understand, Kristi is living a normal life again. The last I heard from her was she was getting married, last March. Wish she was a part of our group. She had a great testimony to share, but just remember, she is healed!

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that even though you have reason to be concerned, have faith, God will pull you through this.

I want to jump for joy this morning, as I feel wonderful, finally, again! As many of you know, I have been struggling with this brain fog and horrendous headaches the past few days, no period, and even though that has not started yet, this morning I have felt clear headed and really good, no headache, and it felt like the dark clouds have finally cleared. I even went on a 4 mile walk this morning and felt exhilarated. I have NO IDEA what happened, why I am suddenly feeling good again. I have done coffee enemas faithfully in the morning, and I still want to do my juice fasting to get the good quality nutrients and enzymes in my system (and I pray that it does not bring on a healing crisis again), but I am just so thankful to God that I am feeling like myself once again. It's been a long month! I pray it continues, and I plan to immerse myself in God's Word even more to fortify my faith.

My Bible reading is in the Psalms this month, and all I can say is that God's Word is full of hope and promises that can be counted on. I will never doubt His ability to heal.

Take care, , I will be praying for you!

Patty

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

From: JOSEPH PALANCA

Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 10:04 AM

Subject: Re: Fw: Private Intro to Saline Support

Rita, thanks, understanding friends are always needed at this time.The only thing I am worried about is the numbness and the symptoms wer before all the fasting. I have been fasting due to the symptoms. I am sure though, as you said, with the supplemtns I have been taking, and the diet aince xplant 10 months ago, I may be cleaning up, and feeling the detox now. I hope nna

[Guest guest]

I was wondering if the symptoms could be from the minocin, as i

have heard allot of side effects from this drug, I know it is

supposed to be good but I have also read some nasty stuff about it,

so maybe it is the med?

hope you feel better girl, hang in there, we have all had our

relapses, it just sucks when it is something new. I was very ill last

week and it scared the hell out of me, I think once we get a taste of

being well it gets harder to deal with illness again, even for one

day like my fever, bug.

hugs

In , " JOSEPH PALANCA " <juliejp61@m...>

wrote:

>

[Guest guest]

I just want to encourage everyone who is thinking of explantation.

Please don't be scared. The recovery was the easiest surgery I've

had, and I've had many non-elective surgeries. It's only been 3

weeks and 1 day for me since explantation, and I feel so much better

it's shocking and very disturbing to me.

I know I have a ways to go to get to feeling like myself again, but

I can tell you that there has not been a second that I am not

thankful for having those things taken out of my body. I have

absolutely no regrets. I wish I had never put them in, of course,

but I also wish I had known sooner once they were in what they were

doing to me. I agree with Patty that the power of prayer is

incredible, and I pray for you all as well as myself!

Lena

> Hi ,

> Thanks for the update, I know how scary it can be to have the new

symptoms, especially after explant, but DO NOT be discouraged,

sweetie, you are still healing. Gosh, remember, you are only 10

months post explant....you have to remember how long of a road this

healing is and that sometimes you might have some weird things go on

that catch you off guard. You already know it took me 4 years to

feel my best, so keep that in mind! 10 months is really not that

long, even though it feels like forever. I had some of my worst

symptoms after explant. In particular I had one episode that

totally freaked me out, it still does when I think about it, and I

am sure I've mentioned this one before. It was when I woke up early

one morning, like 4 am and had to go to the bathroom but when I went

to push down on the bed with my arm to raise myself up, my arm was

dead, no feeling whatsoever. I remember staring at my arm, wondering

why it was laying there. Then I picked it up with my other hand and

it fell back on the bed with a thump, like a dead log! I started to

panic and beat the crap out of it because I didn't know what was

going on, and eventually the feeling came back to my arm very

slowly, with all the tingling and pins and needles feeling. I've

never forgotten that moment. I have never had that happen before

in my life, nor has it happened since.

>

> Remember also Kristi Wilmore, who MTV did a story on a few years

ago, she was a college student and had all the symptoms we did, and

more. She wrote me, mentioning that she was falling down on her way

to classes--just walking along and suddenly falling down for no

reason--I've heard that from other women as well, but today, from

what I understand, Kristi is living a normal life again. The last

I heard from her was she was getting married, last March. Wish she

was a part of our group. She had a great testimony to share, but

just remember, she is healed!

>

> Anyway, I just wanted you to know that even though you have reason

to be concerned, have faith, God will pull you through this.

>

> I want to jump for joy this morning, as I feel wonderful, finally,

again! As many of you know, I have been struggling with this brain

fog and horrendous headaches the past few days, no period, and even

though that has not started yet, this morning I have felt clear

headed and really good, no headache, and it felt like the dark

clouds have finally cleared. I even went on a 4 mile walk this

morning and felt exhilarated. I have NO IDEA what happened, why I

am suddenly feeling good again. I have done coffee enemas

faithfully in the morning, and I still want to do my juice fasting

to get the good quality nutrients and enzymes in my system (and I

pray that it does not bring on a healing crisis again), but I am

just so thankful to God that I am feeling like myself once again.

It's been a long month! I pray it continues, and I plan to immerse

myself in God's Word even more to fortify my faith.

>

> My Bible reading is in the Psalms this month, and all I can say is

that God's Word is full of hope and promises that can be counted

on. I will never doubt His ability to heal.

>

> Take care, , I will be praying for you!

> Patty

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

> From: JOSEPH PALANCA

>

> Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 10:04 AM

> Subject: Re: Fw: Private Intro to Saline Support

>

>

> Rita, thanks, understanding friends are always needed at this

time.The only thing I am worried about is the numbness and the

symptoms wer before all the fasting. I have been fasting due to the

symptoms. I am sure though, as you said, with the supplemtns I have

been taking, and the diet aince xplant 10 months ago, I may be

cleaning up, and feeling the detox now. I hope nna