Re: To explant or not to explant, that is the question!

[Guest guest]

,

Somehow I overlooked your message. I'm new, so I don't know how to

find everything yet! I plan on sticking around though, even after

I'm well - just like you. When I get better and I have proof that it

was the implants making me sick, I will tell everyone and anyone what

happened. I want to warn as many as I can. My sister-in-law is

seriously considering getting them now. I sent her as much info as I

could find and just warned her as firmly as I could. It will be much

more believable when I'm better. I just hope she waits that long. I

haven't had a chance to check out everyone's boobs yet! That sounds

a little weird! But, I will. I assume you used Dr. Feng? I almost

had an appt. in January with her. They require a 1,500 non-

refundable deposit to hold a surgery date. I chickened out and

didn't call back to schedule it. I called my ps here and went

today. He didn't impress me much. I felt uncomfortable there. I do

want to go a doctor who will do their absolute best to get everything

out the right way. But, I have no money. I've been out on

disability for 6 months and the disability company says everything is

pre-ex. so I have no income. I have a credit card with about 9k

available on it. I don't even know if that will be enough.

Thanks for all the good info!

Pam

> > I just found this group about a week ago. I must say that I am

> > overwhelmed by the number of women who have experienced what I'm

> now

> > going through and very glad to find I'm not alone. I got saline

> > implants in August of 1999. Of course, I was told that they are

> not

> > the " silicone " ones, therefore, they're safe. Mine even had a

> > lifetime warranty! Woo hoo! Anyway, you all know the rest. So,

> > here I am sweating the decision of whether or not to have them

> taken

> > out. My gynecologist says yes, and soon. My (ex) Rheumatologist

> > says no, you won't get better anyways. My husband says - listen

to

> > your rheumatologist! The rest of my family says - do whatever

you

> > can to get better. My husband doesn't believe all my aches and

> > pains. He thinks I go on the internet to find phantom illnesses

> that

> > I can say I have. I guess he's partly right. For the last year

> and

> > a half, I've been researching all of my symptoms. I first found

> that

> > a hormone imbalance could be the culprit and my doctor treated me

> for

> > it. I didn't get better. Then hypothyroidism sounded like it

fit

> > most of my symptoms and my doctor treated me for that with no

> > improvement. Then fibromyalgia seemed to fit the bill even

better,

> > so I was diagnosed with that last fall. Since my gyn was

treating

> me

> > for all of these " contrived " illnesses and fibromyalgia is

normally

> > treated by a rheumatologist, he suggested I visit one. I did,

and

> > was then diagnosed with " early inflammatory arthritis " (negative

> > rheumatoid factor) along with carpal tunnel, mild raynaud's,

> chronic

> > fatigue and almost all the symptoms of lupus just to mention a

> few!

> > I am really struggling now because I want to make the right

> > decision. I feel like taking the implants out will make me get

> > better, but what if it doesn't? Is there still a chance that

I'll

> be

> > like this for the rest of my life? I'm only 38. I can barely

walk

> > up a flight of stairs! I just became a grandma in March and my

> > little munchkin weighs 22 pounds! I'm not going to be able to

pick

> > him up much longer. My daughter is 17 and they live with me. I

> need

> > to help her until she can get out on her own. Then my husband

> looks

> > at me like I'm such a failure because I don't vacuum anymore and

I

> > rarely have the energy to make dinner. He says he understands,

but

> > then he ends up taking his frustration out on the kids. He

thinks

> > that if I can get dressed and put makeup on I should be able to

> clean

> > the house! I feel like my life is over sometimes. It feels like

> it

> > is because this is how you should feel at 98, not 38. My 70 year

> old

> > mother has 10 times more energy than me. I just want to get

> better.

> > I want to do the right thing. Sorry for rambling. This is the

> first

> > time I've ever " posted " a message. I have no idea if I'm

supposed

> to

> > give my life story or not! Thanks for listening.... Pam

[Guest guest]

Hy Pam,

Yes I did use Dr Feng, and I am so glad I did. My breasts were really

sad looking before implants, i had gotten so huge during my pregnancy

and then gained weight later on after and it took a huge toll on my

boobs! I finally got tired of the fat and lost the weight like 60

pounds! I was so happy to be thin and back in size 3 pants again, but

my boobs went from a C cup to a barely there B cup with nothing

really to fill a bra out with but saggy skin! It was gross! I was

extremely depressed so I decided to get implants. Well anyhow nothing

worked out for me, not only did my right implant look funny(it had

the double bubble look ) but then I got sick. Anyhow Pam I was so

scared of being deformed that I just new i needed the best surgeon to

fix me. I could not go back to those sad sacks of skin that I had

before implants, and as sick as I was and as much as I knew I had to

explant for my health, I also was very concerned about my breasts at

least looking good! I mean I did not care if I was going to be small,

I could even deal with flat as long as they were not saggy! Feng did

a marvelous job at fixing what I had left, which was not much! It

took some time for the scars to fade and to become invisible but they

are awesome now! I have to admit that I feel really good about my

body now, and the breast thing does not bother me anymore, it took

allong time to get there though I admit it!

ANyhow that was kind of a long answer to your question about Feng

wasn't it? LOL! I need to get off here because I have studying for a

test tonight and have to get to work too! All these things I could

not have dreamed about a few years ago, when I was so ill! I mean

school would not have been possible had it not been for Dr Feng

getting those implants and scar tissue out of me! I firmly believe

that I would not have ever gotten well if I had not made sure that

all that crap came out of me. I do not trust these Dr's that say our

bodies can absorb that scar capsule. Esp those of us who are ill! IT

just makes no sense to me to leave any trace of that crap behind! It

makes me angry that these Dr's don't want to help us, that they would

rather spend time telling us we are crazy than to find out what is

wrong with us and help us. Ya know if this were men this stuff was

happening to, I hate to say it but it is true, if it was men, these

damn implants would have been banned by now.

Arg!

Anyhow, your in the right place girl, you have all of us now to help

you and support you as you go through all this and that is awesome.

We are all pulling for you, you will find the right Dr and things

will get better, now that you have the truth on your side. Hang in

there and keep posting.

Love

In , " nannapam37 " <nannapam37@y...>

wrote:

> ,

>

> Somehow I overlooked your message. I'm new, so I don't know how to

> find everything yet! I plan on sticking around though, even after

> I'm well - just like you. When I get better and I have proof that

it

> was the implants making me sick, I will tell everyone and anyone

what

> happened. I want to warn as many as I can. My sister-in-law is

> seriously considering getting them now. I sent her as much info as

I

> could find and just warned her as firmly as I could. It will be

much

> more believable when I'm better. I just hope she waits that long.

I

> haven't had a chance to check out everyone's boobs yet! That

sounds

> a little weird! But, I will. I assume you used Dr. Feng? I

almost

> had an appt. in January with her. They require a 1,500 non-

> refundable deposit to hold a surgery date. I chickened out and

> didn't call back to schedule it. I called my ps here and went

> today. He didn't impress me much. I felt uncomfortable there. I

do

> want to go a doctor who will do their absolute best to get

everything

> out the right way. But, I have no money. I've been out on

> disability for 6 months and the disability company says everything

is

> pre-ex. so I have no income. I have a credit card with about 9k

> available on it. I don't even know if that will be enough.

>

> Thanks for all the good info!

>

> Pam

>

>

> > > I just found this group about a week ago. I must say that I am

> > > overwhelmed by the number of women who have experienced what

I'm

> > now

> > > going through and very glad to find I'm not alone. I got

saline

> > > implants in August of 1999. Of course, I was told that they

are

> > not

> > > the " silicone " ones, therefore, they're safe. Mine even had a

> > > lifetime warranty! Woo hoo! Anyway, you all know the rest.

So,

> > > here I am sweating the decision of whether or not to have them

> > taken

> > > out. My gynecologist says yes, and soon. My (ex)

Rheumatologist

> > > says no, you won't get better anyways. My husband says -

listen

> to

> > > your rheumatologist! The rest of my family says - do whatever

> you

> > > can to get better. My husband doesn't believe all my aches and

> > > pains. He thinks I go on the internet to find phantom

illnesses

> > that

> > > I can say I have. I guess he's partly right. For the last

year

> > and

> > > a half, I've been researching all of my symptoms. I first

found

> > that

> > > a hormone imbalance could be the culprit and my doctor treated

me

> > for

> > > it. I didn't get better. Then hypothyroidism sounded like it

> fit

> > > most of my symptoms and my doctor treated me for that with no

> > > improvement. Then fibromyalgia seemed to fit the bill even

> better,

> > > so I was diagnosed with that last fall. Since my gyn was

> treating

> > me

> > > for all of these " contrived " illnesses and fibromyalgia is

> normally

> > > treated by a rheumatologist, he suggested I visit one. I did,

> and

> > > was then diagnosed with " early inflammatory arthritis "

(negative

> > > rheumatoid factor) along with carpal tunnel, mild raynaud's,

> > chronic

> > > fatigue and almost all the symptoms of lupus just to mention a

> > few!

> > > I am really struggling now because I want to make the right

> > > decision. I feel like taking the implants out will make me get

> > > better, but what if it doesn't? Is there still a chance that

> I'll

> > be

> > > like this for the rest of my life? I'm only 38. I can barely

> walk

> > > up a flight of stairs! I just became a grandma in March and my

> > > little munchkin weighs 22 pounds! I'm not going to be able to

> pick

> > > him up much longer. My daughter is 17 and they live with me.

I

> > need

> > > to help her until she can get out on her own. Then my husband

> > looks

> > > at me like I'm such a failure because I don't vacuum anymore

and

> I

> > > rarely have the energy to make dinner. He says he understands,

> but

> > > then he ends up taking his frustration out on the kids. He

> thinks

> > > that if I can get dressed and put makeup on I should be able to

> > clean

> > > the house! I feel like my life is over sometimes. It feels

like

> > it

> > > is because this is how you should feel at 98, not 38. My 70

year

> > old

> > > mother has 10 times more energy than me. I just want to get

> > better.

> > > I want to do the right thing. Sorry for rambling. This is the

> > first

> > > time I've ever " posted " a message. I have no idea if I'm

> supposed

> > to

> > > give my life story or not! Thanks for listening.... Pam