Kacey's Story is posted in the archives!

[Guest guest]

My name is Kacey, I'm 21 years old, and received my saline breast

implants two years ago, when I was 19. To sum up, I graduated

college at the age of 20, played every sport in high school, and was

the epitome of health until I received my implants. I thought that

my body was too " bottom " heavy. I was a " barely B " and I told my

plastic surgeon to make me " perfect " . So, to him, " perfect " meant

going from a size B to a D. I thought this man knew everything;

afterall, my friend had been working for him for 12 years, just got

saline breast implants herself, and said no one had ever complained

of problems because afterall, " they are just salt water " .

Immediately after surgery, I began experiencing weird, shooting arm

pains. Then slowly, every joint/bone/muscle in my body was in

excruciating pain. I was exhausted all of the time, had no energy,

experienced hair loss, had chest and heart, and rib pains, and had

trouble remembering things and thinking clearly (the list goes on

and on---before implants, I just had allergies).Then I was diagnosed

with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondilitis (arthritis of

the neck and spine), Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and

Systemic Silicone Poisoning. I lived in doctor's offices, I was bed-

ridden, and I was disabled (I've got the handicapped parking pass

and am waiting on my lawyer's appeal for my disability claim).

My " safe " saline breast implants cost me everything. The surgery to

put them in cost $4500, and to take them out was the best $6400 my

parents could have spent...yep, my parents, as I am still paying on

the cost to have them put in.

I never thought about my implants being dangerous. Almost all of my

doctors would consistently tell me that my health problems were not

related to implants. The fact is, these saline implants are encased

in silicone....and silicone is HARMFUL to your body! The silicone

shell IS enough to cause autoimmune diseases and various health

problems. I was tested for silicone poisoning, and I came up

positive. I had my breast implants removed a month ago today, and

my health has improved dramatically. I feel like I will eventually

get my life back, but it won't be without a fight and a continuous

struggle.

I have seen what saline breast implants are capable of, and I have

decided to do whatever I can to warn other women of the dangers.

Just last night I turned my restaurant check over and wrote a quick

note to the waitress.....just anything I can do to get this issue

out. Currently, I'm working with MTV to do a segment on the dangers

of plastic surgery (which airs in March. 2004) and also a British

documentary (airs early Summer 2004). I wish I would have found

websites like 's Saline Support Group two years ago. I wish I

had known what I was getting myself into...but if women knew about

all of this stuff, there is NO WAY that breast implants would be in

as high of a demand. I'm not totally against plastic surgery; I'm

against implanting foreign objects into your body (and DEFINITELY if

they are silicone)...it's not natural, and unless it's absolutely

necessary to live--I WOULDN'T DO IT. Maybe there is a way to see if

a surgeon would be able to work with the breast tissue a woman

already has in order to enhance their appearance. There just has to

be a better option.

After my breast implants were taken out, my bra size is a 36C. Yep,

a whole size larger than the ones I was born with (to recap:

34B/34D/36C). This may have to do with the fact that our breasts

still grow in our early 20's (I didn't know this one either)...and

it may have to do with the fact that I had an awesome explanting

(P/S that took them out) surgeon, Dr. Melmed in Dallas, TX.

Additional information about me can be found at my website:

www.implantsout.com