Re: telling my story/Colleen

[Guest guest]

Collen I have been really sick with a nasty case of pharyngitis and

must have missed your story. Is there a way of getting a copy of it

sent to me?

thanks sweetie

, " colleenfortner " <cfortner@e...> wrote:

> Thanks to everyone who replied about the Memphis Flyer story. I

think

> it turned out well too. I was worried about how the writer would

> handle the subject, but I think she did a great job. It was the

cover

> story too. On the cover of the paper, it said " An Imperfect

Solution -

> Saline breast implants are touted as a safe alternative to

silicone.

> A Memphis woman and her doctors disagree. " The whole cover is a

> picture of the silhouette of a breast...real attention grabber!

They

> also included my picture and the picture of my nasty looking

> implants.

>

> Since the story in the Memphis Flyer ran, I've had 3 other

> publications contact me wanting to do a story on me. I am hoping

that

> it will keep someone from having to go through the hell that we all

> have. I am so thankful that I've been given the opportunities to

tell

> my story...and that Shari was able to tell her story for Mtv too!!

>

> Love to you all,

> Colleen

[Guest guest]

--Way to go Colleen!! Awesome! hugs TERRY

- In , " colleenfortner " <cfortner@e...>

wrote:

> Thanks to everyone who replied about the Memphis Flyer story. I

think

> it turned out well too. I was worried about how the writer would

> handle the subject, but I think she did a great job. It was the

cover

> story too. On the cover of the paper, it said " An Imperfect

Solution -

> Saline breast implants are touted as a safe alternative to

silicone.

> A Memphis woman and her doctors disagree. " The whole cover is a

> picture of the silhouette of a breast...real attention grabber!

They

> also included my picture and the picture of my nasty looking

> implants.

>

> Since the story in the Memphis Flyer ran, I've had 3 other

> publications contact me wanting to do a story on me. I am hoping

that

> it will keep someone from having to go through the hell that we all

> have. I am so thankful that I've been given the opportunities to

tell

> my story...and that Shari was able to tell her story for Mtv too!!

>

> Love to you all,

> Colleen

[Guest guest]

Hey ! Sorry you've been sick! Here is the story again...

An Imperfect Solution

Saline breast implants are touted as a safe alternative to silicone.

Bianca | 8/13/2004

In 1997, when Colleen McKenzie was 19, she had a breast augmentation

procedure performed by the Memphis Plastic Surgery Group. She was

told that her new saline-filled implants were perfectly safe.

Three years later, McKenzie began experiencing fainting spells,

extreme fatigue, muscle and body aches, and fever. Her vision

blurred and she had to start wearing glasses. She suffered from

depression and memory loss and had to take a leave of absence from

her job as an art director for Idex Creative Marketing. She went from

doctor to doctor for months, but none could give her an accurate

diagnosis.

A rheumatologist told her that her illness was imaginary and

suggested she see a psychiatrist.

In 2001, McKenzie met Dr. Shanklin, a pathologist at the

University of Tennessee Health Science Center and a leader in

research linking saline implants to silicone poisoning. Saline

implants are filled with a saltwater solution, but the liquid is

encased in a silicone shell. Shanklin's studies indicate that the

silicone casing can cause the same kind of damage as a silicone-

filled implant. Shanklin diagnosed McKenzie with siliconosis, a

disease caused by too much silicone in the body. He said

McKenzie's symptoms were the same as those experienced by women with

silicone implants. Lawsuits from many of these women in the 1990s led

the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to restrict the use of silicone

implants.

Shanklin says siliconosis can cause autoimmune diseases, cognitive

dysfunction, seizures, and lupus. Other physicians are not so

sure. Many plastic surgeons claim there's not enough research to

prove that silicone causes health problems. And many of those who

do acknowledge the possibility of silicone-related illnesses still

tout saline implants as a safe alternative.

I Must, I Must, I Must Increase My Bust

Women have long attempted to increase the size of their breasts

with implants of various kinds. In the 1800s, women injected paraffin

directly into breast tissue. And some had glass or ivory balls

implanted. During the 1940s, Japanese prostitutes began injecting

industrial-grade silicone into their breasts to please American

soldiers. Many of them died when the silicone migrated to other

parts of their bodies. When Las Vegas showgirls began using a similar

procedure in the 1950s, the Nevada state government banned the

procedure.

Recognizing the market for a safe breast enhancement procedure,

two plastic surgeons in Texas developed silicone implants in the

1960s.

In 1976, the FDA enacted the Medical Devices Amendment, which

gives it the authority to review and approve the safety and

effectiveness of medical devices. Since breast implants were already

on the market, they were " grandfathered " in and didn't have to meet

the same criteria.

In 1984, legal troubles began. A silicone implant recipient sued

Dow-Corning, an implant manufacturer, after she'd contracted systemic

autoimmune disease. The jury agreed that Stern's implants

were the cause of her illness, and she was awarded $211,000 in

compensatory damages and $1.5 million in punitive damages. The

evidence was sealed under court order.

By the early 1990s, implant manufacturers were being routinely

sued, and the FDA began requesting studies on the safety of silicone

implants. A class-action lawsuit eventually left Dow-Corning, once

the largest implant manufacturer, bankrupt. In early 1992, FDA

commissioner Kessler called for a voluntary moratorium on

the distribution and implantation of silicone gel implants and asked

for more studies on their safety.

In April 1992, new research was submitted to the FDA, and Kessler

lifted the moratorium, with the caveat that silicone implants

should only be made available to women who met certain criteria, such

as needing reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy. Women who

underwent such surgery had to take part in a lengthy study protocol.

Now women who want routine cosmetic augmentation have only one

choice -- saline implants, which are marketed as the safe

alternative to silicone.

The " Safe " Choice?

Shanklin got involved in studying silicone poisoning by accident.

In 1986, a pathologist in Detroit was consulted in a lawsuit in which

a woman was claiming her implants had made her sick. When the doctor

learned that the surgeon being sued was a close friend, he asked

Shanklin to take his place.

" I went immediately to the library, because this was news to me,

and I was astonished to read papers from the 1960s and 1970s on the

issue, " says Shanklin. " One of the attorneys in the case asked me

to provide a list of all the things that could happen to this woman.

When I said she could die, attorneys woke up all over the room. "

The case was eventually settled out of court, but Shanklin

continued his research. He teamed up with fellow UT pathologist Dr.

Smalley, and the two wrote a number of research papers on the

effects of silicone on the human body. Their studies focused not only

on breast implants but the effects of silicone in other medical

devices as well. From February 1996 to June 2002, they ran an implant

follow-up clinic at UT to study poisoning from implants and to give

affected women a place to get help.

According to their findings, siliconosis is a real disorder that

generally shows up several years after implantation. Most of the

research provided to the FDA by the implant manufacturers was

conducted on subjects who had had implants for a year or less,

according to Shanklin.

" In long-term patients, we saw everything from rashes to

forgetfulness, " says Shanklin. " Some developed a broadly based

food intolerance, and one woman I saw had broken out into wandering

vasculitis, where various vessels swell up and the tissue around

them breaks and leaves scars, " says Shanklin. " I've had several

implant patients die of lupus in their 50s. "

According to the National Center for Policy Research for Women and

Families (CPR), manufacturers' studies do not take into account

that the types of diseases associated with silicone poisoning, such as

autoimmune and connective-tissue diseases, take years to develop.

But these manufacturer-approved studies are commonly accepted by many

plastic surgeons, including Dr. Wallace, a plastic surgeon

with UT Medical Group, Inc.

" If I went home tonight and my wife said, 'I'd like some breast

implants,' I'd say okay with no hesitation, " says Wallace.

Wallace has performed hundreds of saline breast implant

augmentations, and he says none of his patients have complained of

symptoms of siliconosis. He says he has " explanted " a couple of

siliconosis patients who got implants from other surgeons.

" There may be a small subset of people who really do have a

reaction [to silicone]. It's not our position to judge or try to

browbeat these people, telling them they're fine and they should get

back to work, " says Wallace. " But the medical science commissioned by

the courts came away with the conclusion that silicone does not make

you sick. "

(a Germantown nurse who requested that her name be

changed to protect her identity) had saline implants put in nine

years ago and she agrees. She says she hasn't experienced any

signs of silicone poisoning, nor has she experienced the more common

risks, such as deflation or capsular contracture.

" I've heard claims made by women about silicone poisoning, but I

don't believe there's actually a link between silicone and

diseases, " says , who went from a B-cup to a C-cup. " It's used

in all kinds of medical devices, like tubes for kids' ears and

artificial joints. Historically, it's been found to be a very inert

and safe material. "

However, Shanklin and Smalley's studies found that adverse

reactions also occurred in some patients who had been implanted with

these other medical devices. In one of their studies, which was

published in the Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine,

22 men and 21 women who had been injected or implanted with non-

mammary silicone-containing devices were tested to determine the

silicone's effect.

Their findings indicated that implantation of any silicone-

containing device has the same immunogenic consequences as those

shown in women with siliconosis. The study also showed that how long

the devices had been implanted was a more important risk factor than

the amount of silicone implanted.

Not all women who receive saline implants are at risk. Between

1985 and 1996, there were 23,454 adverse reaction reports filed with

the FDA for saline implants, versus 103,343 for silicone gel implants.

There's been little research to determine why some women are more

susceptible than others. Shanklin believes some women are simply

more genetically prone to adverse reactions to silicone.

McKenzie, who participates in a nationwide Internet support group,

isn't so sure. " The women in my group have had several conversations

trying to find that common link, " says McKenzie. " What is it about

us that would cause us to get sick? We can't find the answer. "

Finding that answer would mean more FDA-sanctioned manufacturer

research on women who have had implants for an extended period of

time. Many who believe that saline implants can cause siliconosis

are convinced that such studies will never happen, since proof that

saline implants can cause diseases could damage a multimillion-

dollar industry. Meanwhile, women like McKenzie try rigorous

detoxification programs and work to get health-care coverage from

skeptical medical insurance companies.

The Road to Recovery

Now 25, McKenzie is feeling much better, but she says she's still

got some healing ahead. She had her implants removed a year ago. On

good days, she's fine as long she's home and in bed fairly early. At

night, she still experiences intense pain, especially in her hands

and wrists. On bad days, she wakes up, takes her medicine, and

goes back to bed.

Most women need several years to recover from siliconosis, and

since many doctors don't believe the disease exists, many victims turn

to alternative medicine.

" I've only encountered two doctors who have believed me, " says

McKenzie. " My rheumatologist told me I didn't have to be sick if I

didn't want to. He suggested intensive psychotherapy. Why would I

want to be sick and bedridden by age 23? "

McKenzie gets emotional support as well as nutritional and

detoxification tips from Saline Support, a nationwide Internet

group for women who believe they have contracted siliconosis through

saline implants. The 433-member support group began in July 2000 when

Patty Fausett, a siliconosis victim from , Nevada, noticed a

lack of support for women who'd contracted the disease from saline

implants. She decided to start a group devoted to women with

saline implants.

" My goal was to really help us get better, because what I saw in

the other group was a lot of older women with horrible medical

problems that didn't seem to improve over time, " says Fausett. " The

ones who were showing improvement were doing it through alternative

medicine -- detoxification, healthy eating, and organic foods --

rather than going to doctors, who'll just give out prescription drugs

to further poison our bodies. "

The women in Saline Support use the group to share detox methods

that have worked and to share stories about their issues with doctors

and family members.

" Our group is a safe haven for women to come to, where they can

feel that they will not be rejected, " says Fausett. " So many doctors

have said this is all in their heads. Women can come here when they

have emotional problems from the frustration of dealing with doctors

who don't understand. We're like women on a stormy sea trying to keep

our heads above water, and there's no one there to help us. "

Fausett says she thinks the problem will only get worse as more

and more women opt for saline implants. According to CPR statistics,

the number of women who underwent augmentations doubled between 1997

and 2002. In 2002, approximately 236,888 women had cosmetic breast

implants.

" I don't know if they'll ever really find the answers until some

government agency steps in and realizes that women are getting

sick, " says Fausett. " We need to stop and find out what's going on and

how we should fix the problem. "

The Next Big Thing

" A number of years ago, " says Shanklin, " I had some patients that

had gotten implants as high school graduation presents, and that's

apparently become a sub-industry. You don't get a limousine ride

or a convertible anymore. You get breasts. When they're 35, they're

going to be sick as shit. I've seen it happen again and again. "

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 3,841 girls

18 or younger received breast implants last year. With the recent

popularity of plastic-surgery makeover shows, such as The Swan and

Extreme Makeover, breast implants and other forms of cosmetic

surgery seem more appealing to young girls.

" It's a tragedy that so many young women are running to plastic

surgeons to fix their bodies instead of learning how to accept

themselves as they are, " says Fausett. " I would just plead with

them not to get implants as a way to cure their self-esteem problems. "

Fausett worries that some teens who may be susceptible to silicone

poisoning will begin to see health problems before they reach 25.

And since there's no real cure, she says they're likely to be stuck

with some complications for the rest of their lives. Although

Fausett's almost back to normal after five years of recovery, she's

still dealing with an autoimmune thyroid disease.

But implant science is marching on, and there may soon be an

alternative to silicone and saline implants. Several biotechnology

companies are working on a tissue-engineering technique that would

inject cells from another part of the body into the breast area,

creating larger breasts. The technique would initially be marketed

to women who have had lumpectomies or mastectomies, but the method

could eventually be used for cosmetic breast enhancement as well. The

future of the technique depends on FDA approval.

For now, victims of siliconosis continue to publicize their

plight. A few weeks ago, a film crew from MTV's I Want a Famous Face

was in Memphis filming McKenzie for a segment of the show. Each show

counters a positive plastic surgery experience with a negative

one. One episode this fall will feature McKenzie in the negative story

slot.

The issue is slowly gaining more attention, and McKenzie is

planning on putting together a calendar of explanted women who've

contracted siliconosis through saline implants. She says she'll

probably use some of the women in her support group as models. Each

month will feature a different woman's pictures and story. Some of

the women have lost husbands and homes. Others spent months unable to

care for their own children.

" This is a lose-lose situation, " says Shanklin. " They lose their

health, and if the situation is severe enough, they lose their

augmented breasts. Sometimes they lose their husbands and their

jobs. They lose their self-esteem, and it's all downhill. All they've

got left is a chest so full of scars it looks like a railroad

switching yard. "