Please help Terri with questions about implants after mastectomy!

[Guest guest]

I could really use your help answering Terri's questions.... if you have any advice to offer her! Thank you so much for helping her get through this difficult and confusing time! Write to her at ttied@... Patty Terri Tiedeman <ttied@...> wrote: Hi Trish, I e-mailed Kathy, but have not gotten a response from her yet. I got a response from someone on the cancer survivor's network, and she has silicone implants for 3.5 years, and she said and I quote, "don't listen to the anti-implant nuts". I thought that was very unkind, since everyone's body reacts differently. Also her implants have only been in for 3 1/2 years and if silicone can

break between 3-5 years, hers can break soon. Also someone who has silicone told me she was never told the risks, but her surgeon said the implants would last 10 years and she has even taken out insurance through the implant manufacturer. Did you ever hear of that? I spoke with a person who reads mamagraphies and he says he knows women who have had them silicone and saline for 20 years, but I didn't ask him if he knew how often they were changed. He also said he didn't think the shell broke down, and that saline was safe and silicone implants were improved. But I am very skeptical and I have come to distrust the medical field on this. I feel like the surgeons want me to get them, because if they break down in less than 10 years, its like having an annuity that continues and continues. This way the surgeons are constantly doing surgery--but on us! Like I have said before, I have sensitive skin and I am reluctant to put the implants in

after my tissue expander, because what if I do develop problems, WOW! I also wonder why dental implants do not cause any side effects. If you get a specialist of dental extractions and dental implants you don't even get infection. I wonder why does dental implants work and not breast implants? Do you know, because I don't. I am so glad you wrote back to me. I feel so alone in my decision and I am mad by the lack of information I have received by the medical community. Someone in the medical field should have told me about the risks before I had a tissue expander put inside of me. It has a silicone shell with saline inside. But what's even worse, how do I tell my surgeon that I no longer want implants. Will he remove the tissue expander inside of me and the scar and surrounding tissue? Will he give me a nice cosmetic effect? Do I have to be very sick and have it documented for him not to put implants inside of me?

Please answer my questions to the best of your knowledge and/or recommend someone who can. Thanks for listening. Terri

Photos Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events, holidays, whatever.