Support Group Messages 12.14.2006

[Guest guest]

Dearest Group,

Whew! There is so much that is happening in this cause it is overwhelming to keep up. Since my win in the Supreme Court 3 weeks ago, as expected, the PR team for my losing plaintiffs have been working overtime to change history and attempt to make themselves look good (and me, the scourge of the earth!)

Any who wish to read my blog on this issue, and the losing plaintiffs attempts to change history on Wikipedia, can click

here

.. It is no coincidence that the breast implant / junk science public relations industry is doing the same history rewrite on the implant issue! If you receive the notices they are sending out that I am bankrupt, was arrested in San Diego, or the webpage purchased of my name with false and libelous information on it, you will see their desperation to attempt to discredit me. (When they lost at the Appeals Level, they put out then that I was arrested for selling crack cocaine to minors in San , Costa Rica).

Thank you for all the

congratulatory messages ... sorry I haven't responded personally,

please know I appreciate your support to my core.

I have heard from over a dozen new women by telephone in the last couple of weeks since this ruling came out and am doing my best to get back to everyone. Thank you so much to those of you who are offering to make phone calls. If there is anyone else that isn't on my small group of " callers " and would like to be, please let me know.

There are some important email requests below and some articles of import and interest. Two important recent studies (below) illustrate how the presence of breast implants can seriously impede heart problem examinations.

To see what we are up against, I really recommend listening to the interview on

My Long Life and Break for News with the Plastic Surgeon giving the breast implant industry junk science viewpoint ... as well as the excellent advocacy of Kim Gandy of NOW.org.

I believe I may have missed some support requests ... so please feel free to re-send and note it in the subject line.

With love & blessings to all.Ilena

www.BreastImplantAwareness.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~On 12/10/06, Tim & Farley <

tlfmoose@...

> wrote:

I need a plastic surgeon to remove my implants but I'd prefer to go to one that believes my health issues are related to the implants and not act like I'm crazy! I live in Iowa. Do you know of any PS any where close to me? Please contact me.

Sick in Iowa~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On 12/7/06, Gail Hamilton <

seagail2@...> wrote:

Hello Ilena,

Thank you for today's email, it was an amazing article and I have saved it to file. (Click here to read it if you missed it)

This morning I talked to a nurse at the dow settlement facility for 45

minutes. I am being denied a full disability claim which for my class

only pays 36,000.

That is for total disability or death. So I asked the nurse if I had

to be on a ventilator in order to be eligible? She said my 6 page

rheumy's report which clearly states I am profoundly, severely and

totally disabled isn't enough.

The report needed to have said that someone has to help me on & off

of the toilet and in and out of the tub. You need not only to be

unable to work but also unable to care for yourself.

I have never felt more helpless than I did this morning. I was sure I

qualified for this very small amount of compensation. Here I am, 14

years after I first got sick and I'm still in my p.j's on the sofa and

I'm not disabled enough! I can't stand the injustice of this! And

they are questioning the suicide rate? Good god!

I tried to call Pendleton's office but no one answered the phone

& voice mail did not come on either. I emailed her but I haven't

had any luck getting hold of any of the claims assistance people.

Everyone at the dow settlement facility tell me they are just a

'little' person in the overall situation and can't do anything for me.

Are you getting emails from women who are having this same problem? Is

there any solution? I'd really appreciate talking to someone who has

been able to have any success with the settlement process.

Please post if possible.

many thanks to you, love, gail

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SAriazi@... writes to CondeNast / Glamour rgarding January, 2007 article (mis)quoting her:

I am very disappointed about the way my letter was re-written in your magazine. The published version is not articulated as well nor does it convey the message of my original letter. Your version implies that the capsular contracture I experienced was the source of my health issues. Capsular contracture is a common condition where scar tissue forms around the implant and has no connection to my health problems.

A follow up email was sent to you shortly after the first email advising that a test for platinum was performed and that unusually high levels of platinum in #2 and #4 oxidized states were found in my body. These are neurotoxins and it is the platinum in these reactive states that leaked from the implants causing my illness. (Platinum is one of many chemicals used in both the implant shell and the gel-like liquid inside.)

It is evident that the person who edited my story has no understanding of breast implant complications and potential health risks.

Ariazi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From:

DGrahamA@...

<DGrahamA@...>Date: Dec 9, 2006 1:48 PMSubject: Terror in the Hospital ~

keeling.m@...Cc:

ilena@...

Hello , thank you for the test results and paperwork on the platinum testing. I showed the hospital, they did not copy it for my records there, nor look at the medical records I took with me, sad what they put me through because of it. Do you by chance have the oxidation studies on that test back yet? I am at such a loss with the medical field and how they treat people. I sometimes wonder if I have silicone clogging my liver and kidneys and heart and that is what is wrong. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and you are doing well. I am checking with friends to see if anyone will send a specamin to you for control, or comparison. I thank you so much for all your help and kindness ~ D

HELLO ILENA, WE NEED TO BE SURE EVERYONE QUESTIONS THEIR DOCTORS, ANY TESTING AND LAB WORK AND ALWAYS GET COPIES FOR THEIR RECORDS.

THIS WAS MY EXPERIENCE THIS LAST WEEKEND, ( FOR 4 DAYS) WHAT DO YOU THINK? I HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL, AND HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON~DEDE

I am home, and came home Monday. I have felt horrible all week til today. I dont feel good, but better. What a trip at that hospital I had. They almost killed me. I could not wait to get out of there. I went to my cardiologist this past wednesday, had some labwork done, and I go back next wednesday. I have lost 10 lbs of fluid since Monday, and that has helped some. My liver area still hurts some and my gut still feels like a huge hemrrhoid, but not as intense. My eyes are still yellow at the bottom. My cardiology nurse is checking on setting up a scan of my abdomen and pelvic area and she said my kidneys are doing well enough to use the IV contrast this time. The ultrasound on my kidneys and liver showed I now have a fatty liver so we need to find out why, as I do not drink any kind of alcohol and havent in years. This has happened since february, the ultrasound I had then showed the liver to be fine. My right kidney is still shrinking, and the left one is stable. The right one is the bothersome one anyway. Saturday night my blood pressure dropped to 70's/40's and 50's, and they flipped out. My heart has been doing that for a long time now, and Dr Venegoni knows that and is not worried about it. I always walk around and feel great when it is low., and I kept telling them ALL that. The hospital totally flipped their script and the doctor did too. They rushed me to ICU for 2 days and put me on dopamine. My heart ran off of my device the entire time I was on the dopamine, and didnt return to working on its own til they took me off of it. The nurse that. They would have killed me if I didnt have the device ! ! ! That was the scariest, cruelest, behavior I have ever experienced. The dopamine made my heart beat about out of my body, and it made me hot, and very upset stomach. I was in this glass box with wires running all over me, and no way to escape, and no one to sneak me out. Trust me I wanted to get out of there quickly. They wouldnt listen to me that this was normal for my heart. They wouldnt let me walk around like I do at home. I felt totally helpless. Then monday a new doctor came in and told me that my bloodwork for the day came out very good. Right then I knew he was a quack. I told him, It did? he said yes, it sure did, and I said, I dont remember them coming in and taking blood from me today. He said they did, and I said, could they have taken it out of my IV? he said yes. I was awake most of the night so I knew that was a lie as well. He said your Echo came out good too, you have a normal heart. I said, I do? hum... that is good. He said we are going to let you go home today. Right then a gal popped her head in and said, Ms Graham, I am here to take your blood for today. I see Dr Shane is in here, I will come back. Then Dr S said he was going to call Dr Venegoni and see what his orders are then send you home. Then I asked him about this thyroid, and he said to followup with an internal medicine doctor for that, but I will give you a prescription for your thyroid so you can continue on the meds til you get into a doctor. and I said what about this fatty liver deal, and I have this pain, and he said, you are getting older and that happens, your cholestrol gets high and it can cause that, Do you drink alcohol? I told him no, and I didnt smoke or do drugs either. He said I dont know, you just need to go see a doctor. I will be back after I talk to Dr Venegoni. Well, first off, when they did my TSH, on friday or saturday, it came out 17.66, and I told them I had never had a high TSH, and that they ran one when I was in the hospital there in february. Dr. Romaine put me on thyroid medication anyway. They gave it to me sat, sun and monday morning. The cholestrol test they did on me saturday came out the best, and very low, it was 120, and my triglycerides were 98, nice and low. Those are the numbers I was used to having before I got so sick. But, were they mine? or someone elses lab work? I have a copy of the lab tests with my name on them. I didnt trust anything that they did or said to me while there. It was the scariest form of torture I had ever had, like in a movie. I had my cardiologist add a TSH to my labwork on wednesday, and just as I thought it was normal, not the 17.66 that they said it was when they started me on the thyroid medication. Ok, I called Dad and asked him to come get me right away, that I would explain later why. Alittle while later Dr. Shane came back in the room and said he had spoken with Dr. Venegoni, and that he told him to tell me to not take any of my medicine unless my blood pressure was 120 or more over something, I said what about the diastolic, and he said it didnt matter what that number was. I confirmed that quote with Marci the nurse, and she confirmed. I said, I dont think that is what Dr. Venegone would tell me to do, but ok. Then Dr. Shane said I will write you your prescriptions, what do you need ? I will give you your thyroid, and a medication to take at night if your blood pressure goes too low, and what ever else you need. (This whole mess with that hospital and the doctors in it was a nightmare, and so I thought to myself, I will just ask for all kinds of things and see if he gives them to me.) The idiot did. One of which was Valium, and he wrote it for 5 mg and to take 3 times a day.........now would you give someone that that has a heart that was so slow they put in ICU and on dopamine?????? NOT.......Naturally I did not fill them, I did fill the thyroid, because at that point I hadnt decided to stop the drug and have the test repeated. I asked Dr Shane what order should I see doctors for my problems, as earlier when I discussed it with Marci the nurse, she said, Internal Medicine doctor, endocrinologist, rheumatologist, neurologist, a gastro man and a renal doctor. Isnt that rediculous????????? Anyway, once again Dr Shane said to me, do you drink alcohol???? By then I was insulted. I lost respect for the man the first sentenance out his mouth to me, and gave him the benefit of a doubt until the second words out his mouth to me. He assumed that since I have dialated cardiomyopathy and a fatty liver that I am a alcoholic or at least drink, and that is the cause of my health issues. You know, when I was in the ER on friday, I told Dr Romaine that I had brought my medical records with me if he wanted to see them, and he continued to ask me questions, and I asked him again, would he like to look at my records I brought, and he wasnt interested. The second night I spent in ICU, my monitors went off constantly. The only warning signs I could read said PVC's, and V-Tach, NOT GOOD ! ! ! There were a couple other warnings it gave, but I couldnt see them good enough to read. Many many times when it went off, it would beep about 20 times, then I would have to page a nurse to come in, that was totally pathetic ! ! It was a horrible night ! ! Anyway, I couldnt get out of there quick enough. I am safer here with Dad until we can find out what is up. Ya know, was any of the lab work done at the hospital really from my blood? The cholestrol and triglycerides, I hope are mine. The thyroid? unless I have a big problem, that wasnt my lab work, and they were wrong in putting me on the thyroid medication so quickly without checking further on it, especially since I told them my thyroid test I had at their hospital in february was normal. Do I really have a fatty liver? or was that someone elses? I do have the pain...........and the yellowing whites of my eyes, and bloated gut. So who knows........PLEASE WARN EVERYONE THAT YOU KNOW....... all St. s facilities in town here are " Houses of TERROR " , and medical mal-practice. May I post this to our group ??? I think many will be interested (Ilena to Dede)

SURE, PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW TO DO THEIR RESEARCH, GET SECOND AND SOMETIMES 3RD OPINIONS, AND NOT TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING THEY ARE TOLD, AND IN THIS CASE, ANYTHING THEY ARE TOLD. I THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS WITH EVERYONE AND HOPE IT WARNS MANY AND IN TURN HELPS MANY ~ DEDE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coverage of implants twists the truthDecember 11, 2006

http://www.stargazettenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061211/OPINION02/612110314

Star-Gazette reporter Larry 's Nov. 26 column asking " How doesCorning Inc. recover from implant fiasco? " requires rebuttal becausethe Food and Drug Administration's tepid approval of silicone

gel-filled breast implants cleared Dow of nothing.The FDA's approval of Allergan and Mentor's silicone gel-filled breastimplants was replete with caveats, hedging and warnings. failsto mention that the FDA said that breast implants will not last a

lifetime, will have to be replaced, will require regular MRIs at acost of almost as much as the implants themselves and that women under21 can't have them for augmentation. asserts that the decision means implants are safe. Wrong. The

FDA is requiring another decade of testing on over 20,000 women. Why?The data didn't establish safety.The FDA should be ashamed of its decision. should be ashamed totwist the truth.Sybil Niden Goldrich ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Ilena,

Thank you for all that you have done for the cause and all that you still do.

Would you please send the following to ALL on your list, including attorneys and any media.

If Ralph Knowles and/or of Doffermyer Shields Canfield Knowles & Devine were your attorneys for your INDIVIDUALLY filed Breast Implant lawsuit against Bristol-Myers Squibb & Companies, please send me an e-mail.

I

am the ONLY BMS/MEC client (that I am aware of) who DID NOT settle. I

have COMPLETELY UNCONTESTABLE DOCUMENTED PROOF of FRAUD & lack of

FIDUCIARY DUTIES that will make your blood boil.

TrishaLivaol

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~EXCERPT: The nonprofit National Research Center for Women and Familiescalled the decision a " triumph of corporate lobbying " over women's

health. " My center hears from women every single day with broken implants,saying, 'I don't know what to do,' " said Zuckerman, the group'spresident. " Some of them say, 'I have a broken implant and I can't

afford surgery to have it taken out.' " Zuckerman also worries that women won't pay $2,000 for chest MRIs,which the FDA recommends every few years as a way to detect ruptures.~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, December 14, 2006A boost for siliconehttp://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/healthscience/homepage/article_1382670.php

Plastic surgeons see some demand for the breast implants now that a14-year FDA ban is lifted. But the stigma of past problems may mean aslow return to popularity.By COURTNEY PERKESThe Orange County Register

sat in her plastic surgeon's office last week flippingthrough a dog-eared Playboy to pick out what size breasts she wants.She wavers between a C cup and a D.But one thing she knows for sure – she wants silicone not saline.

" I have a couple friends that have the saline. I know they're not toohappy with them, " says , who doesn't want the ripples of saline. " I don't want to look unnatural. " Some women, like , delayed breast augmentation surgery while

they waited for the Food and Drug Administration to lift a 14-year banon silicone implants. Last month the FDA did just that. The reversalalso was highly anticipated by Allergan Inc. of Irvine, which thisyear bought one of only two domestic manufacturers of silicone

implants.The earlier silicone models banned in the early 1990s were prone toleakage, triggered lawsuits by thousands of women, and sentmanufacturer Dow Corning into bankruptcy.In lifting the ban, the FDA noted the extensive safety research on the

new silicone but also cautioned that women will need regular MRI examsto ensure the implants haven't leaked.Still, plastic surgeons and company officials say it's a new era forsilicone, though it may take time to dispel the bad name. Some health

advocacy groups are concerned that more problems are in store.After heard the announcement, the 34-year-old mother of twomade an appointment with Dr. Domanskis in Newport Beach. " I don't think it's going to be an overwhelming flood of new

patients, " Domanskis says. " The whole silicone controversy has been sosullied. It's going to take time to get it out of patients' minds. " , who works for a collections agency and lives in Rancho

Cucamonga, wants implants to reverse the sag from breastfeeding herdaughters. " I'm a little bit conservative, " she says. " I don't really wearanything low-cut. I think I would be more confident in that way and

wear cuter tops that show it off a little bit. " Last year, about 364,610 women underwent breast augmentation, up 9percent from 2004.Earlier this year, Allergan bought Inamed of Santa Barbara. In 2005,

Inamed sold $230 million worth of breast implants worldwide.Like Domanskis, Allergan executives expect to see demand growgradually. " I think we should enjoy a steady growth of the market going more

toward the silicone route, " Allergan President Ball said in aninterview last month. " Outside the U.S., where women have access toboth implants, they choose silicone 90 percent of the time. We do

expect a ramp-up. " Not everyone supports a shift away from saline.The nonprofit National Research Center for Women and Families calledthe decision a " triumph of corporate lobbying " over women's health.

" My center hears from women every single day with broken implants,saying, 'I don't know what to do,' " said Zuckerman, the group'spresident. " Some of them say, 'I have a broken implant and I can't

afford surgery to have it taken out.' " Zuckerman also worries that women won't pay $2,000 for chest MRIs,which the FDA recommends every few years as a way to detect ruptures.Federal officials said possible complications include: hardness,

breast pain, reduced nipple sensation, implant rupture and the needfor additional surgery. But most women studied reported beingsatisfied with their silicone implants.Domanskis, who years ago removed the oozing silicone from the chests

of women, gives patients a rundown of the pros and cons of thedifferent types of implants. " I feel the saline implant is going to be a thing of the past, reallyalmost relegated to museum status, " he says.

In his consultation with , he explains that the old siliconeresulted in firmness about 40 percent of the time. Now, that risk hasdropped to about 15 percent.He says saline not only can appear rippled, but the implant size can

deflate. Domanskis pulls out a jiggly saline implant and a soft butdenser silicone gel implant for her to feel. asks if they will need to be replaced. " If there isn't a problem, you don't need to replace them, " Domanskis

says. " It's a good thing for you as a consumer to be aware justbecause you have an implant doesn't mean it's going to last the restof your life. " , who will spend about $2,000 for the silicone implants, $3,500

for the surgery and $1,500 for the operating room, said that's not adrawback. " I would be willing to replace it, " she says. " I'm hoping they'll lastfor a long time. " The FDA decision didn't make silicone available for all women.

Brittany Vonlossberg, 20, started saving money after hearing about theFDA's decision. But then she found out women must be at least 22 toreceive the implants. " I wanted them for my 21st birthday, " said Vonlossberg, who lives in

Huntington Beach. " I was really bummed out. Now I have to wait a wholeother year. " ~~~~~~~~~~www.BreastImplantInfo.org (Dr. Zuckerman's site)

www.BreastImplantAwareness.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~STUDIES OF IMPLANTS IMPEDING HEART PROBLEM DISCOVERYEur J Echocardiogr. 2006 Dec 5; [Epub ahead of print] Links

Impairment of echocardiographic acoustic window by breastimplants.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=AbstractPlus & list_uids=17157073 & itool=iconabstr & itool=pubmed_DocSum * Movahed MR. Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, University of

Arizona Sarver Heart Center, 1501 North Avenue, Tucson, AZ85724, USA. Cosmetic breast implants are increasing in popularity. Thepresence of a foreign object such as breast implants overlying the

anterior mediastinal space as a cause of impairment ofechocardiographic acoustic window affecting image quality has not beendescribed. Here we report three women with significant impairment ofechocardiographic images by breast implants. Clinicians should be

aware of this interference and women should be informed on thepotential limitation in diagnostic echocardiography that may occurbefore considering this cosmetic surgery. PMID: 17157073 [Pub

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=abstractplus & db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=abstractplus & list_uids=16538430 1: Int J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2006 Jun-Aug;22(3-4):449-55. Epub 2006

Mar 15.Click here to read Links Impaired myocardial SPECT imaging secondary to silicon- andsaline-containing breast implants. * Stinis CT, * Lizotte PE, * Movahed MR.

Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University ofCalifornia, Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA, USA. Early detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) in women has beenchallenging. Women are more likely to present with atypical symptoms,

and non-invasive evaluation for CAD has been less accurate. MyocardialSPECT imaging is a well-established technique that provides importantphysiologic, anatomic, and prognostic information in women.Attenuation artifacts secondary to breast tissue are a common problem

in women and can lead to decreased specificity of gated SPECT imaging.Cosmetic breast implants are increasing in popularity. The presence ofa foreign object overlying the anterior wall of the heart in addition

to native breast tissue can significantly increase attenuationartifacts. There is only one report to date describing attenuationartifact due to silicon breast implants in comparison to control, andthere are no reports regarding saline breast implants. Here we report

three cases of impaired myocardial SPECT imaging in women with breastimplants: one patient with silicone implants, and two withsaline-containing implants. Clinicians should be aware of this problemand women should be educated regarding the potential future diagnostic

problems that may occur with breast implants before considering thiscosmetic surgery. PMID: 16538430 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Guest guest]

Ilena, God bless you VERY much for your courage and persistence! You

are a warrior woman! Would love to meet you and give you a great big

hug! Well, here's a cyber hug for now ((((((((Sunny to Ilena)))))))))

Love & Healing Prayers,

Sunny xxoo

> >

> > Hello Ilena,

> >

> > Thank you for today's email, it was an amazing article and I have

saved it

> > to file. (Click here<http://thenav.ca/index/news-

app/story.470/title.toxic-breasts-a-peek-inside-the-breast-implant-

industry>to read it if you missed it)

> >

> > This morning I talked to a nurse at the dow settlement facility

for 45

> > minutes. I am being denied a full disability claim which for my

class only

> > pays 36,000.

> > That is for total disability or death. So I asked the nurse if I

had to

> > be on a ventilator in order to be eligible? She said my 6 page

rheumy's

> > report which clearly states I am profoundly, severely and totally

disabled

> > isn't enough.

> > The report needed to have said that someone has to help me on &

off of the

> > toilet and in and out of the tub. You need not only to be unable

to work

> > but also unable to care for yourself.

> >

> > I have never felt more helpless than I did this morning. I was

sure I

> > qualified for this very small amount of compensation. Here I am,

14 years

> > after I first got sick and I'm still in my p.j's on the sofa and

I'm not

> > disabled enough! I can't stand the injustice of this! And they

are

> > questioning the suicide rate? Good god!

> >

> > I tried to call Pendleton's office but no one answered the

phone &

> > voice mail did not come on either. I emailed her but I haven't

had any luck

> > getting hold of any of the claims assistance people. Everyone at

the dow

> > settlement facility tell me they are just a 'little' person in

the overall

> > situation and can't do anything for me.

> >

> > Are you getting emails from women who are having this same

problem? Is

> > there any solution? I'd really appreciate talking to someone who

has been

> > able to have any success with the settlement process.

> > Please post if possible.

> >

> > many thanks to you, love, gail

> >

>

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

> SAriazi@... writes to CondeNast / Glamour rgarding January, 2007

article

> (mis)quoting her:

>

> I am very disappointed about the way my letter was re-written in

your

> magazine. The published version is not articulated as well nor

does it

> convey the message of my original letter. Your version implies

that the

> capsular contracture I experienced was the source of my health

issues.

> Capsular contracture is a common condition where scar tissue forms

around

> the implant and has no connection to my health problems.

>

> A follow up email was sent to you shortly after the first email

advising

> that a test for platinum was performed and that unusually high

levels of

> platinum in #2 and #4 oxidized states were found in my body. These

are

> neurotoxins and it is the platinum in these reactive states that

leaked from

> the implants causing my illness. (Platinum is one of many

chemicals used in

> both the implant shell and the gel-like liquid inside.)

>

> It is evident that the person who edited my story has no

understanding of

> breast implant complications and potential health risks.

>

> Ariazi

>

>

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

> From: DGrahamA@... <DGrahamA@...>

> Date: Dec 9, 2006 1:48 PM

> Subject: Terror in the Hospital ~

> keeling.m@...

> Cc: ilena@...

>

>

> Hello , thank you for the test results and paperwork on the

platinum

> testing. I showed the hospital, they did not copy it for my

records there,

> nor look at the medical records I took with me, sad what they put

me through

> because of it. Do you by chance have the oxidation studies on that

test

> back yet? I am at such a loss with the medical field and how they

treat

> people. I sometimes wonder if I have silicone clogging my liver

and kidneys

> and heart and that is what is wrong. I hope you have a wonderful

holiday

> season, and you are doing well. I am checking with friends to see

if anyone

> will send a specamin to you for control, or comparison. I thank

you so much

> for all your help and kindness ~ D

>

>

> HELLO ILENA, WE NEED TO BE SURE EVERYONE QUESTIONS THEIR DOCTORS,

ANY

> TESTING AND LAB WORK AND ALWAYS GET COPIES FOR THEIR RECORDS.

> THIS WAS MY EXPERIENCE THIS LAST WEEKEND, ( FOR 4 DAYS) WHAT DO

YOU THINK?

> I HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL, AND HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON~DEDE

>

>

> I am home, and came home Monday. I have felt horrible all week

til

> today. I dont feel good, but better. What a trip at that hospital

I had.

> They almost killed me. I could not wait to get out of there. I

went to my

> cardiologist this past wednesday, had some labwork done, and I go

back next

> wednesday. I have lost 10 lbs of fluid since Monday, and that has

helped

> some. My liver area still hurts some and my gut still feels like a

huge

> hemrrhoid, but not as intense. My eyes are still yellow at the

bottom. My

> cardiology nurse is checking on setting up a scan of my abdomen and

pelvic

> area and she said my kidneys are doing well enough to use the IV

contrast

> this time. The ultrasound on my kidneys and liver showed I now

have a fatty

> liver so we need to find out why, as I do not drink any kind of

alcohol and

> havent in years. This has happened since february, the ultrasound

I had

> then showed the liver to be fine. My right kidney is still

shrinking, and

> the left one is stable. The right one is the bothersome one anyway.

> Saturday night my blood pressure dropped to 70's/40's and 50's, and

they

> flipped out. My heart has been doing that for a long time now, and

Dr

> Venegoni knows that and is not worried about it. I always walk

around

> and feel great when it is low., and I kept telling them ALL that.

The

> hospital totally flipped their script and the doctor did too. They

rushed

> me to ICU for 2 days and put me on dopamine. My heart ran off of

my device

> the entire time I was on the dopamine, and didnt return to working

on its

> own til they took me off of it. The nurse that. They would have

killed

> me if I didnt have the device ! ! ! That was the scariest,

cruelest,

> behavior I have ever experienced. The dopamine made my heart beat

about out

> of my body, and it made me hot, and very upset stomach. I was in

this glass

> box with wires running all over me, and no way to escape, and no

one to

> sneak me out. Trust me I wanted to get out of there quickly.

They

> wouldnt listen to me that this was normal for my heart. They

wouldnt let me

> walk around like I do at home. I felt totally helpless. Then

monday a new

> doctor came in and told me that my bloodwork for the day came out

very

> good. Right then I knew he was a quack. I told him, It did? he

said yes,

> it sure did, and I said, I dont remember them coming in and taking

blood

> from me today. He said they did, and I said, could they have taken

it out

> of my IV? he said yes. I was awake most of the night so I knew

that was a

> lie as well. He said your Echo came out good too, you have a

normal heart.

> I said, I do? hum... that is good. He said we are going to let

you go home

> today. Right then a gal popped her head in and said, Ms Graham, I

am here

> to take your blood for today. I see Dr Shane is in here, I will

come back.

> Then Dr S said he was going to call Dr Venegoni and see what his

orders are

> then send you home. Then I asked him about this thyroid, and he

said to

> followup with an internal medicine doctor for that, but I will give

you a

> prescription for your thyroid so you can continue on the meds til

you get

> into a doctor. and I said what about this fatty liver deal, and I

have

> this pain, and he said, you are getting older and that happens, your

> cholestrol gets high and it can cause that, Do you drink alcohol?

I told

> him no, and I didnt smoke or do drugs either. He said I dont know,

you just

> need to go see a doctor. I will be back after I talk to Dr

Venegoni. Well,

> first off, when they did my TSH, on friday or saturday, it came out

17.66,

> and I told them I had never had a high TSH, and that they ran one

when I was

> in the hospital there in february. Dr. Romaine put me on thyroid

medication

> anyway. They gave it to me sat, sun and monday morning. The

cholestrol

> test they did on me saturday came out the best, and very low, it

was 120,

> and my triglycerides were 98, nice and low. Those are the numbers

I was

> used to having before I got so sick. But, were they mine? or

someone elses

> lab work? I have a copy of the lab tests with my name on them. I

didnt

> trust anything that they did or said to me while there. It was the

scariest

> form of torture I had ever had, like in a movie. I had my

cardiologist add

> a TSH to my labwork on wednesday, and just as I thought it was

normal, not

> the 17.66 that they said it was when they started me on the thyroid

> medication. Ok, I called Dad and asked him to come get me right

away, that

> I would explain later why. Alittle while later Dr. Shane came back

in the

> room and said he had spoken with Dr. Venegoni, and that he told him

to tell

> me to not take any of my medicine unless my blood pressure was 120

or more

> over something, I said what about the diastolic, and he said it

didnt matter

> what that number was. I confirmed that quote with Marci the nurse,

and she

> confirmed. I said, I dont think that is what Dr. Venegone would

tell me to

> do, but ok. Then Dr. Shane said I will write you your

prescriptions, what

> do you need ? I will give you your thyroid, and a medication to

take at

> night if your blood pressure goes too low, and what ever else you

need.

> (This whole mess with that hospital and the doctors in it was a

nightmare,

> and so I thought to myself, I will just ask for all kinds of things

and see

> if he gives them to me.) The idiot did. One of which was Valium,

and he

> wrote it for 5 mg and to take 3 times a day.........now would you

give

> someone that that has a heart that was so slow they put in ICU and

on

> dopamine?????? NOT.......Naturally I did not fill them, I did

fill the

> thyroid, because at that point I hadnt decided to stop the drug and

have the

> test repeated. I asked Dr Shane what order should I see doctors

for my

> problems, as earlier when I discussed it with Marci the nurse, she

said,

> Internal Medicine doctor, endocrinologist, rheumatologist,

neurologist, a

> gastro man and a renal doctor. Isnt that rediculous?????????

Anyway,

> once again Dr Shane said to me, do you drink alcohol???? By then I

was

> insulted. I lost respect for the man the first sentenance out his

mouth to

> me, and gave him the benefit of a doubt until the second words out

his mouth

> to me. He assumed that since I have dialated cardiomyopathy and a

fatty

> liver that I am a alcoholic or at least drink, and that is the

cause of my

> health issues. You know, when I was in the ER on friday, I told Dr

Romaine

> that I had brought my medical records with me if he wanted to see

them, and

> he continued to ask me questions, and I asked him again, would he

like to

> look at my records I brought, and he wasnt interested. The

second night I

> spent in ICU, my monitors went off constantly. The only warning

signs I

> could read said PVC's, and V-Tach, NOT GOOD ! ! ! There were a

couple

> other warnings it gave, but I couldnt see them good enough to

read. Many

> many times when it went off, it would beep about 20 times, then I

would have

> to page a nurse to come in, that was totally pathetic ! ! It was a

> horrible night ! ! Anyway, I couldnt get out of there quick

enough. I am

> safer here with Dad until we can find out what is up. Ya know, was

any of

> the lab work done at the hospital really from my blood? The

cholestrol and

> triglycerides, I hope are mine. The thyroid? unless I have a big

problem,

> that wasnt my lab work, and they were wrong in putting me on the

thyroid

> medication so quickly without checking further on it, especially

since I

> told them my thyroid test I had at their hospital in february was

normal.

> Do I really have a fatty liver? or was that someone elses? I do

have the

> pain...........and the yellowing whites of my eyes, and bloated

gut. So who

> knows........PLEASE WARN EVERYONE THAT YOU KNOW....... all St.

s

> facilities in town here are " Houses of TERROR " , and medical mal-

practice.

>

> May I post this to our group ??? I think many will be interested

(Ilena to

> Dede)

>

>

> SURE, PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW TO DO THEIR RESEARCH, GET SECOND AND

SOMETIMES 3RD

> OPINIONS, AND NOT TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING THEY ARE TOLD, AND IN THIS

CASE,

> ANYTHING THEY ARE TOLD. I THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS WITH EVERYONE

AND HOPE

> IT WARNS MANY AND IN TURN HELPS MANY ~ DEDE

>

>

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> Coverage of implants twists the truth

> December 11, 2006

>

> http://www.stargazettenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20061211/OPINION02/612110314

>

> Star-Gazette reporter Larry 's Nov. 26 column asking " How does

> Corning Inc. recover from implant fiasco? " requires rebuttal because

> the Food and Drug Administration's tepid approval of silicone

> gel-filled breast implants cleared Dow of nothing.

>

> The FDA's approval of Allergan and Mentor's silicone gel-filled

breast

> implants was replete with caveats, hedging and warnings.

fails

> to mention that the FDA said that breast implants will not last a

> lifetime, will have to be replaced, will require regular MRIs at a

> cost of almost as much as the implants themselves and that women

under

> 21 can't have them for augmentation.

>

> asserts that the decision means implants are safe. Wrong. The

> FDA is requiring another decade of testing on over 20,000 women.

Why?

> The data didn't establish safety.

>

> The FDA should be ashamed of its decision. should be ashamed

to

> twist the truth.

>

> Sybil Niden Goldrich

>

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

>

> Dear Ilena,

>

> Thank you for all that you have done for the cause and all that you

still

> do.

>

> Would you please send the following to ALL on your list, including

attorneys

> and any media.

>

> If *Ralph Knowles* and/or * * of Doffermyer Shields

Canfield

> Knowles & Devine were your attorneys for your *INDIVIDUALLY *filed

Breast

> Implant lawsuit against Bristol-Myers Squibb & Companies, please

send me an

> e-mail.

>

> I am the ONLY BMS/MEC client (that I am aware of) who DID NOT

settle. I have

> COMPLETELY UNCONTESTABLE DOCUMENTED PROOF of FRAUD & lack of

FIDUCIARY

> DUTIES that will make your blood boil.

>

>

>

> TrishaLiv@...

>

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <TrishaLiv@...>

>

> EXCERPT: The nonprofit National Research Center for Women and

Families

> called the decision a " triumph of corporate lobbying " over women's

> health.

>

> " My center hears from women every single day with broken implants,

> saying, 'I don't know what to do,' " said Zuckerman, the

group's

> president. " Some of them say, 'I have a broken implant and I can't

> afford surgery to have it taken out.' "

>

> Zuckerman also worries that women won't pay $2,000 for chest MRIs,

> which the FDA recommends every few years as a way to detect

ruptures.

>

> ~~~~~~~~~

>

>

> Thursday, December 14, 2006

> A boost for silicone

>

>

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/healthscience/homepage/article_13

82670.php

> Plastic surgeons see some demand for the breast implants now that a

> 14-year FDA ban is lifted. But the stigma of past problems may mean

a

> slow return to popularity.

> By COURTNEY PERKES

> The Orange County Register

>

> sat in her plastic surgeon's office last week

flipping

> through a dog-eared Playboy to pick out what size breasts she wants.

>

> She wavers between a C cup and a D.

>

> But one thing she knows for sure – she wants silicone not saline.

>

> " I have a couple friends that have the saline. I know they're not

too

> happy with them, " says , who doesn't want the ripples of

saline.

> " I don't want to look unnatural. "

>

> Some women, like , delayed breast augmentation surgery while

> they waited for the Food and Drug Administration to lift a 14-year

ban

> on silicone implants. Last month the FDA did just that. The reversal

> also was highly anticipated by Allergan Inc. of Irvine, which this

> year bought one of only two domestic manufacturers of silicone

> implants.

>

> The earlier silicone models banned in the early 1990s were prone to

> leakage, triggered lawsuits by thousands of women, and sent

> manufacturer Dow Corning into bankruptcy.

>

> In lifting the ban, the FDA noted the extensive safety research on

the

> new silicone but also cautioned that women will need regular MRI

exams

> to ensure the implants haven't leaked.

>

> Still, plastic surgeons and company officials say it's a new era for

> silicone, though it may take time to dispel the bad name. Some

health

> advocacy groups are concerned that more problems are in store.

>

> After heard the announcement, the 34-year-old mother of two

> made an appointment with Dr. Domanskis in Newport Beach.

>

> " I don't think it's going to be an overwhelming flood of new

> patients, " Domanskis says. " The whole silicone controversy has been

so

> sullied. It's going to take time to get it out of patients' minds. "

>

> , who works for a collections agency and lives in Rancho

> Cucamonga, wants implants to reverse the sag from breastfeeding her

> daughters.

>

> " I'm a little bit conservative, " she says. " I don't really wear

> anything low-cut. I think I would be more confident in that way and

> wear cuter tops that show it off a little bit. "

>

> Last year, about 364,610 women underwent breast augmentation, up 9

> percent from 2004.

>

> Earlier this year, Allergan bought Inamed of Santa Barbara. In 2005,

> Inamed sold $230 million worth of breast implants worldwide.

>

> Like Domanskis, Allergan executives expect to see demand grow

> gradually.

>

> " I think we should enjoy a steady growth of the market going more

> toward the silicone route, " Allergan President Ball said in

an

> interview last month. " Outside the U.S., where women have access to

> both implants, they choose silicone 90 percent of the time. We do

> expect a ramp-up. "

>

> Not everyone supports a shift away from saline.

>

> The nonprofit National Research Center for Women and Families called

> the decision a " triumph of corporate lobbying " over women's health.

>

> " My center hears from women every single day with broken implants,

> saying, 'I don't know what to do,' " said Zuckerman, the

group's

> president. " Some of them say, 'I have a broken implant and I can't

> afford surgery to have it taken out.' "

>

> Zuckerman also worries that women won't pay $2,000 for chest MRIs,

> which the FDA recommends every few years as a way to detect

ruptures.

>

> Federal officials said possible complications include: hardness,

> breast pain, reduced nipple sensation, implant rupture and the need

> for additional surgery. But most women studied reported being

> satisfied with their silicone implants.

>

> Domanskis, who years ago removed the oozing silicone from the chests

> of women, gives patients a rundown of the pros and cons of the

> different types of implants.

>

> " I feel the saline implant is going to be a thing of the past,

really

> almost relegated to museum status, " he says.

>

> In his consultation with , he explains that the old silicone

> resulted in firmness about 40 percent of the time. Now, that risk

has

> dropped to about 15 percent.

>

> He says saline not only can appear rippled, but the implant size can

> deflate. Domanskis pulls out a jiggly saline implant and a soft but

> denser silicone gel implant for her to feel.

>

> asks if they will need to be replaced.

>

> " If there isn't a problem, you don't need to replace them, "

Domanskis

> says. " It's a good thing for you as a consumer to be aware just

> because you have an implant doesn't mean it's going to last the rest

> of your life. "

>

> , who will spend about $2,000 for the silicone implants,

$3,500

> for the surgery and $1,500 for the operating room, said that's not a

> drawback.

>

> " I would be willing to replace it, " she says. " I'm hoping they'll

last

> for a long time. "

>

> The FDA decision didn't make silicone available for all women.

>

> Brittany Vonlossberg, 20, started saving money after hearing about

the

> FDA's decision. But then she found out women must be at least 22 to

> receive the implants.

>

> " I wanted them for my 21st birthday, " said Vonlossberg, who lives in

> Huntington Beach. " I was really bummed out. Now I have to wait a

whole

> other year. "

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~

> www.BreastImplantInfo.org (Dr. Zuckerman's site)

>

> www.BreastImplantAwareness.org

>

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

> STUDIES OF IMPLANTS IMPEDING HEART PROBLEM DISCOVERY

>

> Eur J Echocardiogr. 2006 Dec 5; [Epub ahead of print] Links

> Impairment of echocardiographic acoustic window by breast

> implants.

>

> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?

db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=AbstractPlus & list_uids=17157073 & itool=icon

abstr & itool=pubmed_DocSum

>

> * Movahed MR.

>

> Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, University of

> Arizona Sarver Heart Center, 1501 North Avenue, Tucson, AZ

> 85724, USA.

>

> Cosmetic breast implants are increasing in popularity. The

> presence of a foreign object such as breast implants overlying the

> anterior mediastinal space as a cause of impairment of

> echocardiographic acoustic window affecting image quality has not

been

> described. Here we report three women with significant impairment of

> echocardiographic images by breast implants. Clinicians should be

> aware of this interference and women should be informed on the

> potential limitation in diagnostic echocardiography that may occur

> before considering this cosmetic surgery.

>

> PMID: 17157073 [Pub

>

> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?

itool=abstractplus & db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=abstractplus & list_uids=

16538430

>

>

> 1: Int J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2006 Jun-Aug;22(3-4):449-55. Epub 2006

> Mar 15.Click here to read Links

> Impaired myocardial SPECT imaging secondary to silicon- and

> saline-containing breast implants.

>

> * Stinis CT,

> * Lizotte PE,

> * Movahed MR.

>

> Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of

> California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA, USA.

>

> Early detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) in women has

been

> challenging. Women are more likely to present with atypical

symptoms,

> and non-invasive evaluation for CAD has been less accurate.

Myocardial

> SPECT imaging is a well-established technique that provides

important

> physiologic, anatomic, and prognostic information in women.

> Attenuation artifacts secondary to breast tissue are a common

problem

> in women and can lead to decreased specificity of gated SPECT

imaging.

> Cosmetic breast implants are increasing in popularity. The presence

of

> a foreign object overlying the anterior wall of the heart in

addition

> to native breast tissue can significantly increase attenuation

> artifacts. There is only one report to date describing attenuation

> artifact due to silicon breast implants in comparison to control,

and

> there are no reports regarding saline breast implants. Here we

report

> three cases of impaired myocardial SPECT imaging in women with

breast

> implants: one patient with silicone implants, and two with

> saline-containing implants. Clinicians should be aware of this

problem

> and women should be educated regarding the potential future

diagnostic

> problems that may occur with breast implants before considering this

> cosmetic surgery.

>

> PMID: 16538430 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

>