I Had INAMED Implants for one year- Was Sick entire time-Exlpanted 4 weeks ago

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From: Carolyn Wolf [mailto:carwol@...] Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 7:33 AMSubject: Fw: I Had INAMED Implants for one year- Was Sick

entire time-Exlpanted 4 weeks ago I'm forwarding 's story at her request. Anyone who has participated in this "study" conducted by Mentor/Inamed, please contact her. Carolyn I Had INAMED Implants for one year- Was Sick entire time-Exlpanted 4 weeks ago Last November, for my 50th birthday, I wanted to try silicone implants because I heard they were safe and more natural feeling. When I called a plastic surgeon, I was told that in the 30 years using silicone, that they

had never had one problem. I was eligible for the clinical trial because I was experiencing some wrinkiling in my 10-year old saline implants due to recent weight-loss. They used INAMED/McGhan 20. The lot and reference numbers are very different- they are the same size. Almost imediately following the surgery, I became ill. I had taken my family to the Dominican Republic for the holidays and I believed for several months that I had picked up a "bug" there. My symptoms continued to worsen through all of this year. (Dizziness, fatigue, blurred vision, severe back pain, tingling hands and feet, ringing in ears, etc) I have spent all of 2006 in the offices of neurologists, rheumatologists, psychiatrists,my Primary Care Physician and one night in the emergency room. No one could explain what was going on, but the general concensus

was that I had fibromyalgia. In September, I noticed that my breasts were beginning to harden and were very tender. I went to the plastic surgeon who performed the silicone implant surgery. He determined that I had capsular contracture. At the same time, I began to research problems with silicone implants. My symptoms were the same as many women who receive silicone implants. My symptoms were also consistent with platimum poisoning. Platinum is the material used to make the silicone implants more gel-like. One month ago, I had the silicone implants removed. My health has improved dramatically during the past month. Many of my health issues have disappeared or have lessened considerably. Two months ago, I believed I was dying. I prayed for direction, because I thought I had exhausted every medical option. It wasn't until I made the connection to the silicone

implants that things finally came together. Because I never had any problems with my 10-year old saline implants, I never guessed that my health issues could be connected to my new, silicone implants. What a nightmare- It cost me $6,000 for the privilege of participating in the study and $6,500 to have them removed. Please share all of the stories with those who respond to your email. I am very interested to learn about other women in these studies. Thanks