BEAUTY AND THE BREAST 7: Standing up for our sisters and ourselves!

[Guest guest]

----- Forwarded Message ----From: Sybil Goldrich <sybil@...>Issue 7

Issue 7 | March, 2008

Dear Friends,

So much can happen in a month.

First off, let’s not waste any time: we learned the hard way that, no matter what, there is always opposition. A post about Aguilera and her painful-looking post-pregnancy chest sparked an inferno of heated discussion that got us all a little red in the face. While it wasn’t always a positive dialogue (to put

it lightly), the important thing is that it got people up in arms about issues they care about. Thank you for your passion! We here at Beauty and the Breast love your spirit and your dedication to educating the public about something so dangerous to women, and we appreciate all the stories you have shared here and throughout the blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

So what else happened in March, you ask?

Kacey Long recorded a video for NPR's Get My Vote campaign, and we need everyone to go recommend it so it gets as much attention as possible. Watch hers for inspiration and then record your own!

We irked some Colbert fans when his piece on My Free Implants didn’t quite do its job.

A New York plastic surgeon tried his best to mislead us.

The Supreme Court ruled that patients cannot sue the makers of medical devices if they suffer an injury from them, something that puts too much faith in the FDA and makes it even harder for women to be protected and compensated.

We found even more advertising that frustrated and offended us and celebrities found new ways to shock us, making it all the more crucial that we keep sending our message out.

Silicone implants kept finding new and unusual ways to get under our skin (and, in some cases, come back out again).

And, finally, Olds gave women everywhere hope that not all men want us to look like Barbie.

Beauty and the Breast is all about giving women a voice and revealing the truth that they may not have heard, and we hope that you, dear readers, have been and will continue to embrace this attitude as well.

Here’s to feeling audacious and courageous enough to say what needs to be said; to being empowered and informed in our choices, especially when it comes to our bodies; to staying healthy and beautiful, no matter what happens; and to standing up, together, for our sisters and ourselves.

See you in April!

Sybil and

An Open Letter to Dan Savage

Posted by Sybil | March 22 | Comments (2)

Dear Mr. Savage,

I read your response to I Miss Her Boobs with dismay. You were honest in your inability to give good advice, but your answer rested on the assumption that this is just a sexual/cosmetic/emotional issue, when in fact it could be one of pure survival - the wife not wanting to extend the life-and-death struggle that all cancer patients go through.

The fact is, getting implants after a mastectomy is highly risky; complication rates for mastectomy patients are very high. One study shows that 46 percent of patients getting implants will need more surgery within three years of their reconstruction; numbers from similar reports (here and here, to start) show the same. Rather than bitterness towards the idea of breasts, I bet Mrs. I Miss Her Breasts is just happy to be alive and hopes never to see the inside of an operating room again.

Mr. Savage, I do feel sympathy for both husband and wife in this situation. Both are in mourning: he for her breasts and she for the security of a life without the specter of cancer. His wife has obviously been through some trauma and pain, and so has he. After something like cancer, both would want to be able to get their lives back on the track to normalcy, and of course that includes their sex lives. Now, however, both halves of this couple are in a different place than they were before, and dealing with this transition is never easy.

My personal experience underscores how difficult it is to get to a win-win situation out of something like this. As I underwent surgery after surgery to get breast implants that didn’t work, time after time, my husband felt my pain and discomfort to such an extent that he begged me not to try again after the second implant failure, the third implant failure and then the fourth implant failure. Yes, I had used eight implants. It was terribly upsetting to him that I was so sick because he thought I was only getting implants to please him. As we talked about it – and we talked a lot over that year and a half of constant surgery – breast implants were my way of trying to triumph over a disease that left me disfigured. Breast implants to him represented one step after another of chronic illness and he wanted me any way I was, as long as I was alive and not ill from implants and surgery.

Ultimately, I stopped trying implants and had natural tissue transfer surgery, which provided me with breasts I was pretty happy with. Perfecting nipple reconstruction and shape adjusting took a few more surgeries and with each surgery I could see that my relationship with my husband had become more strained. All he wanted was the security of my having a long life to share with him and he was offended that I thought that breasts were so important to him that I would risk so much discomfort and our relationship just to have them. It took a lot of time for us to heal our differences. And during that time we enjoyed finding other ways to please each other. That part was a wonderful journey for both of us and ultimately led to a complete recovery of our relationship. We’ve been married for over 46 years.

I hope that this couple talks to each other more so that the husband can fully understand why his wife doesn’t want to reconstruct. Whether this man likes it or not, breast cancer is now a part of this marriage. The compromise here shouldn’t be to accept a non-existent sex life but to embrace a new one. In time, exploring newer, more creative sexual activities may help him not miss those breasts so much. I know how possible this is, because I’ve been there.

Sincerely,

Sybil Goldrich

Ways Women Mutilate Themselves for the Sake of Beauty

Posted by kathynye | March 19, 2008 | Comments (4)

I was reading the book Peony by See and it occurred to me that culture has manipulated women to mutilate their bodies for centuries. The story is set in China in 1644. Peony is an only child and her parents arranged her marriage to a man, sight unseen. I really don’t want to get into the story of the book, I just want to reflect on the part about foot binding.

Mothers and grandmothers thought that their young girls should have their feet bound starting somewhere around age 6, sometimes earlier. Their reasoning was that the daughter could not attract a wealthy marriage if her feet were big. The ideal size was at least a 3 inches foot, called gold lotuses, and no longer than 4 inches, called silver lotuses.

Small feet were seen as perfect on a women and necessary to arrange a good marriage (read: wealthy), and this marriage could not be obtained without bound feet. Small feet made a young girl more desirable. Qing Dynasty sex manuals listed 48 different ways of playing with women’s bound feet–small feet are sexual turn on for husbands.

I started to think of other body mulitations, such as female genital mutilation and I found a list of some of the reasons it is practiced:

Preservation of virginity

Enhancement of fertility

Prevention of promiscuity

Increase of matrimonial opportunities

Pursuance of aesthetics

Improvement of male sexual performance and pleasure

Promotion of social and political cohesion

Female genital mutilation is regarded in many societies as a pre-requisite for honorable marriage. I can’t understand this list. As I see it, all of the above “reasons” can be accomplished without mutilating the woman’s genitals.

Then there is the neck ring worn by women in African and Asian cultures. This practice starts on a young girl at around age five. Neck rings push the collarbone and ribs down and stretch the neck muscles several inches. If the rings are removed and the head not supported, the woman can choke on her own tongue.

There are other examples of body mutilations that can be given, but these are enough examples to have a sense of what is happening to young girls. When are women going to wake up and stop sacrificing girl babies?

These images of bound feet, stretched necks and genital mutilation may seem so foreign and unreal to American and European women. Why do these African and Asian women mutilate their daughters? Wait, maybe the women of African and Asian cultures are asking why American and European women are cutting open the chests of their girl babies and stuffing in bags of silicone to make their chests bigger, so their daughters may make better marriages and be more desirable. Ok, you may say we don’t do it to girls at age 5 or 6. But the idea is planted at that age. Does the word Barbie sound familiar? Big-breasted Barbie with the big house and car and the beautiful boyfriend Ken are real to a 5-year-old. She wants to be like Barbie.

How many of us bought the idea that big breasts equate to better jobs and a better marriage? I don’t know how to stop this madness of mutilating women’s bodies with the perceived notion that the girl will be better off in life with the mutilations. What can we do to save the daughters of the world?

There is a new television series coming on TV, more propaganda for young adults to view: Without Breasts, There is No Paradise.

These are just some observations of mine. Anyone have any thoughts on any of this?

IN MEMORIAM: Judge Sam C. Pointer, Jr.

Posted by Sybil | March 17, 2008 | Comments (1)

Retired U.S. District Judge Sam C. Pointer Jr. has died. He was 73-years-old.

Many of us remember Judge Pointer because in the 1990s he presided over the complex litigation of silicone-gel breast implant lawsuits.

President Nixon named Pointer in 1970 to the bench for the Northern District of Alabama, the state’s largest federal court district. He was the youngest judge to be appointed to the Federal Bench. He served as chief judge of the district from January 1982 until November 1999.

Before he presided over the silicone implant issue, Judge Pointer issued controversial decisions as Birmingham, Alabama, desegregated its school systems in the 1970s. He ordered the children bused and received death threats which required that he have round-the-clock protection by Federal marshals.

I remember Judge Pointer well. He was intelligent, perceptive and fair. I know this because I watched him in person, month after month, at status conferences where the silicone implant case was tried. Of course, as a silicone implant claimant, I wanted Judge Pointer to rule every argument in favor of the plaintiffs. But, according to the United States laws that he was required to uphold, he could not.

He was never cavalier about his judgments. You knew that he had read and studied and thought about every brief presented in his court. He urged both sides to reach agreement before court started.

And in the end, with defendants financially secure enough that they could fight this issue forever, and plaintiffs knowing that they were correct in their accusations but limited in resources, Judge Pointer allowed a settlement to be fashioned. A settlement meant that nobody got everything they wanted, but it brought the case to a point where monies could be paid to injured women. And, it was, at the time, the largest class action settlement in the history of the United States.

There was a Fairness Hearing. I remember Judge Pointer sitting at a bridge table in front of an audience of women who came to tell him they did or didn’t think the ultimate settlement was fair. He listened for eight hours per day for three full days. He had been threatened and everyone had to go through metal detectors to be allowed in the auditorium. One woman was found to be carrying a gun.

Judge Pointer listened to each woman and helped those who could not easily express their concerns tell him and the audience about their experiences. He was patient and kind to each speaker.

I believe that Judge Pointer understood that there was not enough money in the world to restore the health and pride of the women who had been injured. I believe that he thought the settlement was the best solution to the complicated problems the case presented.

Judge Pointer gave us his heart, his energy, his intelligence and his attention. I will miss him. He taught me that a settlement requires compromise on both sides even though that compromise was hard to reach and even harder to accept.

He was a fine man.

In deference to Judge Pointer’s family, we will not take comments on this event.

Kacey Long on NPR.org: The Next President Has to Care About Women’s Health

Posted by Beauty and the Breast | March 17 | Comments (1)

Here’s Kacey making a political statement on National Public Radio’s Get My Vote campaign. Everyone in the Beauty and the Breast community, please go to the Get My Vote campaign and “recommend” Kacey’s video so other people will know to watch it!

Vaginal Fountain of Youth?

Post by EHill | March 13, 2008 | Comments (2)

A woman’s vagina is not a balloon, but that is what some people would like you to believe. One vaginal rejuvenation center in Washington D.C. likens a woman’s vagina to an inflatable balloon that will inevitably lose its original shape once deflated. Vaginal rejuvenation includes a range of procedures that use laser and reconstructive tools to reduce and rebuild the muscles and tissues of the vagina and vulva. The end result is a vagina that is tighter and supposedly more attractive.

The procedures are entirely aesthetic and provide no medical benefit to the patient. Yet because research has not been done on the long term effects, nobody knows the potentially horrific consequences of this surgery. As with all surgeries, the immediate risks of excessive bleeding, scarring, and infection certainly apply. You could easily dish out $4000-$10,000 just to end up with a bloody, scarred, infected vagina – now how’s that for attractive! Furthermore, because there are nerve endings in the vagina that may be cut during this procedure, some patients may end up in a permanent loss of sensation. It is very ironic and disturbing that a doctor who performs this surgery claims that it helps “empower women with knowledge, choices, alternatives, and ultimately… better sex!”

Recently, I discovered a new procedure that I had never heard of before. It is called the G-spot amplification procedure, otherwise known as the G-shot. The proponents claim to have found a way to enlarge the G-spot thus making sexual gratification easier and more enjoyable. In reality, there is no medical literature that confirms or refutes the existence of the G spot. It is still a bit of a medical mystery. It could represent the underside of the clitoris, the bulb of the vestibule, or special vaginal tissue. Even if it does exist and can be “enlarged,” I find the concept rather sickening. First of all, it is reminiscent of the nineteenth century argument Freudian argument that vaginal orgasm is “mature” and clitoral orgasm is “infantile.” According to Dr. in The V Book, many physicians at that time believed that only by “shifting focus away from the clitoris and to the unmistakably

feminine vagina could a woman find psychosexual fulfillment.” The Washington vaginal rejuvenation center offers this G-shot procedure while it does not, to my knowledge, provide any surgeries that increase clitoral stimulation, thereby promoting an image that tight vaginas and increased vaginal stimulation is better for a woman, not because it actually is but because it is what society says a woman should have.

As that surgeon suggested, women do need knowledge, choices, alternatives, and better sex if they so choose, but they certainly won’t get this from reconstructing their vaginas. There is no evidence that vaginal tightness results in increased sexual pleasure. This is a myth that stems from associating enhanced sexual pleasure with virginity and youthfulness. Childbirth and aging are natural processes, not agents of disease. Why do our natural vaginas need to be zapped, prodded, and molded? Learning to love our bodies for what they are, is the most important key to enjoying sex, whether with oneself or with a partner. For years, men have been telling us to take hormones or get our breasts enlarged so we can fit their image of what femininity is. It is time that as women, we decided how to govern our own bodies and not let society’s perceptions become the law of our heart.

Colbert, You Were Too Subtle This Time

Posted by Sybil | March 7, 2008 | Comments (12)

I love irony, and I love Colbert — he’s the son I never had. But sometimes, irony is too subtle; people don’t catch it and end up taking what they see and hear at face value, maybe even as an endorsement.

I think this is the case with a recent segment on the Colbert Report about myfreeimplants.com. That terrible website allows women to create profiles of themselves and communicate with men willing to “help them with their self-esteem” by “donating” a certain amount of money per communication to her implant fund, and apparently the more sexy pictures a woman uses, the more likely she will reach her goal.

The Colbert Report segment features the young man who founded myfreeimplants.com, his friends, and a few of the women who financed their implants through the site. To my mind, these young people — who evidently spend a lot of time in bars and subscribe to the idea that every woman needs a good pair of breasts to be socially successful and valuable — appear laughably thoughtless and superficial. Unfortunately, in an MTV and Maxim world, they are representative of how many many young people think these days, among whom the Colbert Report is very popular. Now, I know that Colbert is highly intelligent, and while it’s not likely that he’s done his research on the dangers of implants, I know in my gut that he personally doesn’t think very highly of them. But does his audience?

I wish, I wish — oh, how I wish! — the show had done just a little research and thrown in a closing zinger about painful, missile-hard breasts and/or how plastic surgeons are getting rich from re-operations!

Thank you, Feminist Peace Network, for writing about it or I would have missed it, and for calling for people to protest to Comedy Central. I urge all our friends to do so, here.

Aguilera Makes Us a Little Nauseous

Posted by | March 3, 2008 | Comments (53)

Recent pictures of Aguilera, posted at Yeeeah.com, called “’s Boobs Are Revolting,” are turning peoples’ heads and making us shake ours. This poor girl! Is she another to add to the long list of celebrities that have turned to implants for job security and attention?

There have been rumors of her implants all over the Web (here, here, and here, just to start) but the confirmation can be found in the pictures. Her

breasts look painful and completely distorted. We wonder how a woman gets to a place where she thinks this is natural, beautiful and something to strut in a low-cut sweater.

Even bigger (no pun intended) cause to worry is that she just had a baby. Is she breast-feeding? We all know the jury is still out on breastfeeding with implants, silicone crossing into breastmilk, and certain silicones crossing the placental barrier. So many of our mom’s are sick, but our children are also sick. This makes us worry for the new life she has brought into the

world. I know I didn’t think my decisions before motherhood would affect my baby, but they did. I only hope hers doesn’t affect her new one.

One would think someone or even her stylists would cover up stuff like this.

Everyone remembers the Britney scandal: Our favorite, possibly mentally ill, world famous-at-17 pop princess wasn’t big enough for her boots and got temporary breast implants, with her mother’s consent.

And even Dolly Parton has been in the news recently for her implants, postponing her tour because of back pain caused by her over-sized chest. It’s not just the younger generation that is caught up in this tragic body image dilemma. Dolly’s small frame and huge implant size show that there was a surgeon out there that wasn’t thinking of the most appropriate or even healthy look for her body.

Not only is it sad to see celebrities (who are people, by the way) making the decisions they do because of vanity or unrealistic expectations, but it’s sad to know that they are surrounded by people who are paid to say yes. Plastic surgery and Hollywood go hand-in-hand, as we already know, but Hollywood is all about illusions. Sooner or later, we have a glimpse of harsh reality.

Leonard Nimoy’s Beautiful Photos of Larger Women

Posted by | March 1, 2008 | Comments (2)

I’ve always thought Spock was cool, but as a plain human, Leonard Nimoy is even cooler. I was watching the Colbert Report the other night, and suddenly there he was, promoting his new book, The Full Body Project: Photographs by Leonard Nimoy.

Colbert starts the interview by describing the book as “photographs of women who are larger than what our societal image of beauty is.” Then, of course, he goes on to assert that society has already agreed on what beauty is – “blond, thin, big tits” – and how dare Leonard challenge what society has already agreed upon, haha?

Leonard counters by saying that American women are being sold on the idea we don’t look right (amen, Leonard), that we’re told there’s something wrong with us and we have to buy the pills, diets and surgery to fix it (double amen). But everyone is beautiful, and his book would be appropriate on every coffee table in America, especially those with young ladies in the home (yes, yes, absolutely!).

Anyway, Colbert is always fun to watch, and Leonard Nimoy has created a book of beautiful photography with an important message for all of us. See the interview for yourself:

But it has to be said that Leonard’s idea is not original. The very talented Laurie Toby Edison, who blogs at Body Impolitic, did it way before he did in her photography book, Women En Large: Images of Fat Nudes.

A Reality Check and a Wake-Up Call

Posted by Sybil | February 29, 2008 | Comments (0)

It’s time for this woman to grow up so that her doctor takes her seriously. A “foob“?

An adult is proactive and does not accept treatment that is incomplete. A careful look and touch or even a moment to palpate the reconstructed breast is appropriate and should be asked for, if not given. ly, if you have to ask for that basic care, then this doctor is not the doctor for the job. Find another who will treat your reconstruction seriously.

I deeply understand that by giving painful issues names that mask the real problem it can be like a band-aid over a wound. But, one day, you have to look at the wound and accept it for what it is. And that is when you become an adult in the world of mastectomy and reconstruction, use appropriate and correct vocabulary, and expect, even demand, correct treatment..

And that is the day that your doctor or another doctor will take you seriously.

Congressional Democrats to Draft Bill to Overturn Supreme Court Decision On Medical Devices

Posted by Ilena | February 28, 2008 | Comments (1)

Regarding this ill advised, virtual get out of jail free card ruling, to benefit mightily the med device industry, I was thrilled to see others equally as upset.

Senator Ted Kennedy sums it up well:

“In enacting legislation on medical devices, Congress never intended that FDA approval would give blanket immunity to manufacturers from liability for injuries caused by faulty devices.” He said that without congressional action “FDA approval will become a green light for shoddy practices by manufacturers” of medical devices.

Full article here.

Plastic Surgeon Sends the Wrong Message

Posted by Sybil | February 26, 2008 | Comments (2)

Dr. Romanelli, a plastic surgeon from Huntington, NY, is featured on two YouTube videos (see “Durability of Saline & Silicone Breast Implants,” here) demonstrating and discussing breast implants and giving “the facts” on the pros and cons. Really.

Despite Romanelli’s reassuring voice and the fancy lab coat and tie, we decided to double-check those facts and see if he knew what he was talking about. We asked Dr. Melmed, a plastic surgeon who has testified frequently at FDA hearings and now performs explantations, to weigh in on Romanelli’s statistics. The results are in; maybe we shouldn’t let the lab coat hide the truth.

Dr. Romanelli: For saline implants, the incidence or rupture/leakage is 2% over 7 years, 3% over 10 years.

Dr. Melmed: Yes, saline does last about 10-12 years. But in almost all implants the problems BEGIN after 10 years. Look at the latest edition of the ls of Plastic Surgery. There is a LONG TERM report on implants from Sweden (Dr Holmlich). The figures are: a 62% capsuler contracture rate, a 39% re-operation rate, and a 21% rate of lymph nodes, even with “intact implants” [not ruptured]. How does Dr Romanelli account for this? Maybe these are only “minor inconveniences.”

The FDA’s statistics are considerably higher regarding rupture. According to the FDA Breast Implant Consumer Handbook from 2004, “[p]rospective studies of saline-filled breast implants approved by FDA in May 2000 showed rupture/deflation rates of 3-5% at 3 years and 7-10% at 5 years for augmentation patients. The same studies showed rupture/deflation rates of 6-9% at 3 years and 8-18% at 5 years for reconstruction patients.” For silicone implants, 344 women who had augmentation surgery before 1988 were found to have a 69% rate of rupture in at least one breast implant. A study from the ls of Plastic Surgery concluded that, out of nearly 10,000 removed implants, “26% of implants were ruptured by 3.9 years, 47% were ruptured by 10.3 years, and 69% were ruptured by 17.8 years.” Not so reassuring after all.

Dr. Romanelli: If there is a leak [in a saline implant], saline leaks into the body and is harmlessly eliminated.

Saline solution, like the one they use in I.V. drips and what you might drop your contact lenses into at night, has an expiration date. How do you know when your implants really expire?

Dr. Romanelli: If the silicone gel implant is cut, the gel doesn’t leak out.

Even if silicone gel is not released from an implant, silicone oils are released. That is from Dow Corning’s scientific documents.

Dr. Romanelli: If there is a pinhole leak [in a liquid silicone implant], it may cause a change in shape, hardness and scar tissue.

Dr. Melmed: Silicone does NOT cause capsular contracture by leaking. The mere presence of a foreign body (in this case a very large one) causes capsules and they contract. You get the same with sutures, shrapnel, glass, and any foreign body. Just think of a splinter—it gets hard and tender, and when removed the FB reaction stops and everything gets soft.

In a study conducted about 30 years ago and published in the ls, over 60% of the women examined had experienced “clinically significant” capsular contracture.

Dr. Romanelli: The material inside the silicone gel or “gummy bear” implant stays connected to itself within the shell… 80% of patients choose it over saline implants. “I do believe it’s a safe implant.”

Dr. Melmed: The good Doctor Romanelli says: gummy bears are SAFE. On what basis does he come to this “scientific” conclusion? Has he used them long term? I have not seen any reports by him. Is it based on the long term (over 10 years) reporting and testing by the manufacturers? I have not seen these either.

The gummy bear has a higher level of platinum in it to make it “cohesive.” Platinum can cause a chronic debilitating lung disease - see cases of people who worked in carburetor factories where platinum levels are high. (By the by, the FDA doesn’t seem too sure about platinum either… check out the FDA backgrounder on platinum in silicone breast implants that leaves a lot to “still be determined.” Yet

another instance where the research just hasn’t been done.)

Dr. Melmed puts it perfectly: “There are two stunning aspects to Breast Implants: (1) women put up with unbelievable pain, and suffering to live with breasts enlarged with bags of gel or water, presumably so that other women can be jealous and men can ogle, [and] (2) plastic surgeons are blind to any and all complications (if it were any other operation with these problems it would have been abandoned or outlawed years ago).

Dr. Romanelli sounds so calm and reassuring, but it’s not about what he’s saying—it’s about what he’s NOT saying! As we know, too many women aren’t given and don’t seek out all the information about what they do to their own bodies. Which is exactly why we’re here.

Facing Reality… Even the HARSH REALITY

Posted by Pam Noonan-Saraceni | February 23, 2008 | Comments (4)

A few days ago a friend sent me a link to a cancer survivor’s blog and suggested that I might want to get involved. I did go and spend a good deal of time reading the blog posts and it stirred up my emotions.

Although I have empathy for these women, I am just in such a different place than they are right now. Looking back, I probably also struggled with feelings of “Why me?” and grieving over the loss of my breast. BUT… here I am 30 years later and I want to smack these gals for being consumed with that attitude.

Life does not stop because we lose a breast. It would be far worse to lose an arm, leg, an eye, or even your hearing.

I remember 30 years ago I was living in Manhattan and I had just gotten out of the hospital. I was on the bus going downtown to my bank, feeling oh so sorry for myself… There I sat, just having had major surgery, and NO ONE on the bus but me had the slightest idea of what I had been through.

I watched a blind man get on the bus with his guide dog, and he found the time on his watch with his fingers. Then I spotted one of the homeless beggars with no legs on one of those dollies pushing himself down the street with his hands.

At that moment I felt pretty damn lucky to have only lost a breast.

GOODNESS… I sure wish there was a way to make women wake up and realize that this BREAST issue is all fueled by media hype, implant manufactures, plastic surgeons, and obnoxious men that just want to look at big breasts.

For crying out loud, the ONLY REASON for breasts is to nurse babies… and if you don’t have a baby, why the hell do you need breasts?

Just to let you all know where I am coming from… I am a 30 year survivor of breast cancer. I was a 25-years old and not married when I was diagnosed and had a mastectomy. I did silicone reconstruction five years post-mastectomy and then had to deal with multiple surgeries and illnesses as a result of that choice. For the last 12 years I am back to living with one breast… and, yes, there are times when I find it difficult to obtain the look I want in clothes or bathing suits. And no, I will never wear a strapless gown again… BUT WHO THE HECK CARES? I have my LIFE! And a pretty darn happy one at that.

Supreme Court Rules You Can’t Sue Medical Device Makers Because the FDA Does Such a Great Job Assessing Safety

Posted by Sybil | February 21, 2008 | Comments (3)

The New York Times reported yesterday that the Supreme Court has ruled that the manufacturer of a federally approved medical device cannot be sued under state law if the device causes an injury. This ruling has huge implications for the health care-technology industry and their victi – oops, I mean customers.

The article, “Justices Make It Tougher to Sue Medical Device Makers,” by Stout, tells us the Supreme Court ruled 8-to-1 in favor of Medtronic, upholding a lower court’s decision that plaintiff R. Riegel, who was severely injured when a Medtronic balloon catheter burst while he was undergoing angioplasty, cannot sue the

Minneapolis-based maker of cardiovascular devices. Riegel and his wife contend that the catheter had been designed, labeled and manufactured in a way that violated New York state law, with defects that caused severe and permanent injuries in Riegel. But a federal district court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in Manhattan), dismissed the Riegels’ suit on grounds that the catheter had been given pre-market approval by the Food and Drug Administration, thus protecting the manufacturer from liability under state law.

Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, said that the FDA spends an average of 1,200 hours reviewing each device application and grants pre-market approval only if it finds there is a “reasonable assurance” of its “safety and effectiveness.” “It may thus approve devices that present great risks if they nonetheless offer great benefits in light of available alternatives,” he wrote, noting that the FDA approved a ventricular assist device for children with failing hearts “even though the survival rate of children using the device was less than 50 percent.” Jurors would probably not be in a position to weigh the benefits and dangers of medical devices as well as agency experts, he concluded. A jury “sees only the cost of a more dangerous designed, and is not concerned with its benefits; the patient who reaped those benefits are not represented in court.”

This ruling is a remarkable statement of faith in the FDA – that it is doing its job the way it should, with a high degree of excellence and integrity, and immune to the pressures exerted by the millions of dollars the medical device industry regularly spends on lobbying. The fact is, the FDA has admitted it is in shambles, which is why it is even now under intense Congressional scrutiny and scrambling to clean itself up.

Truth be told, if I were the parent of a child with a failing heart who didn’t know so much about how regulatory agencies work, I would want all device options open to me and support this ruling, which encourages device makers in their MO to get their products to market as quickly as possible.

But if I were a woman thinking about getting cosmetic breast augmentation, I would be very very careful in deciding for myself whether or not breast implants are defective medical devices before going through with the procedure. If, later on, I experience severe complications, finding out way too late that breast implants are defective indeed, not only would I end up fighting a losing battle with insurance companies to get coverage for treatment, I would not even have legal recourse to some financial compensation from the maker to help cover my costs.

So Buyer Beware, Ladies, Buyer Beware. The Supreme Court has put its trust in our most dysfunctional government agency. This is Bush’s last stand against women’s health.

Man Rejects Silicone Implants Inserted in His Leg

Posted by bethtaylor | February 20, 2008 | Comments (4)

Recently I posted about a man that enhanced his tattoo using a silicone implant. I was curious as to whether he would fair well with this implant and if he had complications, would we hear about it? Little did I know that I would get my answer so quickly. As reported in the metro.co.uk, his body rejected the implants. The article reports that he had alot of fluid around the implants and when he pushed on it, it popped out of the incision that hadn’t healed yet.

As the article reports, the incision site was sewn up again just to have it open up from all the lymphatic fluids. So he now has it wrapped in gauze until it stops oozing.

When will the FDA and the manufacturer’s of these devices admit that they are just not safe????

Man with Silicone Tentacles in His Arm

Posted by bethtaylor | February 14, 2008 | Comments (2)

I’m not sure if I’ve been living in the Dark Ages or this is the latest fad. What happened to just using ink to create a lovely tattoo? Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of tattoos that involve silicone under the skin. This is new to me and just a bit disturbing to look at.

I know that tattoos do last a lifetime, normally with no ill effects. I’ve had my tattoo for 27 years.

I did want to show this to our readers, because to me this looks like some new disease that needs to be treated and not a work of art. Is it just me????

I also posted about the Man with Breasts in His Leg. I don’t know, maybe its me but I certainly wouldn’t want to walk around with something that looks like a boil on my leg. Then of course we have the health issues to worry about with this new type of art.

So now, take a gander at this…..work of art????? You be the judge, as when I look at it all I can think of is potential health problems not to mention it is a bit disturbing to the eyes.

I think I’ll stick with my rose tattoo. Which, by the way, is silicone-free!!!!

Breast Reduction and Body Image

Posted by EHill | February 12, 2008 | Comments (3)

“Most people have no idea what color my eyes are. They stare at my chest when we talk.” That was just one of the many responses given by my best friend, , when asked why she hates the attention that comes from her large breasts. Her breast size is 34 DDD, which on her petite frame means that her breasts are quite prominently displayed. They are what the Mayo Clinic describes as “excessively large,” enough so that she has had multiple strangers ask if they are real. They are, in fact, real and the reality of their size has been a struggle for her since eighth grade. That is why she has chosen this spring to go under the knife and receive breast reduction surgery.

When we think of self-conscious people, we would not normally picture the large-breasted, thin, and charismatic young woman, but has been feeling uncomfortable with her form for years. At first, she enjoyed the attention her breasts brought her, a kind of sexual limelight that she had never before experienced. However, by the time that she entered the hormone-jungle of high school she was ready to shed her signature breasts for a more below-the-radar body type. “The way that people stared at me, the distasteful remarks, [and] the feeling that I was some sort of freak” were all factors leading to her running home from school crying to her mother that she wanted breast reduction surgery. At the time, her insurance agency would not cover the surgery, as is often the case with surgeries that blur the line between “cosmetic” and “medically necessary.” Frustrated by this, spent the next few years of her

life uncomfortable in her own body, weighed down by what felt like anchors of unwanted attention and stereotyping.

Her young female peers felt free to comment on her breasts openly. They assumed that a “well endowed” girl like herself would take the remarks as compliments, as if enjoyed discussing her private body at any time. When girls would express envy, she would often reply, “I wouldn’t wish these on anybody.” Some girls went beyond jealousy to display open hostility towards . Her roommate admitted later that upon their first meeting she felt threatened by ’s impossible-to-conceal sexuality, and had difficulty accepting as a platonic equal. Men’s gazes and words constantly bombarded her in even the least sexual of circumstances. Professors stared unabashedly at her chest and classmates chucked vulgar jeers in her direction. When she later started working in the food service industry, male coworkers, customers, and bosses pointed out the presence of her large chest on a near-daily basis. Even

worse was when she worked at a bar and had floods of sexual proposals from the clientele. Men seemed to view her large breasts as a sign that read “Buy me a drink, I’m easy!”

Fortunately, her luck has recently changed. When she called me a couple of months ago, nearly screaming with excitement, I hardly expected the good news to involve surgery. She has a new health insurance provider and will finally be able to receive the breast reduction operation that she has been talking about for over six years. Of course I felt happy for her. I have been present for countless episodes of breast-drama in her life, from rude comments at parties to unsuccessful shopping trips for bathing suits that will never fit.

During this interim between knowing the surgery is going to happen and actually having the breasts reduced, I have been doing some of my own research on breast reduction, and helping prepare, both mentally and physically. The Mayo Clinic’s website was a good resource, and I read there about some of the benefits of the operation. These benefits included, “relief of pain in your upper back, neck and shoulders; reduced shoulder pressure from bra straps; increased ability to exercise and participate in physical activities; and a more positive self-image. The surgery may also help you breathe and sleep easier.” I was glad to hear that because I know that these are all issues that has dealt with although she is not one to issue verbal complaints about her physical status, especially since showing pain would only draw more attention to her breasts. As I read on, though, I came across a rather frightening list

of cons associated with the operation, which included, “loss of sensation in the nipples and areolas, impaired blood supply to the nipples, leading to loss of the nipples and scarring, inability to breast-feed, and an asymmetry in size, shape, position and contour of the nipples or breasts.” Loss of nipples? That sounds terrifying! I talked to her about this and she said that her sister went through the surgery last February, so she has already witnessed the shocking post-surgery bandage removal, making her feel prepared to have what she called “en-titties.” feels that the increased comfort will be entirely worth the scarring. She also made the point that the “horrific” scarring will be easily concealed by clothing, unlike her breasts, which could only be hidden by the bulkiest of coats. Her current partner has been supportive of this decision and believes that if he truly wants to be with her he will find her equally

attractive with smaller, scarred breasts.

In preparing for the upcoming surgery, has already informed most of her friends that she will appear differently soon. She says that most of her female friends have been supportive of the decision, glad that she will finally be more comfortable. However, many male friends that have caught wind of the news have been less than congratulatory. She has had many rude requests to touch her breasts before they are reduced. She has heard too many overly dramatic groans of disapproval, as if they have any idea how she feels or have any say in her physical health. She does not exist to look good for other people and she does not need anyone’s permission to alter her body and be more comfortable.

Lately, as the surgery draws nearer, we have been discussing everything post-operation that she looks forward to. High on the list was going shopping for a bathing suit, since she hasn’t worn one that fit properly in years. She also plans to come visit me so we can go to a fancy lingerie boutique, where she plans to drop at least eighty dollars on bra/panty sets, having “never owned a bra that wasn’t hideous and industrial strength.” And of course, she of course looks forward to people finally looking her in the eyes when talking to her.

Ad Campaign Against Statutory Rape Works Against Itself

Posted by Sybil | February 11, 2008 | Comments (1)

I was appalled by this nonprofit campaign against statutory rape.

Laurie and Debbie at Body Impolitic say:

The net result, of course, since a picture is and always has been worth a thousand words, is to sexualize these teenagers, and underscore their attractiveness and availability while claiming otherwise.

This, we believe, is a nonprofit organization and an ad agency that have been so seduced by the dark side of sexualization of young girls that they may not even realize they are sending a message opposite to the one they intend.

I agree. Has all common sense gone out the window?

Patty, in a comment on the Body Impolitic post, says: “And, as the daughter of a pedophile, I have to say that at least most pedophiles do not molest children because they look at them & see women’s bodies, but often BECAUSE they look like children…”

Which leads me to add: The very, very tragic thing is, on the catwalks and in real life, we so often see the exact opposite of what’s portrayed in these images – girls vamped out in full make-up to look like women, but still walking around in children’s bodies.

The net-effect is the same…

Can Silicone Get in the Way of Finding True Love?

Posted by Beauty and the Breast | February 11, 2008 | Comments (1)

In the March issue of Glamour, Olds, an actor living in Hollywood, asks, “Was I really going to let plastic surgery get in the way of my search for love — again?”

Everywhere we turn, women are followed by silicone-enhanced breasts and the idea that men love them — at least, this is easy to assume. But maybe this is just a myth perpetuated by the aesthetic industry, and maybe there are still men out there who appreciate a woman’s body as it is. Olds gives us a confidential and thoughtful look into his dating history in a town that epitomizes the quest for “surgical enhancement.”

Olds acknowledges these myths that surround us, and he doesn’t make excuses for the way men think about surgery-as-beauty:

Certainly, men are partially responsible for this trend. We can be superficial creatures: abandoning faithful life partners for younger, prettier versions, TiVo-ing Skinemax movies and wondering why we, mere mortals, aren’t married to the likes of Jenna on. But as much as we lust after images of hyper-real beauty in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue or even in the apartments or cubicles next door, we don’t quite know how to react when those unreal bodies actually belong to the woman in our lives.

(Of course, if these superficial men are looking for a long-term commitment, there’s always the extended payment plan.)

And Olds makes plenty of attempts to get past the fake body parts he finds in the women he goes out with. Comical anecdotes about discovering “rippling” under the skin or noticing swollen bottom lips at dinner reveal the mild disgust Olds is attempting to swallow when he touches or sees under-the-skin accoutrements. Even more amusing are the women’s reactions to his shock:

As she nibbled at a bowl of edamame, I figured it out: Her lower lip seemed much fuller than it was the first time we’d met—it looked like the mouths of actresses I’d worked with who’d gotten collagen and talked about it openly. And since those actresses were so comfortable discussing it, I felt comfortable asking the ad exec, “When’d you get your work done?”

“Work done?” she shot back. “Who do you think I am, a stripper?”

We can’t help but wonder if these women could accept themselves before or even after the surgery was over. If confidence was what they were after when they went under the knife, maybe it’s time to try a different method.

In the end, Olds’ search for love is over when he finds a natural woman “who [looks] lean and fit and, best of all, completely real.” While the conclusion was easy to predict, Olds’ touching commentary on how men view the women they love is both encouraging and enlightening. Two points for a man that can publicly admit his past mistakes and make the argument for women’s self-acceptance.

Wyclef Fans Do a Double Take

Posted by | February 7, 2008 | Comments (4)

He may have just released a new album, and the lyrics to “Gone ‘Til November” may be stuck in my head forever, but from now on I’ll be remembering Wyclef for his under-200-pound weight limit on groupies. Check out this post from Big Fat Deal and watch how Wyclef disappoints us all.

It’s a shame that an internationally-renowned musician and activist would willingly play on women’s insecurities and reveal himself to be so insensitive and shallow. Here’s hoping that even the women in the audience that met the weight requirement were appalled.

Lingerie Expert Knew NOT to Choose Implants

Posted by Sybil | February 7, 2008 | Comments (0)

The Daily Mail in the UK yesterday profiled cancer patient June Kenton, who declares in the article, “When I fell victim I knew I’d never have an implant.” Why is this significant? Because not only is June a long-time breast cancer awareness activist, she is Queen ’s own custom bra-maker and owner of the upscale London lingerie shop, Rigby & Peller.

A regular exam found cancerous granules in June’s left breast, which required a mastectomy. She says,

“I’ve always been so aware of mastectomy because of the business and campaigns I’ve been involved in, and I immediately said: ‘Well, if I do have to have a mastectomy, then I want to have breast reconstruction from my own tissue.’”

But why were implants not an option for her?

“Implants can be wonderful if you have both sides done, but a lot of the time they aren’t so wonderful.

“We see instances where the implants have shrivelled up or moved and sometimes the two breasts don’t match. Also, when you fit a woman’s bra and ask her to bend forward while you do it up, the (silicone) breast doesn’t fall into the cup properly because it’s become solid. This means another operation is required to have it removed and a new one put in.”

Imagine all the breasts June has seen in her line of work. When it comes to breast health and beauty, this is one person who knows what she’s talking about!

Breast Implant Risks and Cancer: How to Distract the Public from the Truth

Posted by | February 5, 2008 | Comments (1)

File this is under the “HERE WE GO AGAIN!” category, girls.

This Reuters article, “Cell Phones, Coffee Not High Cancer Risks,” tells us about a risk ranking system devised by Australian cancer specialist Professor Bernard to debunk popular myths. The five-point system “lists the risk of cancer from proven and likely, to inferred, unknown or unlikely” causes. And of course in the very first paragraph, after cell phones and coffee, “having breast implants is unlikely to cause cancer.”

When did anyone ever say that breast implants cause cancer? Why is this outdated myth being debunked AGAIN? Of course, this plays right into the manufacturers’ marketing strategy of lobbing distractions at the public to keep us from paying attention to breast implants’ real risks, like the fact that detecting cancer could be impeded because layers of silicone or saline are in the way.

Breast implants may not be a cause of cancer, but they do block early detection, and we all know how important early detection is. Sybil care to comment on those studies? How many PR “science” reports will the implant manufacturers have to MANUFACTURE to get their lame points across?

This is so ridiculous, especially in light of the recent reports about high infection rates for breast cancer reconstruction patients. These companies are evil in how they keep trying to confuse the issue, not give the real information and keep women as “mushrooms” - in the dark and fed shit. Wake up, women! These big business “men” are not your friends.

Breast Implants: If a Woman Gives Consent, Does It Mean She’s Informed?

Posted by Sybil | January 29, 2008 | Comments (1)

I could rattle off a million reasons why women should not get breast implants. But at the top of my list, and what I have spent my life working on, is the issue of informed consent – a patient fully understanding the risks of this cosmetic surgery before going under the knife. Of course, in my biased opinion, anyone who chooses to undergo breast augmentation clearly does not have a good understanding of what could happen or they wouldn’t do it! But there are very real obstacles in the way of women getting all the necessary information and being able to conduct a good risk assessment, some of which I would like to lay out here:

No one really knows how long implants actually last and what their long-term effects could be.

Breast implants are indeed one of the most researched medical devices, but the research (predominantly paid for by implant manufacturers) has been “front-loaded.” Almost all the safety data collected thus far has been from women who had implants for a relatively short time, less than five years. Implant recipients, however, keep these devices in their bodies for decades. In a recent New York Times article, Dr. Li, who has served on three of the FDA’s panels that reviewed implant safety, acknowledged that silicone implants are “a device that you have only three or four years of data for,” and admitted that “we don’t know specifically how long implants last.”

There still critical work to be done in looking at the long-term health risks of breast implants. The absence of research in the longer time frame, however, is a fact not widely known or understood, even among plastic surgeons. How, then, can it be conveyed to women?

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Superficial World Records Encourage Superficial Deeds

Posted by | January 28, 2008 | Comments (3)

Brazilian Carnival celebrity Bismarchi has her eye on a prize: to be the Guinness World Record holder for having the most plastic surgery. At 42 procedures, is closing in on current world-record holder , who bills herself as the “Living Doll” and has her own line of skin-care products, which, I would guess, help minimize scarring.

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New Low in Advertising Unnatural Breasts

Posted by Beauty and the Breast | January 25, 2008 | Comments (3)

We found this astonishing ad on the copyranter blog.

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Want more? Check out the Surf!

It's the informed lady's required reading list.

BB Surf 8: What We’ve Been Reading Posted by Beauty and the Breast | March 21, 2008 | Comments (1) FOX, Woman Claims Police Caused Breast Implant to Burst

Guanabee, “Spanx” Now Hold In Your Unsightly Boobies as well as Your Hideous, Mutant Gut

University of Florida News, Is Bigger Better? Breast Surgery Linked to Boost in Self-Esteem and Sexuality

Associated Content, Complications from Breast Implants Lead to Low Self-Esteem, Problems with Sex Life

The Canadian Press, Behind the Beauties, Nips and Tucks: A Look Inside the Beauty Pageant Universe

Feministing, Dainty Ladies Don’t Menstruate

The Body Image Project

BB Surf 7: What We’ve Been Reading

Posted by Beauty and the Breast | March 14, 2008 | Comments (3)Marie , My Best Friend’s Boob Job

MSNBC.com, Legislator Wants Tighter Rules on Plastic Surgery

Times Online, Cosmetic Surgery: Make Me The Way I Was

Jezebel, Missdemeanors

BB Surf 6: What We’ve Been Reading

Posted by Beauty and the Breast | March 7, 2008 | Comments (1)

Associated Press, Rowland Had Breast Enhancement

Public Citizen, FDA’s Botox Warning Falls Short

Jezebel, New Bra Makes Women ‘Flawless’ by Erasing Their Nipples

International Women’s Day

BB Surf 5: What We’ve Been Reading

Posted by Beauty and the Breast | February 29, 2008 | Comments (1)

Firebox.com, The Winerack

Bloomberg.com, Cosmetic Surgery Losing Stigma for Men, Rises 17% in 2007

ABC.com, Male Breast Surgery on the Rise for Teens

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Breast Cancer Risk and Surgical Intervention

Daily Mail, Why Aren’t Cancer Patients Being Told Their Breasts Can Be Saved?

Washington Post, Barbara Seaman, 72, Pioneer In Women’s Health Movement

BB Surf 4: What We’ve Been Reading

Posted by Beauty and the Breast | February 22, 2008 | Comments (0)

Women’s E-News, Spain Sizes Up Fashion World’s Measuring Stick

CNNMoney.com, Cosmetic Surgery Market Stands Firm.

Medical News Today, Mentor Corporation Launches Comprehensive Online Research on Breast Augmentation

NY Times, Sorry, Boys, This is Our Domain

PRWatch.Org, Beyond Advertising: The Pharmaceutical Industry’s Hidden Marketing Tactics

BB Surf 3: What We’ve Been Reading

Posted by Beauty and the Breast | February 15, 2008 | Comments (0)

NYT, The Vanishing Point

The Ledger, More Opt for Both Breasts Removed

Health Communication Research, Kids Don’t Like Clowns.

From the Women’s Bioethic Blog, Informed Consent in Clinical Medicine as a Concern for Ethicists

Daily Mail, It costs £2,000 and lasts only 18 months

BB Surf 2: What We’ve Been Reading

Posted by Beauty and the Breast | February 8, 2008 | Comments (1)

Junkfood Science, No fat people allowed: Only the slim will be allowed to dine in public!

Jezebel, I’m A Model; The Least I Can Do Is Wear The Clothes

From Hitsgarden, World’s Largest Breast Implants: 153.67

From The Shorthorn, Roses, Teddy Bears and Boobs

Associated Press, Separate but equal: judges rule that a North Carolina woman is only entitled to one implant replacement after accident

Los Angeles Times, It’s a 91-minute plastic surgery commercial

The BB Surf: What We’ve Been Reading

Posted by Beauty and the Breast | February 1, 2008 | Comments (2)

From Body Impolitic, How Young Is Too Young?

CNBC, Fake Jane To Rescue Allergan.

Our Bodies Our Blog, How Not to Write a Health Story

Bitch Phd, Blogging Miss America So You Won’t Have To

Women’s Space, White Privilege, the Meritocracy Myth, and Perfect Feminists, Perfect Women

Cosmetic Surgery Wife, 5 Reasons why my getting breast implants was the best $5,000 I’ve ever spent

Jezebel, The Five Great Lies Of Women’s Magazines

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