Fw: Please welcome Beverley ... Support requested

[Guest guest]

Respond to:

kokomo@...

Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2001 9:35 PM

Subject: Please welcome Beverley ... Support requested

> I am 47 years old and in 1974 got silicone breast implants. O ther than

the

> fact that I seem to get an inordinate number of minor infections (chronic

> throat, sinus, yeast, bladder), I had no problems with them. I took

allergy

> shots for more than 15 years for yeast and molds which seemed to have

> little effect on the number of infections I got. Over the years due to

> negative press about silicone implants and in an effort to explain my

minor

> but recurrent illnesses, I asked many physicians (gynecologists,

> allergists, gastroenterologists, essentially every doctor I saw, whci have

> been many) about effects of silicone in the body. Most of questions were

> dismissed with little to no info. I also looked into any the availability

> of testing for silicone in the body and was told the test was ineffective

> and expensive, although I had a gastroenterologist who did do a test

called

> a broad spectrum blood test that did not detect silicone but would

indicate

> an abnormality in the body (it was negative).

>

> In 1997 when I noticed a difference in size and shape of my left breast. I

> saw 3 plastic surgeons with no diagonosis of rupture. In desperation,

> I searched for the surgeon who had performed the original surgery in 1974

> only to found he was no longer practicing medicine but was in law school

> (conflict of interest?). I did see the physician who took over his

practice

> and finally agreed that I could have a rupture. To shorten the story, I

did

> have the explantation with an different physician and the results were

that

> one implant was intact and the other was not only ruptured but there was

no

> evidence of implant casing and silicone was free floating. According to

the

> physician, it doesn't migrate ot other parts of the body but remains in

the

> chest cavity. I did have them replaced with saline implants.

>

> My desrie is not to assess blame but to find out if the constant problems

I

> have could somehow be related to the silicone. If so, I just want to stop

> being sick. In the last year, I have begun to develop stiffness in my

hands

> and wrists diagnosed as possible arthritis (none in my family) and in the

> past 4 months I have been diagnosed with a different infection requiring

> treatment with antibiotics (including one hospitalization for iv

> antibiotics for absessed tonsil) approximately every 3 weeks. I have

> complained of exhaustion which has interfered with my always active life.

I

> can't seem to get the real support of any physician or direction to go as

> they become " frustrated " after running their battery of tests only to

> determine, I'm healthy and then suggest I take " anti-depressants. "

>

> I need some advice on the path I should take and would appreciate any

> advice. Thank you.

>

> Beverley Smalley

>

>