Fwd: CANADIAN WOMAN PROTESTS BREAST IMPLANTS

[Guest guest]

Note: forwarded message attached.

for Good Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

http://www.burnabynewsleader.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=41 & cat=23 & id=500137 & more=

Burnaby woman protests implants

MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER

Daphne on is waging an awareness campaign about the dangers of silicone breast implants from the cramped confines of her bachelor apartment in Burnaby. She says she plans to protest outside the office of Health Minister Ujhal Dosanjh against a plan by Health Canada to approve them for use again, after they were first banned in 1993. She says she's been suffering health effects from her own implants, which were finally removed in 1992.

By Grant Granger NewsLeader Staff Sep 28 2005 Daphne on wouldn't want to wish the pain she's gone through the last 30 years on any woman. She's astounded the Canadian government would consider letting other women suffer too. That's why on will take her fight to the streets today and Friday The Burnaby resident plans to picket the offices of Health Canada and federal health minister Ujjal Dosanjh at the Vancouver Public Library today (Thursday) and Dosanjh's constituency office on Fraser Street on Friday. on is protesting the possibility silicone breast implants will become legal in Canada again In 1974, on received silicone breast implants. She was told she had a disease that wouldn't allow her breast to develop because of a lack of hormones. She was also told implants were safe on claims she got sick almost immediately. "I've gone through nothing but sickness ever since," said the Burnaby resident She developed uterine cancer and had to have her uterus removed. Doctors insisted it wasn't due to the implants leaking. In 1992 silicone implants were banned in Canada, allowing only saline implants. Now two companies - Inamed and Mentor - are asking Health Canada to reintroduce silicone implants. A forum to review the possible re-approval is being held in Ottawa today and Friday to advise the House of Commons standing committee on health on, and organizations such as Women and Health Protection, believe Health Canada has appointed three paid consultants of the manufacturers to the "independent" review body. In a recent press release, WHP said the three have "admitted to receiving funds directly from the manufacturers whose products are under review," citing the Canadian Medical Association Journal on is flabbergasted. She feels no implant is safe, but particularly the silicone ones "The whole meetings are basically bogus because they've been basically pre-approved," said on, who has been campaigning against implants since she had hers removed "When they took mine out in 1993, they were actually silicone implants with dacron patches, one of the most deadly you can get "Silicone is not good for the human anatomy. They come up with these so-called studies that say they're safe when in fact they haven't studied the sick women. Sick women like herself. on said one doctor at Vancouver General agreed her illnesses were caused by the implants, but wouldn't put it in writing out of fear for his job. She finally found a doctor five years ago that has documented all of her problems on was trained in hotel management and as a hairdresser, but she had to give those careers up because of the string of illnesses she blames on the implants. "I'd been up or down for 20 years. I saw a woman on television in 1993 warning women to get these implants out and that's when I literally crawled to my doctor and begged him to take them out of me," said on, who lives in a small bachelor apartment and survives on a disability pension. "Then I just basically kept getting better and better, but I can never work again. I'm better, I'm here where I was dying in 1993, I'm still here but the silicone is still in my system. on believes not even the saline implants are safe because they have a silicone shell "It's always about the look and feel. It's not about what it does to your body," said on. "You have a stack of chemicals in your chest. Even an IV bag has a shelf life and they wouldn't stick it in a person's body and it doesn't have the same properties or compounds that silicone or saline implants have. For several years, on has been bombarding bureaucrats and politicians on the issue but can't seem to get anywhere. Dosanjh, in a letter to on's MP Bill Siksay, said he won't meet with her because "it would be premature and inappropriate for me to be meeting with interested parties at this time. "Everybody's been fighting and protesting and they just don't listen," said on, who won't give up on her campaign "I don't want other women going through the same suffering I'm going through. They will die. ggranger@... mario bartel/newsleade