Fw: CJ's Saline Story ... Censored on implantinfo.com

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----- Original Message -----

From: " ilena rose " <ilena@...>

Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2001 7:56 PM

Subject: CJ's Saline Story ... Censored on implantinfo.com

Dear Group ...

Some of you may be aware that there is a very publicized website financed

by Plastic Surgeons and the manufacturers that attracts many, many women

who are considering getting implants.

The website is filled with " regulars " that give big " YOU GO GIRLS " to

anyone inquiring, and they have pat answers about breastfeeding, immune

diseases, mammography etc. that have little to do with reality.

Innocent women who go there are NOT given the benefit of the truth ... only

what the PS's want them to believe.

Today, a member of our group, a sweetheart named , posted the

following post. There were many grateful women who posted in response, and

several of the " regulars " or shills, who were rude and ugly.

As usual, as with anything that could affect the PS (and " " Cummings)

bottom line, 's post were censored. If you click on the link below

where it was originally, you can see this for yourself.

There are two boards there, a " Support " and a " Q & A " group ...

To check it out yourself, go to:

http://www.implantinfo.com/cgi-local/index.cgi?

http://www.implantinfo.com/cgi-local/support.cgi

At the top of these pages, you will see " NEW " PS's advertising ... each

paying some thousands of dollars to be there.

I continue to believe that women deserve to know the REAL risks of breast

implants ... not just what will buy the PS's newest Mercedes or swimming

pool. A PS that advertises there that I was on a TV shoot with last week,

teaches Plastic Surgery and still believes that silicone is " inert. " The

fact that he puts in around 8 new sets a week (approximately $40K or

$200,000 a year) seems to affect his rational thinking.

If you do decide to post there ... you'll need a thick skin ... they are

ruthless about keeping these silicone dollars flowing.

Feel free to copy what you write and send it to me with the link (like

below) ... I'll post your story on alt.support.breast-implant.

Thank you for being such a sweetheart and being so honest with the

women who go there for information and get Plastic Surgeon's Propaganda.

http://128.242.222.66/cgi_local/support.cgi?read=290391

November, 2000.

Hi,

My name is and I am a 36-year-old medical secretary and single mom

living in California. In 1998 I had finally reached my goal of losing over

50 pounds. I had struggled with my weight, for a while, it was mostly down,

but frequently up as well. I had finally given up smoking and partying, and

doing all those stupid things we do, and had adopted a lifestyle that was

healthy, and was primarily into power walking and jogging, along with

swimming, and some weightlifting. I was thrilled with my new figure; I was

a size 5 and loved it. I felt fantastic; I used to run up to 30 miles a

week, it was such a wonderful feeling. I knew this time I wasn't going to

gain the weight back. There was only one problem, my once perky, quite full

small " C " full " B " breasts had shrunken down and were terribly saggy and

covered with lots of stretch marks. Where I used to be able to put them

into a nice push up bra and achieve great looking cleavage there were now

these ugly stretch marks and nothing but loose, floppy skin. It was

depressing.

I had heard allot of talk about implants, saline of course, because I knew

the silicone ones carried risks and thought even though I am pretty poor I

bet I could save enough to get some and make my breasts look good again.

Unlike many women small breasts hadn't ever bothered me, I liked my breasts

when they were a nice perky B cup, and when I gained a little weight and

they stretched to a " c " cup they looked great. After gaining 60 pounds with

my daughter they were huge, but they still didn't look too bad when I went

back down to 120 pounds. I was ok with being small. After gaining another

55 or so pounds and then the final weight loss was when I became somewhat

obsessed with my breasts. I was only 34 years old, and I was single, and I

just didn't feel I could ever be intimate with a man again with these

80-year-old woman breasts.

So I checked into some sites on the net and made some appointments and

started searching for a surgeon. I work at a great hospital but was way too

uncomfortable discussing this with anyone I new so I talked to my sister

who also wanted to get hers done. She new lots of women who had implants

and so we went to a few consultations and got some opinions. The first two

I saw said I needed a lift as well and the $$ were in the 10,000 range. I

saw one who swore by smooth implants on top of the muscle, this was also

not what I wanted although his fee was more reasonable. Finally I found a

Dr. who seemed very good, came highly recommended and said he could fix my

breasts and make them look great without a lift and placing them sub

muscularly. I was thrilled, and began to scrimp and save. It took me almost

2 years but I finally had my date set and the money and everything seemed

to be falling into place. I had chosen February of 1999. Unfortunately I

got sick with a bad flu, so I had to reschedule. It was ironic because my

sister had to cancel her surgery due to some calcifications on her

mammogram. I kept thinking it was strange, almost like I was not meant to

get these implants. I almost cancelled but decided not to, I re scheduled

for April 5th 1999.

I was very stupid, looking back now, I never asked what type of implant, I

only knew they were to be placed under the muscle and that they would be a

full c. I just wanted them filled out, not too big just nice and full.

I had the surgery and it was so much more painful than I had ever been

told. I was not prepared for this kind of pain and I had only one week off

work. I was in agony and on painkillers and sleeping on my back was

miserable. I could also tell that while they looked good, the right one

seemed to be off and lower and not quite right. From day one I was not

happy with that breast. If I wouldn't have ended up with illness I would

probably had insisted he fix it.

After two weeks I was still not myself but I was going stir crazy. My Dr

told me it would be ok to start light workouts again, and so I started with

walking and then about 3-4 weeks into it I was jogging lightly and doing

some tae boa. I was not feeling right, weak, and just not good, but I

attributed it to the surgery, etc. my incisions looked great, I looked

fantastic in clothes, but the implants were firm, and uncomfortable, and

the whole lower part of my breasts were numb, but my nipples had full

sensation, and by a month and a half I was sleeping on my tummy and finally

feeling like I was getting better. Summer was coming and I was excited, but

still stressing on my right breast not looking right. It hung lower and you

could see the crease from where it used to be. But everyone kept telling me

they looked great and I decided to let it go and see how it looked and give

it time to heal. So, it has been like 3 months, I still have lots of

discomfort, but I could live with that, but I started noticing subtle

things, changes. I felt flu like; I kept thinking I was getting sick,

chills, and fatigued, and funny. My feet were achy and my hands were achy.

This seemed strange, since I wasn't doing anything with them to cause them

to feel strange. I was tired all the time, and felt funny, but I kept

thinking I was stressed or tired and shrugging it off.

By now I felt I should be able to run at least somewhat like I used to, but

I just felt so weak when I did. My legs felt heavy, and then one day

something happened and my hip got strained or something and from then on it

was like all these things started going wrong. I went to the Dr. for the

hip, I was very concerned, and also mentioned the ache ness and the

implants. She shrugged it off, prescribed me Motrin and sent me away. I

backed off on the jogging and tried swimming and still had all this ache

ness and my feet were really bad. I couldn't understand what was happening.

I started thinking what if it was my implants. No I told myself can't be

that. I found a tiny little lump in my breast and panicked, and then upon

inspection found another under my arm and several in my groin area. I had

these checked out and was told they were lymph nodes and no big deal. My

Plastic surgeon said they could be related to a reaction to the implantsnot

to worry. I again brought up the ache ness and he seemed pretty unconcerned

and told me it was probably nothing.

Then my head started in, I remember it came on subtly at first, I walked

into a room and everything seemed foggy and distant and like it was weird,

like I was high, or something was wrong with my vision. I shook it off and

drank some coffee thinking I was stressed or tired. It seemed to come and

go for about a week, I kept telling my mom I felt weird, dizzy, strange, no

one seemed to understand. Finally one day I was vacuumining and the room

just started spinning around, I felt so sick. I went to work everyday like

this, I work at a hospital and I felt like I was probably safer there than

at home, but I was becoming very scared. I started thinking I had MS or a

brain tumor or something awful, but all along in my mind I couldn't help

but wonder if it was somehow something related to my implants.

Back to the Dr againthis time I was refereed to a psychiatrist. He didn't

seem to think I was depressed, he thought it sounded more like a medical

problem, while the medical Dr; s seemed to think it was a mental problem. I

convinced him to let me try some anti depressants praying that maybe that

was an answer.

Nothing was working though, and while I could still function and work and

would try to push myself to workout and do things, I always felt messed up,

achy. Not right.

I had many lab tests, saw many specialists, spoke with many Dr's and even

had an MRI and nerve conduction tests because I was concerned about ms.

All those things were ruled out. I decided to wait, and struggled with my

decision, in the mean time I tried different drugs, nothing really helped,

I tried acupuncture, I tried treatment for yeast, for anxiety, I tried

counseling and the counselor told me she too, didn't think I was depressed

in a clinical sense, she though I was depressed, yes, who wouldn't be, but

she believed my problems were real, and the pain issues got worse and

worse. finally, a series of events occurred in my life and they all pointed

in one direction.explant.

I spoke to many women over the course of the last year and a half, and the

name Dr.Feng kept popping up as the best plastic surgeon for removing and

reconstruction. I had emailed her and spoken with her, and I just had a

feeling about her. I had decided that if I was going to get them out, she

was the only one I would let do it. I just felt that I could not go to

another male no matter who he was. So when the opportunity arose for me to

get a free ticket to Cleveland I called and made my appointment and it is

set for December 7th and surgery on December 8th. It is costly, and far

from my home, and I am nervous, but mostly I just want to be done with it

now.

I saw my rheumatologist about a month ago, and while he has given me a

diagnosis of fibromyalgia, he has told me he doesn't think I have a true

case, and neither do I. I still am amazed at my ability to work, and to get

in some exercise, even though I feel like I am spaced out and achy all the

time. I try so hard to get through each day, it is difficult alone and I

have family and friends, but lets face it, people don't understand what it

is like, they see me and I look fine, I look great in fact, which I am

happy about and yet, it makes it harder for people to believe I am ill,

because I look normal, and my implants look great, and they are firm, but

not hard, and they are really nice in clothes, and even unclothed, I hate

to give them up, but even if by some chance it isn't the implants, how can

I live like this with the thought knowing in my head all the time.

Will I recover, and regain my health? Only time will tell. Right now, I

take clonazepam for sleep, and vicodin for pain and these do help, but I

hate taking drugs everyday. I still don't sleep very well. I have no

motivation and have hardly any social life anymore. What good are beautiful

big breasts with no social life? I used to love to go shopping, now the

lights in the stores make my head spin. I used to love to go out and have

fun, now I just want to stay home and do nothing. After work I hardly feel

strong enough to stay up till 9pm most nights. That is no way to live.

I would warn any woman considering implants to consider my story. Implants

destroyed my life.and even should I get my health back, the cost

financially and emotionally will be with me for the rest of my life. It has

been a nightmare. I have put my friends and family through hell, and I have

put my poor daughter through hell. She doesn't know exactly what is wrong,

only that mommy doesn't feel well most of the time.

I am not going to tell anyone not to get implants, for it is not for me to

decide. There are tons of women who claim they feel great and have no

health problems, and I hope that they remain that way. Maybe they will be

lucky, maybe they are not sensitive like me, or maybe down the road they

will have problems too. I do not know. I only know that I am sure it had to

be the implants as there was nothing else in my life that changed. I will

update this in the next few weeks and keep all informed as to what happens

and how things go. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I go

thought this difficult time in my life.

My list of symptoms

Aches and pains, hands are stiff and ache and feet too Knee pain, hip pain,

neck pain, back pain, Visual disturbances, off balance Dizzy spacey

lightheadedness, almost like being drunk Foggy head Fatigue that comes and

goes Red rash on chest Sleep problems (not enough or too much) Feeling of

being sick, but hard to describe Feeling of things just not being right

Swollen lymph nodes Elevated Ana test Diagnosed with fibromyalgia and

possible connective tissue disorder

http://128.242.222.66/cgi_local/support.cgi?read=290396

ng posted to offend or scare anyone, as I said in my first post I don't

know if or how many will become sick like I did however I thought that

everyone thinking about implants has a right to hear another side, I am not

trying to make trouble, have compassion for me. I wrote this update several

months ago, I am now almost one year post explant and my health is much

improved. I am married to a great guy and happy with my life, I hope that

no one here ever has to endure the pain I have had to.

God Bless you all,

(CJ) Heer I am writing this as an update to my story so that I can

let people know about what has happened to me in the last 5 months since my

explant and mastopexy.

Anyone considering implants, or considering explant with breast lift will

want to read this and understand what can happen, of course not everyone

will have the exact outcome or difficulties that I had, some may have less

problems, some more.

I had my explant on December 7th 2000 in Cleveland Ohio by Dr.Lu-Feng.

I was very pleased with Dr.Feng and her staff, they were kind,

knowledgable, friendly, and understanding. Dr.Feng spent at least 3 or 4

hours with me the day before my surgery explaining possible risks,

complications, what to expect, showing me before and after pictures,

explaining exactly step by step, what would happen to me, and putting me at

ease. I was, by this time, completely committed to this decision to have

the implants removed. She marked me with a purple pen and after we talked

and got my prescriptions written and everything in order I left and went

back to my motel with my mom. My surgery was scheduled for the next day at

6am.

It was snowing, freezing cold the next morning, we drove the short distance

to Dr.Feng's clinic and I changed and was led into the pre op area where

Dr.Feng came in and started my IV herself. I was impressed with her ability

to get it the first time, as I am a hard stick. The drugs kicked in and I

was very relaxed when I was put in the OR on the table. I remember nothing

else until I woke up 5 or 6 hours later and with the worse sore throat of

my life. I was given some ginger ale and water and was in a lot of pain.

Dr.Feng came and held my hand and assured me that she had removed all of

the scar capsule and that it had taken allot of effort to get my implants

out. She told me that she had no doubt in her mind my implants had been

making me very ill, she said there was much inflammation in the tissue

surrounding the implants and that there was allot of scar tissue and that

because of the textured surface of my implants that they had been embedded

in my chest wall and required much scraping and cutting and prying to

remove them.I would be very aware of this fact over the next 3 months as I

remained sore for a very very long time. I have never been a slow healer,

and my incisions healed very quickly, this points out that textured

implants are very dangerous and in my opinion should never ever be used

(not that any implants are good) but these are some of the worse on the

market.

The next problem I would have would be the drainsS.oh boy, as a nursing

Assistant I have emptied many pratt drains in my life, but I had no

idea they were so uncomfortable. I was told I could get them out when each

side had less than 30cc's of fluid in it. It was supposed to be 3 days and

I had my flight scheduled in 4, but it was not to be. The first day I put

out 100cc's of bloody fluid in each side, the second day was even worse,

and by the 3rd day while it started to come down, it was still way more

than 30cc's. Time to change my flight, more costs, more days in the hotel

room. My mom is going stir crazy, I am taking percocett and vicodin for

pain. I am so used to the vicodin that I can function well on these(after

having been on them for a few months due to my chronic pain situation) the

percocette knocks me out so I can sleep at night. We are getting cabin

fever, we decide to venture out in the snow and go to only touristy places

in the area, the first day we went to the NFL hall of fame. This was good

to get out, but not without its difficulties considering I had these

uncomfortable drains underneath my big sweater and felt like I looked fat

and ridiculous. The next day I ventured out again to the rock n roll hall

of fame. I overdid it that day and was feeling pretty awful. I am of course

disappointed because in my mind I had hope for an instant relief of my

symptoms. Oh well, this was not the case, and looking back I realize how

unrealistic my expectations were. I should mention that I have not seen

what is underneath the heavy padding, thick bandage and surgical bra yet,

but I have tired to peek down the top. I can see the curve of my breasts so

I feel I have something left but what,I have no idea.

My drains are a constant source of frustration, they are continually

flowing, I am drinking loads of water hoping to flush things out, my mom

can't believe how much water I drink. We are sick of Cleveland, sick of the

motel, sick of all the local restaurants, and this is starting to cost

allot more than we expected, I cancel another flight, schedule it for

Sunday the 16th. I am praying I can get the drains out by then. Dr.Feng

says she want to look at my incisions and clean them and check everything

so I return to the clinc. I am scared to look, It was awful, they took the

bandages off and I was flat as a pancake, smooshed down, the tape had

irritated my skin and it was red, and the incisions are not pretty. She

seems pleased, she says my breasts are cute. I am not feeling cute, but

they are even and a nice shape, I can see where they will get better once

healed, the drain holes are irritated, they burn and ache, but I am stuck

with them for a few more days.

Finally Saturday comes along and Dr.Feng says the drains need to come out,

I am still draining more than 30ccs on the right side, the left is down to

15, I am thrilled, they are coming out. We go to her office that day and

she takes the drains out, this hurts for a second, then it is such a relief

ahhhhh, she tapes them up. We take after pictures of my breasts she wraps

me up tight because we are concerned about fluid possibly building up again

in the empty pockets where the implants were and we are off. We are going

home at 5am we are thrilled.

Back home, finally. I am depressed, I am flat as a pancake in this bandage,

however I have to get my butt to work the next day, I manage, I get through

this difficult period, the holidays give me time to rest, I never miss

another day of work due to this surgery.

Well healing continues. After about 8 weeks I am finally able to wear a bra

again that is somewhat flattering. I am able to workout, I am able to do

most things. I am still not without my symptoms however.

During all this time I have my boyfriend in Idaho supporting me and helping

me as much as he can from far away, I am worried about how he will feel

about me without my big boobs, he assures me it doesn't matter. I make

plans to visit himSit is time we find out the truth, I am doing allot

better, but still having health issues, emotionally I am not over this

whole thing, I fear lupus, I have a high ANA(antibody test) I am convinced

it could still be from the implants, residual toxins or whatever. I am

getting better, my head is clearer than it has been in a year and a half, I

know I made the right decision even if I never recover completely, I can

tell my body is healing. My breasts are looking better, but still have

pretty obvious scars.

MarchS.3 months post op, I fly to Idaho, my fiancé loves me, he loves my

breasts, we decide to make things legal. We get married. My fears about how

I will feel about sex, about being naked again, about my breasts are laid

to restSeverything still works..LOL

I am happy. Things are looking up. I am planning to sell my home in

California and move to Idaho. My new husband is an angel, he is perfect,

and he loves me.

April, I am back in California, I am told by my rheumatologist I still have

a high ANA; we need to run more tests. I am sad, lupus??????? I already had

the mixed connective tissue disease diagnosis (which I didn't believe

completely) SSSS.we set an appointment for May 1st to do tests for

schleroderma, sjorgrens, lupus, etcSI am scared, I have really good days

and really bad days, but overall I am feeling better, I wear water bras to

work, I am confident again, I feel pretty, sexy, loved, and happy, I am

forgetting about implants, I am feeling good in my own body again, my own

soft natural body. My husband comes here and we are so happy together I

never thought I could be so blessed.

May, my tests are all negative, I do not have lupus, I do not have the

dreaded schleroderma, I am still very achy and have moments of spaceynesss,

my energy is low at times, but I still am better than with the implants, I

can think clearer, I am learning what works and what doesn't, I am taking

so many supplements I am loosing track, I am still doing a very healthy

diet, I am frustrated by the ups and downs, hanging tough. I make the

decision to start taking plaquenil for my rheumatism; I am told by dozens

of women that it is a godsend. I struggled over this for a long time. I

decide I will try it.

My breasts look good, at 5 months I am pleased, the scars are light, still

noticeable, but not bad, they have fluffed out a bit, I am no longer so

self conscious of them. My head is amazingly clear at times, some days I am

tired esp after work, somedays I am full of energy, I can jog one or two

times a week and power walk the other 1 or 2 days. My diet is healthy, I am

getting strong.

I hope this story will help someone who is going through this ordeal to

feel better about the situation, and anyone considering implants to think

of all that I have endured. Remember, I was a strong healthy athletic woman

when I got ill only 3 months after my implants were placed. This can happen

and does happen even with saline implants. This whole ordeal has cost me

$15,600 and even more if you count the prescription meds, the supplements,

the lab tests (thank god for my great insurance) and I still have lingering

effects I know are related to the toxic reaction my body had to the

implants. The pain the suffering, it was awful, and when I have a flare, or

something sets me off it is frightening. I still fear that I may end up

with a full blown auto-immune disease but I pray that I will not.

I know this was long. I hope it has helped someone.

UPDATE: It is now November 2001, my ana test has come down it is almost

normal, borderline at lest check. I work out like an animal at the gym, 5x

a week, I do spinning I do wieghts I have a killer muscular frame, I am

down to 17% body fat, I look great, I feel great I have some pain in my

feet and hands occasionally, I am married, we have 5 children combined, I

am a new woman, so there is a happy ending.

Love, CJ