Shirley

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry if some of you couldn't read my story. I copied it into an email. A lot of my symptoms that went away after explant have come back in the last 6 months. They just seem to be getting worse and worse. That's the only thing that's different in the letter below, and I'm 30 now.

I'm a 29 year old woman who got McGhan textured saline implants in 1996 for cosmetic reasons. About a year later, the problems started.

Although I'd not had health problems in the past, in 1997 I caught bronchitis and developed a number of allergies. In January of 1999 I was rushed to the emergency room with severe abdominal pain. At the time they diagnosed me with urinary and vaginal infections and sent me home. But the pain never got better and the infections never went away. So over the next four months I went to two gastrointestinal specialists, two ob/gyns, and a urologist. They found polyps and infections. In April of last year my skin all over my body started to burn, it felt like burning inside my veins, my muscles began spasming badly and my joints were tremendously painful. Although I went to three different internists, two rheumatologists, and a neurologist who diagnosed me with fibromyalgia, my blood work all came back as normal. In May I went for a mammogram, which came back fine. But within three days of the mammogram, I felt horrible. I had extreme burning and a sense of strong pressure in my chest, particularly around and behind my implants. My eyes and mouth were extremely dry and soon after I noticed my hair falling out in clumps. I was so fatigued that I couldn't even get myself something to eat and soon found myself out of work. Emotionally, this was difficult for me to deal with because I've always been a healthy and active person. I rarely even had a cold, even in the middle of flu season! Now, at 28, my body was falling apart.

It got worse. My primary care physician noticed that my blood pressure kept dropping (to around 85 over 55). In June I started getting night sweats.

Even during the day I felt like I was stumbling around in a fog all the time. Come July I was so weak that I could barely get up to use the bathroom or get a drink. My ears were ringing constantly and I was seeing spots in front of my eyes. I was diagnosed with extremely dry eyes. Since 1998, my eyeglass prescription has changed three times. Before that my prescription changed only once in 4 years. It seemed like I couldn't remember anything anymore.

I would get up from the couch to go get a tissue and by the time I got to the bathroom door, I would have no idea what I was doing or getting. I would often become cold and nothing seemed to be able to warm me up. For instance, I remember feeling like my feet were freezing and deciding to put on a pair of socks and wrap a blanket around them. Two hours later, they still felt cold. Even a heating blanket wouldn't warm me up. My aches and pains were so awful. Finally, I started having dental problems. I'd never had any problems before the implants and now I have infections and a need to have root canals. In August of 1999, I came to the decision to remove my implants. I just wanted to feel better. When I was explanted in September, I noticed some of my symptoms going away. My hands weren't swelling anymore, all my chest pains were gone, and although I am still really tired all the time, I began to be able to do more things for myself. I still suffer from bursitis, tendonitis, bone spurs, fibromyalgia, arthralgia, low blood pressure, IBS, PID, dental problems, and dry eyes. I still can't work and at the age of 29, find myself with no income and no way to take care of myself. I thank God for my family, friends and my boyfriend who have been supporting me through this, both financially and emotionally. It has drained me financially and emotionally. Without their help, I would be homeless. I'm glad I'm getting better, but it's just not quickly enough. I would have loved to come to the meeting but my health prevents me from doing so.

Thank you Shirl

Shirley

[Guest guest]

Girl I couldnt get that file to work but I believe we talked before

allot about this stuff. I am soooo sorry you aren't any better. I am

not sure how many Dr's you have been too, or if you still seek them

out, but maybe if you try a healer or someone that could help you. I

wonder if you have an underlying illness as well as the implants that

made you sick. Well, keep plugging away girl and I am hoping you will

get well soon. If I recall corectly your still like in your 20's

right? SO that is good that means if it takes you a little longer you

will still be young ok! Hang in there and try to post a little try to

do as much as you can to get up and get fresh air, now I know I am

not you and I do not know how sick y0u are but sometimes the

overwhelming depression can keep you ill or make you sicker and you

need to fight that as well and you need to try to push your self to

do things sometimes, I know I do. I don't always feel like getting up

at 4:45 am to work out, but I can always take a nap later so I do it.

But you can only do so much also. Well hang in there and write us and

try to remain upbeat. Sorry I couldn't read your letter honey

In @y..., shg713@a... wrote:

> I'm still here, I've been here with Patty since she started the

board.

> I'm explanted over a year now and not getting much better yet. I

don't

> respond much because I've been so sick lately but I do still read

most of the

> mail I get from the board. I've attached a word document of my

story, this

> is the letter that I submitted to the FDA if anyone is interested.

> Shirley

[Guest guest]

My heart goes out to you so much, maybe if you would like to crespond

e-mail privately for some personal dialogue you can always e-mail me.

I had the evil McGhan textured implants too, ugg, they made me pretty

damn ill. I am so glad that they are gone. I am so sorry that your

not seeing any difference in your health after all this time. THis is

what has been my main concern, I have no doubt the implants started

this, now I only wonder will it all go away just becuase the implants

are gone. For me I know things are going away to a point, maily my

brain fog is subsiding and I am not so fatigued but I am still really

achey allot of the time, which is the symptom I guess I could live

with the best as opposed to that brain fog !!! It still has moments

where it kicks in and I am sure allot of it is my diet, and also that

I still take the vicodin for pain control on some days. I never had

the hair loss or other stuff thank god, but I have friends who have

all that stuff too and are bedridden. Some of it is our past

lifestyle, some of it who knows. I hope you get well and find the

answers to your health probs. If you need a friend or someone to talk

to e-mail me or whatever, I am here for you girl!

In @y..., shg713@a... wrote:

> I'm sorry if some of you couldn't read my story. I copied it into

an email.

> A lot of my symptoms that went away after explant have come back

in the last

> 6 months. They just seem to be getting worse and worse. That's

the only

> thing that's different in the letter below, and I'm 30 now.

>

> I'm a 29 year old woman who got McGhan textured saline

implants in

> 1996 for cosmetic reasons. About a year later, the problems

started.

> Although I'd not had health problems in the past, in 1997 I caught

bronchitis

> and developed a number of allergies. In January of 1999 I was

rushed to the

> emergency room with severe abdominal pain. At the time they

diagnosed me

> with urinary and vaginal infections and sent me home. But the pain

never got

> better and the infections never went away. So over the next four

months I

> went to two gastrointestinal specialists, two ob/gyns, and a

urologist. They

> found polyps and infections. In April of last year my skin all

over my body

> started to burn, it felt like burning inside my veins, my muscles

began

> spasming badly and my joints were tremendously painful. Although I

went to

> three different internists, two rheumatologists, and a neurologist

who

> diagnosed me with fibromyalgia, my blood work all came back as

normal. In May

> I went for a mammogram, which came back fine. But within three

days of the

> mammogram, I felt horrible. I had extreme burning and a sense of

strong

> pressure in my chest, particularly around and behind my implants.

My eyes

> and mouth were extremely dry and soon after I noticed my hair

falling out in

> clumps. I was so fatigued that I couldn't even get myself

something to eat

> and soon found myself out of work. Emotionally, this was difficult

for me to

> deal with because I've always been a healthy and active person. I

rarely

> even had a cold, even in the middle of flu season! Now, at 28, my

body was

> falling apart.

> It got worse. My primary care physician noticed that my blood

pressure kept

> dropping (to around 85 over 55). In June I started getting night

sweats.

> Even during the day I felt like I was stumbling around in a fog all

the time.

> Come July I was so weak that I could barely get up to use the

bathroom or

> get a drink. My ears were ringing constantly and I was seeing

spots in front

> of my eyes. I was diagnosed with extremely dry eyes. Since 1998,

my eyeglass

> prescription has changed three times. Before that my prescription

changed

> only once in 4 years. It seemed like I couldn't remember anything

anymore.

> I would get up from the couch to go get a tissue and by the time I

got to the

> bathroom door, I would have no idea what I was doing or getting. I

would

> often become cold and nothing seemed to be able to warm me up. For

instance,

> I remember feeling like my feet were freezing and deciding to put

on a pair

> of socks and wrap a blanket around them. Two hours later, they

still felt

> cold. Even a heating blanket wouldn't warm me up. My aches and

pains were so

> awful. Finally, I started having dental problems. I'd never had

any

> problems before the implants and now I have infections and a need

to have

> root canals. In August of 1999, I came to the decision to remove my

implants.

> I just wanted to feel better. When I was explanted in September,

I noticed

> some of my symptoms going away. My hands weren't swelling anymore,

all my

> chest pains were gone, and although I am still really tired all the

time, I

> began to be able to do more things for myself. I still suffer from

bursitis,

> tendonitis, bone spurs, fibromyalgia, arthralgia, low blood

pressure, IBS,

> PID, dental problems, and dry eyes. I still can't work and at the

age of 29,

> find myself with no income and no way to take care of myself. I

thank God

> for my family, friends and my boyfriend who have been supporting me

through

> this, both financially and emotionally. It has drained me

financially and

> emotionally. Without their help, I would be homeless. I'm glad I'm

getting

> better, but it's just not quickly enough. I would have loved to

come to the

> meeting but my health prevents me from doing so.

> Thank you

> Shirl

>

>

> Shirley

[Guest guest]

Thanks Jackie....me too.

Shirley

[Guest guest]

Shirley I hope you see some improvement soon kiddo. Jackie

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

From: shg713@...

Sent: Friday, March 23, 2001 5:49 PM

Subject: Re:

Hello everyone. I went to the rheumy today. He definitely thinks I'm in the first stages of Scleroderma. I think I'm a bit further along then that. He gave me a script for minocycline, which is supposed to help stop the process of Scleroderma. He said that it could take months to see an improvement. I'm hoping it will help and then I won't need to be on anything. I didn't tell him about the implants cause I figured he'd look at me like I crazy like all the rest. Well, I'm not happy about Scleroderma but I hope this medicine helps. I'm just in so much pain these days...and can't eat hardly anything. Thanks everyone for listening..... Shirley

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the reply. I had textured too, I wonder if I had smooth and got them removed if I'd be better now.

Shirley

[Guest guest]

Hi Shirley, It was textured. Saline.. 27 years ago. And a Sales Mans

Demo, since I only needed one. Didn't cost me anything except My

health. Oh and my Virginity Because I was 16. ~Oh Man, Thank God

With Age Comes Wisdom!~ 43 Isn't so bad, and neither is being

Lopsided.

God Bless

Debe .

> Hi Debe, I was wondering if you had textured or smooth when you

were

> implanted? Thanks

>

> Shirley

[Guest guest]

To shirley, and everyone... here......I know alot of you had the textured implants, and maybe think if you had the smooth, things would be different......well i can tell you NO......I had the smooth mentor salines put in in aug. 1998, and removed in Sept.2000, and I am just as sick as the rest.....disabled, unable to work, with every symptom in the book......The only improvement scince my explant 8 months ago, is my multiple chemical sensitivieties are gone.....and i have a few new symptoms to boot, like feeling of rocking, like on a boat, and severe cramping (sharp pains)in my ovaries......I am 32, going on 82.....Funny how before, I was so concience on keeping myself, neat and healthy looking, now I look like i have aged 15 years.....Ok..May you all feel better as time goes on......good luck.....xoxoxTERESA

[Guest guest]

You are right Theresa I have heard of others sickened by the smooth

too, I think it is true that some are just gong to get sick no matter

what type of implant is used, the only thing that I know for sure

that makes the textured worse is the fact that when you go to remove

them they are embedded in your tissues and harder to get all the

residual out, so that could be part of why some women remain sicker

than others after explant. I hope you start to feel better soon, it

still hasn't been that long since your explant so hang in there girl!

@y..., MissBoop0827@a... wrote:

> To shirley, and everyone... here......I know alot of you had

the

> textured implants, and maybe think if you had the smooth, things

would be

> different......well i can tell you NO......I had the smooth mentor

salines

> put in in aug. 1998, and removed in Sept.2000, and I am just as

sick as the

> rest.....disabled, unable to work, with every symptom in the

book......The

> only improvement scince my explant 8 months ago, is my multiple

chemical

> sensitivieties are gone.....and i have a few new symptoms to boot,

like

> feeling of rocking, like on a boat, and severe cramping (sharp

pains)in my

> ovaries......I am 32, going on 82.....Funny how before, I was so

concience on

> keeping myself, neat and healthy looking, now I look like i have

aged 15

> years.....Ok..May you all feel better as time goes on......good

> luck.....xoxoxTERESA