The Scary Truth Behind Common Cosmetic Procedures
Did you ever get that feeling? The feeling when you find out something isn’t what you thought it was? The feeling when you discover that you may have done harm to your body when all along you thought you were safe? The feeling of ultimate betrayal? This is how I felt just five years ago.
Although this feeling can be applied to several things that I later discovered are harmful, today I will be talking about my experience with breast implants. I had silicone implants implanted in 2014. Everything went great, I loved them and had no physical complications. But 9 months after the surgery, my blood pressure shot up to levels consistent with hypertension. My GI system was a mess, causing several food intolerances. My skin developed a burning, itching rash all over my torso and no creams or steroids could clear up the condition. I was diagnosed with Lyme disease without (to my knowledge) ever being bitten by a tick. I stopped getting my period. My hair began falling out. I had little energy. I was a mess.
After living like this for 4 years with each new year producing a new condition, I knew there had to be a connection between how ill I felt and my breast implants. But when I mentioned this connection to my doctors, not one of them would agree that there was a correlation; after all, I was told, “silicone breast implants are FDA approved”.
It was then that I turned to social media, and what I found was astounding. I discovered a group of women just like me having the same symptoms — many suffering more than I. It was then I knew. But I had questions. How were these side effects not common knowledge? Why and how did the FDA approve implants if they are not safe?
Since discovering this information, the FDA has started reporting the truth. In fact, they issued a warning stating that all implants can cause ALCL, a T-cell lymphoma, which is cancer of the immune system. In addition, they currently recognize that breast implant illnesses, including many of the symptoms I had, are real. And this past week, they recalled a textured breast implant by a specific manufacturer. (I must note that even smooth implants by any manufacturer can cause ALCL or breast implant illness).
It finally made sense. I discovered the hard way that implants are made of toxic materials and metals. Thankfully, I got my breast implants removed in the fall of 2018. Since my explant, my skin has cleared, my periods are regular, my hair isn’t falling out, my energy is better, and my blood pressure is improving. My GI system still has issues but I’m working on healing my gut. And my Lyme’s Disease — it’s gone. This experience has changed my life. It has opened my eyes to research and take a closer look at what we are told is “safe”. It has also taught me to listen to my body and intuition. You know your body best and understanding that is a powerful thing. Learn to listen to your body. It just might give you the power to heal yourself.
