I had my implants put in March 1996 and removed almost 21 years later on January 31, 2017. I was a Playmate of the year and a successful model, so the decision to have my implants removed was not an easy one.
I had smooth saline on top of the muscle. I thought I had 350 cc but they were much larger – so large that my explanting surgeon said they were crammed up under my arms. I drafted this only 3 weeks after my explant surgery, but I already felt better — my vision wasn’t blurred, my severe knee pain was gone, migraines were gone, dizziness gone. It’s now 7 weeks after my explant surgery and I’m feeling even better — better than I have in over a year!
I got the implants put in because I wanted a larger bust. I thought it would make me feel more like a woman, and I guess it did in a superficial way! I did love having them, to be honest. If I knew then what I know now, though, I would have NEVER gotten implanted!
By the time I decided to have the implants removed, I felt like I was slowly dying. All I could do was lay in bed, cry and pray to God, asking him to please “don’t take me yet..give me one more day”!
Here’s my story.
Around January 2016 I started getting ‘sick,’ but as I look back, many symptoms began around 7-8 years after getting the implants. For example, my hormones were disrupted, I had fatigue and thyroid issues, I developed allergies to everything, my eyes were consistently red/sick looking. In fact, I got sick so much that it became a joke to those around me, “You are the sickest healthy person I know”! I would get sick every few months, and the worst part was, each sickness lasted 6-8 weeks at a time, and I’d have to spend my days in bed when that happened. I couldn’t understand how someone so healthy and fit could get so sick all the time! Then the headaches became more frequent.
Fast forward to around July 2016: I was getting worse. My vision was blurred and I was dizzy most of the time –blacking out or almost passing out many times a day, hard to breathe, having trouble swallowing or a choking feeling, chronic fatigue, memory issues, heart palpitations. Even on my ‘good days’ I was at 50% — but I really looked forward to those days. I’d have between 3-5 good days and I would try to do as much as I could because I knew the bad days were coming again. I would get my errands done, work done, play with my animals a lot as I couldn’t do much when ‘down’, I’d work out (even though I had no strength to work out, because I figured a light workout was better than nothing, especially mentally). On good days I’d also have nail and hair appointments, take my selfies for my social media, etc.
I was seriously worried about my health and my life! I went to the doctor, neurologist, hormone doctor – but they all said “There’s nothing wrong, you are healthy, maybe you are depressed.” I mentioned breast implant Illness to them and none really believed in it. So I stopped wasting money for NO answers.
I prayed and prayed and GOD led me to do what was necessary to regain my health. It was October 2016. I had to stop driving because I would have such severe panic attacks, and my vision was blurry consistently now. The dizziness/blacking out was most of the day, the headaches became severe migraines that were so bad that prescription migraine meds wouldn’t even touch them. My hearing sensitivity was so bad that couldn’t handle any noise –not the TV, radio, or even people talking. Hearing my own voice hurt me! I also had light sensitivity, which made it hard to even look outside — and when I did, I felt dizzier.
I had NO life!! People just didn’t understand. I had friends say “you’re always sick” or thinking I was just lazy or just ignoring them. Nobody had heard of breast implants causing illness, but in their defense, I have to admit I had rolled my eyes when my friend brought it up to me a year before when he told me his wife went through it. At the time, I had thought “I’ve had mine for years, and I’m fine”.
So I stopped talking about it to anyone. It became my ‘silent’ misery, my nightmare. Lying in bed for 4 months (with fewer “good days” now), I was just praying to live and get healthy again! It was at that point, after a year of researching breast implant illness and doctors who are experts in explanting, that I knew that I desperately needed these toxic bags out of me immediately. I truly think I would have not made it another few months had I kept them. Or if I had, it would have been pure hell.
Ironically, I had a fitness cover shoot (Muscle and Fitness Hers) in early January 2017. I was sick (again) with a nasty flu for 6 weeks, and on top of my other symptoms, trying to do a photo shoot – I was an emotional and physical mess. But, I’m a ‘warrior’ as so many of the women are who have been ill because of their breast implants, so I got it done. The crew that day was amazing — they helped me through the day. I appreciated their compassion. That cover came out February 21, 2017, and I dedicate it to all the beautiful women who have suffered from breast implant illness. Stay the brave warriors you are !
For my explant surgery, I choose a surgeon who knew the importance of removing the entire capsule (as a lot of times it grows into our breast tissue, ribs, etc and has to be scrapped off) –not fun, trust me. And for me, the cosmetic results were still important, and I felt he was the best choice for me as a healer and an artist.
You can read other stories about me in USA Today and People Magazine. But the most important thing for you to know is that, like many other women, I got sicker and sicker for years before I finally realized that there was one solution: getting my implants removed by a plastic surgeon who was an explant expert. I am making my story public because I hope that other women can be helped.