A LESSON OF LOSS AND GAIN
but are willing to listen to me and spend hours
instead of minutes. The treatments that I get and
the supplements I have to take are expensive,
but I feel much better with them than I do
without. I try to eat organic and avoid endocrine
disruptors. My life is pretty high maintenance
just trying to keep myself functional, but I am
beyond thankful that I made the decision to
have my implants removed.
If I would’ve listened to the majority of
doctors or only been willing to do things that my
insurance policy would cover, I believe I would be
in a wheelchair by now. I’ve been able to come off
of all of the antidepressants, benzodiazepines and
amphetamines, and although I do still struggle
with feelings of depression and anxiety from
time to time, it is nothing compared to what it
was when I had implants in my body.
I’ve since learned that the implant manufacturer
lied to me when they said they’d never heard of
the illnesses I suffered. In fact, tens of thousands
of women have filed similar complaints with this
particular manufacturer, and tens of thousands
of woman with all different brands of implants
have reported similar experiences to the FDA.
38 EXTOL : DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020
In the last year, it has even been proven that a
particular type of implant that was approved by
the FDA was linked to a higher risk of developing
cancer. Hundreds of women have testified in
Washington and to the FDA, and yet they continue
to be largely ignored by the government our
health care system.
So, we advocate for ourselves. I am now
connected to a network of over 50,000 women
who have been harmed by breast implants. There
have been thousands of lawsuits filed, but most
of them are unsuccessful because there is no
“proof” and trying to fight Big Pharma is a battle
that many of us don’t have the resources or the
energy for. The company that manufactured my
breast implants is valued at upwards of $150
billion. In 2018 alone they reported spending
$3.2 million on lobbying those who could pass
important legislation.
Despite the community I’ve been thankful
to find, I want to make something clear: I
personally know less than 10 women who have
experienced similar complications with implants,
and I probably know more than 100 women who
have them. Most seem to tolerate the implants
just fine, although they may never consider
connecting something like anxiety, auto immune
issues or hormones imbalance with their breast
implants. But sure enough, every few months
I get a Facebook message or an email out of
the blue from someone I’ve never met asking
for my help because they’ve heard about what
happened to me, and they are experiencing it,
too. I’ve referred people to doctors, driven two
hours to meet a stranger for lunch and talked
on the phone for hours with women who live
across the country because they need help and
no one else will listen.
I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t give anything
to have my health back to the way it was before
I decided to get breast implants, but I try to
focus on the wisdom I have gained and the
personal growth I have experienced because
of this situation.
I am very aware of my mortality and don’t
take my health for granted, and I acknowledge
my gratitude for just being able to drive my child
to school every morning. I’m grateful for the
relationships I have because they are so much
more important than the ones I have lost.