myimplantstory.com

Dr. Kolb

2009-11-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

http://www.thenakedtruthaboutbreastimplants.com/

Dr. Kolb's new book!

Relapse

2009-08-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

I write this almost 3 years after I got breast implants on 12/26/06. I relapsed over 9 weeks ago - very severely. I went off my medication in May because I was doing so well. I had been on it almost 2 years and was even thinking of doing a fitness competition again. I was loving life and so happy again. I took a vacation to the lake in August and came home with a bladder infection. I went to the urgent care & they gave me the antibiotic Cipro. I took it and immediately relapsed... I couldn't concentrate at work again, my speech slurred, my brain and vision were foggy, I was terrified that this was happening again. Within 2 weeks, I was relying on everyone around me to drive me to the doctor, calm my fears, and take care of me again. I went on disability from work again, this time for 2 months. I was depressed and regretful again and it has been terrible. Cipro has made lots of people sick, as I have found on the Internet. My Dr. thinks the UTI and the Cipro were trauma to my body and my body went into memory mode from the implant illness. I don't have any diseases, my bloodwork is perfect.. but my immune system attacks itself when something foreign enters it ever since the implants, so I have to be careful. I am thankful to God that I am slowly getting better again and I had supportive people to take care of me.. but this is just a reminder of how much I have to take care of my body for the rest of my life now.

Photo of Sickness

2009-03-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo taken of me only ONE WEEK after implants. I already couldnt drive to work because I forgot how to get there. I could barely see & I was so dizzy I could barely stand. My parents were driving me to the Doctor and couldn't really leave me in a room alone because I couldn't concentrate on anything. So, they drove me down to the beach so I could concentrate on the rocking of the car. They didn't know what was going to happen to me. We were all so scared. My dad asked me to smile.. not sure if he knew or not, but I wouldn't smile for the next year as I suffered from breast implant sickness. Thank God I got my implants taken out a few weeks after this picture was taken.. and finally I got my health back over a year later. I get so sad and scared and quiet seeing this picture and remembering how scared i felt.. and I didn't even know the worse was yet to come.

2 year explant anniversary!

2009-02-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

Let the party begin… it is my 2 Year Explant Anniversary! 2 years since my painful journey began and started coming to an end. Told you I would be here to blog about it. Rather than ramble & reiterate all that I have said before.. I think it will be good to list the pros & cons of this terrible journey.

Cons:

Went through hell for 9 months - sick as heck, no memory, foggy, body pains, dimentia, chills, blurry vision, a sezuire, a coma, the list goes on….
2 scars under my breasts
Scary memories that will last forever.. and the scary things people tell me that happened that I have no memory of
Seeing breast implants seen as such a great thing in the media and how women’s beauty is portrayed
Missed1 yr of work & life
Lost my apartment & ruined a relationship
Found out who my real friends were
Frusteration that nothing is being done about this crisis
Lost a lot of money & got into debt trying to get better

Pros:

Appreciate life now & don’t take it for granted
Help other women either make the right decision or comfort them and help them in sickness, as they find my site
Am able to save some money now to buy a house one day
Got into a wonderful new relationship
No more anxiety.. I have been through the worst.. now I am a brave woman!
New challenging job that makes me happy!
Became closer to my family
Found an amazing Dr. who helped me get better
Have met tons of amazing women who love & support me
Feel beautiful the way I am!

The list goes on & on.. but that felt good and I just wanted to share my anniversary of getting my implants out with everyone. The worst decision I ever made was to put those objects in my body.. and the best thing I ever did was to take them out

Absolutely Safe sparks this long overdue cultural conversation....

2008-10-25T23:26:00.000-07:00

I will be buying this video in November and I hope it sheds some light on women who are sick from breast implants.

Every year more than 250,000 teenagers and women choose breast implants, yet fewer voices than ever seem to be asking “Why?” And fewer still are asking “Are they safe?” Absolutely Safe takes an open-minded, personal approach to the controversy over breast implant safety. Ultimately, Absolutely Safe is the story of everyday women who find themselves and their breasts in the tangled and confusing intersection of beauty and business.

This is why I do this!

2008-10-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Gretchen,

I wanted to write and commend you on your efforts of educating girls on the risks of implants. I have always wanted implants and after wanting them so long, I set up 3 consultations last week. They went great, I picked a doctor got my finance agreement in order, etc. All i was waiting for was to schedule the date of the surgery. Ever since last week after the consultations I feel anxious, couldn't sleep at night, couldn't stop weighing the pros and cons, and didn't stop bugging my fiance to convince me that implants were not a big deal.. He, however, was uneasy about the whole thing and was actually trying to talk me out of it.

Last night I found your website...after staying up late every night doing research. I found stories on bad experiences but non of them touched me the way your story did. After reading your experiences and others you shared, I made a decision that big boobs were not worth the risk of long term suffering.
Just wanted to thank you and let you know that your suffering wasn't in vein as you are making a difference! I am glad God lead me to your site, there must of been a reason why I felt so insecure about the decision i was about to make.

All the best!

"J"

Siliconosis: Explained

2008-10-07T15:40:00.001-07:00

Click here:

Men get sick from silicone too!

2008-08-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Letter I got from a man the other day via my site that I wanted to share. Edited for length. I hope this gives some insight to any doctors who may see this - that silicone IS toxic and can make men sick too. I am praying for this man & I am so glad he wrote to me.

"I was most interested to read your website.
While the vast majority of silicone victims are women, I would like to relate my story to you which is from a male perspective.
I had a prosthetic testicle inserted in 1983 at the age of 21. At the time, I didn't know that it was made of silicone and I probably would not have cared. I was more concerned with the embarrassment of having a girl laugh at me for only having one testicle.

Things went well for me until 5 years later when "the rot set in".
First thing I noticed was my digestive system ground to a halt. Even though I ate plenty of good food, I no longer got the urge to empty my bowels. When I finally did, sometimes after 5 days, the stools were loose and foul smelling. Eating extra fibre made it worse. This was explained by the doctor as being IBS. I never really believed that because I had always had excellent health up until this point.
From that stage (1988) until today I have been increasingly plagued by the following symptoms:

- Bowel/digestive problems
- Extreme sensitivity to light and certain sounds
- Constant runny nose and ear infections
- Sore/swollen joints
- Very bad anxiety and nervousness
- Symptoms similar to yeast disorder
- Acne on face and back
- Unable to eat sugar, grains or dairy without making all of my other symptoms MUCH worse.

Around 1996 I had had enough and decided to cure myself because blood tests had shown that there was nothing wrong with me. At that stage I was convinced that it was just Candida that was the problem. I tried every natural/herbal medicine under the sun and at great expense but my condition did not improve.

A couple of months ago I was sympathetically reading an article about a woman who was suffering the effects of silicone poisoning due to breast implants and I could not help but notice that nearly all of the symptoms were similar to mine. Then it hit me like a sledge-hammer. I had never in the past 25 years considered that my silicone testicular prosthesis could be the cause of my misery.

That brings me to the current day where I have made an appointment to see a urologist on August 28th 2008 with the aim of having the prosthesis removed as soon as possible.

I hope that this will bring some relief to the nightmare that I have been living for the past 25 years."

Linking this blog to Technorati

2008-06-18T13:53:00.001-07:00

Technorati Profile

Beauty & The Breast Blog - Torch Hand Off

2008-05-23T14:31:00.001-07:00

Beauty and the Breast
May 23, 2008
Greetings!

Mary and I started Beauty and the Breast for many reasons: to share information, to relate our experiences, to create a conversation that tries to make sense of a social environment that drives women - sometimes despite reason or judgment, more often in ignorance - to go under the knife to receive breast implants into their bodies.
Most of all, we started this blog to be the voice of the breast implant community: the women's health advocates, the doctors and other health professionals, and the tens of thousands of implant victims. Frustrated by the failure of news media to educate the public about the dark side of breast implants, a story littered with broken bodies and broken lives, we started this blog to enable the breast implant community to speak out and tell that story ourselves.

And we are. Since we launched the blog in July 2007, blog traffic has grown by leaps and bounds, our community closer and more united with a sense of purpose, and our collective voice louder and more vibrant. We are reaching people in other communities who are hearing us and helping us evaluate the issues of and insure truthful reporting about body image, feminism, parenting and most of all breast implants.

Alas, with the foundations laid, it's time for Mary and me to turn our energies to other fronts in the fight against unsafe and inadequately studied breast implants and for women's health. Though Mary and I will continue to post on occasion, we are stepping back and handing Beauty and the Breast over to Kacey, Krista and Gretchen. These three young women are wise beyond their years and passionately committed to the breast implant issue. We are confident that their stewardship will help the blog's voice continue to grow and reach new generations of breast implant recipients. We hope you will continue to visit, participate and support them.
We will no longer be sending out Beauty and the Breast e-mail newsletters, as we have added Feedburner to the blog. To recieve our updates via email or through a feed, please go to Beauty and the Breast and look in the top right corner.

Until we meet again, be happy and healthy!
Sybil and Mary

Beauty & The Breast Blog - Torch Hand Off

2008-05-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

Inamed Ingredients, etc. - Scary!

2008-05-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the implants I had and the fda safety and ingredients, etc. I will put this on my site on the links page soon. Makes our bodies sound like a toxic waste site! Thanks Rogene & Dede!

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf2/p020056b.pdf

National Enquirer

2008-04-10T09:32:00.001-07:00

Palm Beach, Florida Newspaper Article Mentions Me & My Site

2008-03-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

Palm Beach, Florida Newspaper Article Mentions Me & My Site:

Click here

Towards the bottom, the lady talks about problems and then talks about things we chatted about when she interviewed me.

"Like others, they say they were shocked and saddened by Kuleba's death. But, they say, it does not reflect on the safety of the surgery. The teen simply had a bad reaction to anesthesia, they believe.

"It could have happened when she was having her wisdom teeth out," Jessica Angst said.

As for women who report severe health problems, Jessica Angst says it is likely they had unrealistic expectations about the surgery and then blame the implants for a host of unrelated ills.

Women who have devoted their lives to trying to convince others that the surgery is not safe are accustomed to such reactions.

Gretchen Cannon blames her implants for debilitating health problems she suffered almost immediately after she had silicone implants to get back the breasts she lost when intense exercising transformed her from a 34C to AA.

She couldn't concentrate at work. She had no short-term memory. She was constantly tired. Her vision was blurry. She started exhibiting symptoms of lupus and multiple sclerosis.

Nearly a year and three operations later, the 27-year-old California woman said she is almost back to full strength. Ironically, although the implants are out, Cannon's breasts have returned to their pre-exercise size.

She has created a Web site - myimplantstory.com - to warn other women about breast implants."

OC REGISTER

2008-03-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

I havent seen the show or Kacey yet, but I am told it is at this link. http://www.mandjshow.com/videos/teenagers-and-plastic-surgery/

She didnt get to mention the blog, so that is too bad, but at least she got to talk. I did a phone interview with a woman from the Florida Post today - I hopefully should be quoted in an article soon and will let you know. I was also quoted in the OC Register today as a blogger but my name wasnt mentioned -

http://innovation.freedomblogging.com/2008/03/25/second-breast-surgery-death-florida-girl-dies/

Another step in the direction to getting the word out!

The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet Tomorrow!

2008-03-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

There was some very sad news this morning that you may have heard - an 18-year old girl died from having corrective breast surgeries in Florida.
http://www. abcnews. go. com/GMA/PainManagement/story?id=4520099
they say she had a reaction to the Anesthesia.

I was contacted by Gloria Pan – who runs this blog - http://beautyandthebreast. org/ - which I sometimes post on.

The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet - http://www. mandjshow. com/index. php contacted her looking for young
women who had breast implants and took them out, to be guests on the show tomorrow.

The lady at the show got a hold of Kacey Long before she got to me, who is at the site www. implantsout. org – She was 19 when she got sick from saline implants and has been the face of MTV for us– being featured on a few
shows there talking about how she got sick and driving a lot of traffic to her site over the years.

They are flying Kacey out to NYC tonight to be on the show tomorrow morning, along with other guests – due to what happened to the girl in Florida.

Kacey should be mentioning the beauty and the breast blog if she can –
per Gloria’s request since she recommended her to the show, so Gloria asked me to blog about the Florida story today. This will give people something to read when they get to the site about the story they see on the news or the show.

I wrote a blog on the website here - http://beautyandthebreast. org/ called “Florida Teen Dies After Complications During Breast Surgery”.

If Kacey does get to mention the blog on the show, this will be great because they will
also see my link to my website.
As of today, I have 31,649 hits to my site – www. myimplantstory. com – so I am hoping she gets to mention the blog on the show tomorrow so that more people can go online and become more aware of the bad things associated with breast implants and the number goes up. Even if she doesn’t mention it, I am sure there will be more people googling things in the upcoming weeks.

My goal is just to get the word out. If anything, I am just really happy that Kacey gets to go on the show tomorrow and have that little voice that is so hard to be heard in a world of people not wanting to hear about the dangers of cosmetic surgeries. Her site inspired me to create my site, because it gave me hope when I was so scared and let me know that I was not alone. She has supported me via email ever since the 1st time I wrote her when I got sick – and kept in touch ever since.

So, set your Tivo’s to record Mike & Juliet tomorrow morning on Fox, and hopefully Kacey gets to talk!

Thanks & love,

Gretchen

MY BIMBO DOLL WEBSITE?

2008-03-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

This is sad.
"They are told "stop at nothing," even "meds or plastic surgery," to ensure their dolls win."!?

Kacey Long Posts on a Voter Website!

2008-03-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

Botox Dangerous Too?

2008-03-07T10:39:00.001-08:00

I was just on Public Citizen's website (www.citizen.org) and found this very helpful webpage about botox.

Click on this http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2605 to read it.

Botox sounds dangerous too. At least they are starting to tell some truth, however small - about these things. Scary!

20-year old sick from saline implants

2008-03-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

i recieved my implants six months ago they are 450cc's and saline with
silicone case. then all of the sudden six months later i started
having siezures in class. i then had a sinus infection which i have
never had before. i have no history of seizures in my family and my
health is declining fast. i now cannot attend college i have had my
license revoked i cannot drive and im only 20!!!!!!! i am constantly
dizzy and i cannot go in public places because i suffer from anxiety
now. I am a healthy girl i cheered for 8 years and now all this is
happening... i have seen my plastic surgeon and had two CAT scans done
with contrast and without... i have become depressed and lost. i am
now on dilantin and my life is at a holt.... is there any way of help??

i am beginning to correspond with her & am thinking about her daily. i hope she can find a good plastic surgeon who will take out her implants for her so she can start regaining her health.

Feels so good to change someone's mind!

2008-02-22T11:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a letter I got today. :)

Hi Gretchen!

My name is Serena and I am 18 years old. I have visited your site and read your story and would like to thank you for sharing it with others. It is very important for women to be well informed and weigh the benefits with the risks when they take an important decision like having breast implants. I am sorry that you experienced such a terrible thing and I hope you will fully recover soon. I was thinking of having breast implants myself and knew there were risks but never imagined it could get so bad. After reading your story, I decided to give up on this idea and appreciate my breasts for what they are.

I have an athletic body due to the many sports I practice and enjoy, like tennis, swimming and horse riding. Although my body is very well proportioned, my breasts are very small and give me the feeling of inferiority when I see other girls my age with normal-sized breasts (not to mention big). I think that one reason they seem so small is because I have a light form of Pectus Excavatum (or hollowed chest) which, with its caved-in form, makes them look smaller than they really are. Your story made me realize what women do in their pursuit for good looks and gave me the courage to accept they way I look and not to have the implants.

I think you are a brave and powerful woman that had a horrible experience and learned from her mistake. I appreciate your wish to prevent other women from experiencing the same thing and I am glad to have read your story and find out about you.

Best wishes,
Serena.

Another natural bodybuilder - sick from saline implants

2008-02-21T14:14:00.000-08:00

I got a letter today from another woman, sick from saline implants. Another bodybuilder who can relate. I am happy she wrote me and pray for her healing.

"Hi Gretchen,

First I want to thank you for getting your story out there for other women to see! I got saline implants 8 years ago and had I known then what I know now, I never would've gotten them. I've been sick for the past 7 years. Well, actually, I started feeling things immediately after my implant surgery but I found out that I was pregnant (got pregnant right before my surgery) and so I can't really say if what I was feeling that first year was from the implants or the pregnancy.

Prior to my implants I was very healthy and very active. I entered several natural bodybuilding contests and was in awe of the fitness competitors and wanted to get that same look! I also thought since so many competitors had implants that it must be safe! When I reasearched them, I was told the saline implants were completely safe...that the worst that could happen would be CC or rupture but that the saline would just absorbe into my body. So I was convinced and thought that by having implants it would improve my look on stage when competing.

One year after implant surgery I started getting various "mysterious" illnesses. From what used to be an active lifestyle, 8 years later I can now barely climb a flight of stairs or even dry my hair without exhaustion! I've been to so many doctors and specialists and have had so many tests. I've been told I have inflammation in my eyes and numerous neuroligial issue but all of my tests come back normal. A few weeks ago, a family member gave me a website to check out! That has led me to many wonderful sites of women experiencing the same things I am. Wow, what an eye opener! I am now in the process of consulting with a PS to have them removed.

I'm not really sure why I'm emailing you except that I admire you for speaking out. My hope is that once my implants are removed I will feel better again to be able to speak out as well -- the more of us that make our voices heard...then maybe someday the medical community will have to listen to us! I wish you much success. God Bless."

I met another sick sister last night!

2008-02-16T12:32:00.001-08:00

I met the woman that made this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acC9ybDO_XE last night for dinner - Beatrice Ring. She is another victim of implant sickness destroying a healthy woman. Her story is on my website now here at the top - http://www.myimplantstory.com/stories.html. It was great to meet Beatrice and I hope we both just continue to get healthier as time passes & we can help more women. Here a photo of myself with Beatrice. (Me on the left, Beatrice on the right)

Today is my 1 year anniversary of explantation!

2008-01-31T11:11:00.000-08:00

MY ONE YEAR EXPLANT ANNIVERSARY IS TODAY!
I have come so far from that day.. 1 year ago.

I will be happy today and celebrate that I got my implants out and am regaining my health.

1 year ago today I was a scared little girl in a 26-year old's body. My memory was gone, I was dizzy and tired all the time, had aches and pains.. and had no idea that the 5 months POST explant would be the worst for me.. having a sezuire and being in a coma.. being hospitalized 2x for being so bad and scared.

Things looked up 8 months post explant and have gotten better every day since then.

Today I am an informed, strong 27-year old woman - with a new body and a better outlook. I have gone through hell and back and survived. Thanks for supporting me and my website www.myimplantstory.com - and helping inform other women so that they either make the smart choice to not get implants, or to remove them to regain their health.

Happy explant anniversary to me :)

Love,
Gretchen

Krista in NY Times

2008-01-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

Click the link below to read an article in the NY Times from 01.17.08 - last week. My friend Krista - whom I met on the Saline Support site, is featured in the article. My 2nd explant surgeon, Dr. Susan Kolb, from GA - is also quoted in the article. Thank you!

New York Times Article

"Breast Implants: From Hell to Healing"

2008-01-11T13:28:00.000-08:00

Click the image below to learn about the book I just finished. A book written by another sick woman, Donna Townes & publishes in 1997. Hopefully this is something I can do one day soon - in order to spread the word and also help other sick women find hope & answers. I got chills & tears in my eyes as I read page 57 - it sounded like she was writing about ME...about my memory loss, brain fog, and dream-like trance state that I was in for so long. It felt terrible to know someone else felt so impaired - but gave me a sense of relief that someone else understands. I would like to talk to Donna..There is no contact info for Donna on her book, except for a P.O. Box from '97. I will try writing her - but if you know of her, please let me know. Maybe my website will reach her somehow.

"It is as if I were disembodied. I do not see as me. I do not hear as me. I do not feel as me. I AM NOT REAL ANYMORE.
This body moves, but I am not real. Perhaps the closest thing I can compare this state of being to in my life experience is when I was drugged after surgery and was allergic to the medication. I am somewhere out there, not real, not me; but, in the waves of autonomic dysfunction, I know that it is my body that is trying to die, and I fight to live.
A strange aura envelopes me. Perhaps it is like epilectics experience immediately prior to a grand mal seizure, but mind is unending. My ears ring..I rage against this horror!
To be out of control is unacceptable. I could never be happy drinking alcohol because of the diminished capacity it causes. Perhaps this feeling in my brain is spaced out, or drugged, or high; but not drunk because to be that far out on alcohol would be impossible. I would be unconscious first!!
My months have run together and melted into a nightmare from which there seems to be no waking. Some days it seems that I may shake off the chains of darkness and walk in the light again, but not yet. I sink once more into the abyss."

October 28th American Physiques Newsletter Feature of this Website..

2008-01-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

Click on the photo to be directed to the newsletter online...

Another woman speaks out... AMEN!

2007-12-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

When does it just get stupid?

2007-12-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

http://www.tmz.com/2007/12/11/gimme-new-boobs-mario/

Poem by Maria

2007-12-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

“ME”

I got breast implants you see totally for me
So I would look better in my clothes
And feel so much better about me
I got home and looked in the mirror and screamed
I realized they were setting high
In fact I felt as though I would die

The left one dropped, but the right one stayed
Did not want to drop right away
I went back to my Plastic Surgeon who laughed at me
He said, your fine and it only will take some more time
Go home and rest it will take a year to heal
I needed more time to see how I really would feel

Time passed day by day
It was hard to take my kids and play
I wanted to ride my bike but was too afraid
The pain was killing me like the plague
Son let me rest it takes more time
The days turned into months it seemed
What the hell was wrong with me?

I even went to an ENT and they just laughed at me
There are two different issues not your breasts it seems
I went to other doctors to hear the same thing
It was like playing a doctor finding game
Just go and don’t mention breast implants and they will see
Truly I think they were just trying to kill me
They said I looked good they couldn’t see it in my eyes
They never even believed me not even when I cried

The doctors thought I was a nut you see
But the truth is stuff was growing inside of me
I went to church to find my answers from God
He blessed me to find woman that also were robbed
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I truly saw
That the FDA was covering up for them all

They sent me to a doctor who finally believed
Those implants were doing nothing but poisoning me
Take them out so I can see and finally they might believe me
I have been told I am crazy my family thinks its true
I really just can’t believe I finally found you
I owe you my life and don’t know how I will ever repay
Someone believing me and helping me that day

I got them out and I couldn’t believe
That low-grade fever was finally out of me
I didn’t find myself lying in the bed
Feeling as though bricks were in my head
I felt better that very day it seemed
There was no more poison running through me

I thank God everyday it seems
For sending me to woman
Who knew what was wrong with me
Daily struggles are the name of the game
However we all feel better just the same

I hope to help other woman know
These breast implants are killing them slow
Get them out and don’t believe what most doctors will say
They only cover this up every single day

They really just can't see the truth inside
Really you are feeling as though you will die
I have been there to see how breast implant poisoned me
Get them out then they all will see
Your implants might be killing you like they were ME

Wrote by Maria~

Please pray for this sick woman, "L"

2007-12-07T14:07:00.000-08:00

Another sick woman who has emailed me..

"YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS WAS SENT TO ME BY A FRIEND

IN NEW YORK. I AM A PATIENT AT USC FOR A MULTITUDE OF MEDICAL ISSUES.

I AM MOST INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT YOUR DOCTOR. I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FOR MONTHS WITH WHAT I BELIEVE IS SILICONE POISONING. MY LIFE IS BEING TAKEN FROM ME.

IF YOU COULD PLEASE SHARE WITH ME YOU EXPERIENCES AND TREATMENTS, I WOULD BE FOREVER GRATEFUL TO YOU.

I AM WAITING ANXIOUSLY FOR YOUR REPLY.

-L"

"Enough already with the fake tits!"

2007-12-03T14:22:00.000-08:00

Read this article:

http://men.style.com/details__details/2007/11/enough-already.html

This magazine definitely grabbed my attention when I saw it in the grocery store last night. “Enough already” is exactly what I have been thinking ever since I got sick. I could not believe that so many women get sick from something that is a HUGE trend in society right now, yet nobody talks about it. It is more like the “cool” thing to do. Didn’t you ever just look at someone like Dolly Parton or Pam Anderson like they were silly Jessica Rabbit cartoons - nobody would actually want to WALK AROUND like that, would they? Oh ya, this guy hits the nail on the head with this article about “Uber boobs” - he doesnt like the way they feel or sound or the concept that women are maybe getting these for men or for whom?

I also loved how he says that ya, the FDA approved them, but do breasts go under food or drugs? I mean, if people got sick from spinach and the FDA was quick to pull it off all shelves in supermarkets, why do breasts get to stay on the shelves for women to almost die from? It is seriously not fair. I didn’t touch spinach and am still kind of scared to, yet breasts are supposed to be “safe”? Ha!

Tammy's Story

2007-12-02T12:14:00.001-08:00

I added another sick woman's story to my site. Please keep her and all sick women in your prayers. http://www.myimplantstory.com/stories.html

Sick women who have emailed me..

2007-11-29T18:34:00.000-08:00

I thank everyone for checking out my site and sending it to friends. I have heard so many tales in the short couple of months that my site has been live. I have had women email me who have had implants and have terrible symptoms similar to mine and wanted advice on where to go to get them taken out. I have had women email me who were sick and had their implants taken out and have gotten better. I have even had women email me and thank me for changing their minds about wanting breast implants. That is what the site is for.. to make people aware, to help people and to tell my story. I have tried contacting publications and shows and haven't heard anything yet. Hopefully you will hear of more and more women coming public with their stories. We are women who signed up for something that was wrongfully proven safe, our lives have been affected and we have no legal rights. I really hope that this upcoming year - 2008 - will be our year.

January 29, 2007 Blog

2007-10-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

Found this terrible blog entry I wrote at the support group I found online 2 days before my 2nd surgery, when I got the implants removed. This was far before the worst was to come and it was already a nightmare. I had only had the implants for 5 weeks when I wrote this. I have always been a tough girl & this breaks my heart to see how weak I was.

Subject: Explant in 2 Days

Hey everyone - thanks for all the support i have gotten here.
this is terrible and i cant believe this happens to so many people.

this is the scariest thing to ever happen to me to lose my memory and
not know where i am half the time. i feel like i am five years old.
its like a fog is around me all the time and im dizzy. i keep wearing
the same clothes every day because im too dizzy to walk around the
room and find something else.

my arms ache with pain like my arm is broken and i cant do anything
about it and i can never remember where i put my purse.. i can barely
walk or even drive.

im scared to lose my job.. i need to make money so i can keep my
apartment and i need to be smart and have a memory to keep my job.
thats why i am so scared. its not like i have a cold. i
feel mentally terrible and slowed down and dizzy and i just really
need it to go away to feel normal.

i want to feel normal again. i hate being sick when i look fine on
the outside and nobody knows how bad i am suffering on the inside.

PLEASE KEEP REASSURING ME I WILL GET MY MEMORY BACK AND FEEL
BETTER. I HAVE ONLY HAD THESE IMPLANTS 5 WEEKS. I DONT WANT TO DIE. I
WANT TO GO TO MOVIES AND GO OUT AND TO EAT WITHOUT BEING
DIZZY. I WANT TO BE NORMAL AND GET MARRIED ONE DAY. I WANT TO MAYBE HAVE
KIDS. IM SO SCARED I AM NOT GOING TO GET THESE THINGS BECAUSE IM SO
MENTALLY FOGGY. PLEASE TELL ME I AM. PLEASE TELL ME IM GOING TO GET
BETTER. THIS IS ALL I THINK ABOUT AND I CANT SLEEP AT NIGHT.

my pre op is tomorrow.. my parents are coming with me to talk to the
doctor about how we want capsules out and drains and everything and to
send the implants to that doc in canada. he doesn't think they made me sick but i have no time to find anyone else. i talked to a lawyer today
who said a lot of women are reacting to my kind of implants - inamed. he said a lot get better quickly. it may be a leaky valve.

PLEASE PRAY FOR ME. I NEED CONSTANT REASSURANCE. MY MIND IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THIS AND KNOW ILL BE OK. I FEEL LIKE MY LIFE IS OVER.

My Website Is Up!

2007-10-16T22:42:00.001-07:00

My website is finally up. Thanks EVERYONE for listening & being there for me. Please share it with everyone you know & have anyone contact me if they want. Thanks so much! Love, Gretchen

US Weekly = Lame

2007-10-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

THIS IS SICK!! You would DIE to put plastic in your chest??? If I had been told I could get sick, I wouldn't have done it. Informed consent. People like this who DON'T EVEN CARE make me sick.

Us: Tell people why you had the surgeries.
Heidi Montag: “I’ve always been very insecure about my body. My whole life, I looked at my chest and was like, okay, they’re going to grow. This is my year! And it never happened. I was less than an A-cup. I wore push-up bras, which cut into my skin. If I was with a guy and there was a girl next to me with big boobs, I would be like, Oh, my God, he’s looking at her! On the beach, if I was standing next to a girl with big boobs, I’d be like, I hate her! I hated my nose too. I have my dad’s nose, which is huge. It took up so much of my face, when I looked down, I could see my nose. I couldn’t get away from it!”

Us: Take people back to April 2, the day of surgery.
Heidi Montag: “I woke up, and it was like Christmas: I was a nervous wreck, but I was just so excited at the same time. Spencer said, “I’m so proud of you.” It was like he was wishing me well off to school: “Love you! Bye!” But surgery is a big deal. Before I went in, I was like, What if I don’t wake up? Oh, this is scary. Then I thought, I don’t care. If I don’t wake up, it’s worth it. I wanted it so badly.”

Campaign that makes sense..

2007-10-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

This one hit me hard after reading about billboards all over the US that advertise breast implants.

Breast Implants on 20/20

2007-10-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

69% of women with breast implants report health problems after implants. Last year, 30,000 women got their implants removed. These lawyers on this video got SO much money from the Dow trials because women were SO sick. Now, we have NO LEGAL OPTIONS. When I got implants, I signed away my rights and my health. I got sick and nobody can pay for it but me. It is very sad.