I got a letter from a gentlemen the other day via my website 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.”

I’m getting very tired of reading blogs, like the ones here and here and articles regarding women with breast implants are more likely to commit suicide.  These articles are basically saying that the women that commit suicide would have done it anyway whether they had implants or not.  This ‘research’, that has been done, claims that it has shown the link between the two.  Yes, there is a link but it is because implants cause chronic illnesses and financial loss and also some women realize that their implants have made their children sick as well. 

So, I must ask you to place yourself in the shoes of a women with a chronic illness.  This woman is searching for answers as to why one day she was perfectly healthy and the next she couldn’t get out of bed and was diagnosed with a load of diseases and disorders some of which she never heard of.  Then when you think that things can’t get worse, you lose your job, your home, your car, EVERYTHING. 

How would most people react to that happening in their life?  No not all would commit suicide but many probably would.  We already know that chronic illness and depression goes hand in hand.  We also know that most people that suffer from depression, ’self medicate’ themselves with alcohol.  This is a known fact. 

I have been seeing psychiatrists since I was in my 20’s and its not something that I like to talk about but one doctor I was seeing asked me an interesting question that really made me stop and think.  He asked me if I would ever consider suicide??  This was before implants mind you, my answer surprised me as I never even though of something so terrible as suicide.  My answer to him was that NO, absolutely not.  I can’t imagine doing anything like that as I’m too much of a coward.  Killing yourself takes an awful lot of courage and that is something I don’t have.  I remember the look he gave me, kind of shocked, stunned and speechless.  He paused for a while and simply said, ‘Well, lets hope you continue to be a coward’.  I always remembered that conversation between me and my psychiatrist.  Every time I heard that someone took their own life, I would always be in disbelief and thought, how could things ever get that bad?

Well, I learned that things can get that bad.  I’m not psychotic or crazy or nuts or any of the other terms that people are called that suffer from depression.  I became very ill from my saline filled silicone implants.  So ill, I lost everything I owned.  The material things weren’t as hard as losing my job as I absolutely loved what I did.  It was my entire life and I woke up every morning thankful that I was getting paid to do something that I absolutely loved to do.    Yes, I was very lucky!    

So imagine becoming so ill that you can’t work, you’ve lost your love so to speak.  You are sick and lose interest in everything because you can barely keep your eyes open.  You are in pain and no one can give you any answers to why you have become so ill.  The toxins are affecting every part of your body which makes the depression worse and you are watching your life pass you by.  I don’t think this is something that any human being can endure without at least thinking about suicide. 

If this research were true, about 70% or more of the population would be taking their lives.  Antidepressants are one of the most widely prescribed drugs out there!  So this research to me is completely bogus.  I know as I lived through it!

I had my explant in November of 2004, a month after trying to take my own life.  On the way to the hospital, all I thought was that I hope I never wake up from this surgery.  That was the toxins affecting me because as soon as those damn things were removed, I started to feel better.  Yes, I still suffer from depression.  Many people do but it doesn’t mean they are going to go and kill themselves.  I suffer from depression but now if someone ever asked me if I would consider suicide, my answer would be that I’m too much of a coward.  Many say that committing suicide is the act of a coward but unless you have reached that low in your life, you would know that it really is just the opposite. 

This is a hard topic for me and I’m not looking for sympathy because I’m very happy with my life and I feel like certain things happened to me for a reason.  I feel fortunate once again.  Maybe not lucky but give me a few more years!

Another prime example is the heart breaking story of P.J. Brent.  The medical examiner said that P.J. Brent had such high levels of platinum in her body that she couldn’t have possibly been thinking clearly.  Also, the implants she thought were safe, made two of her children very ill as well.  I must ask you if this is something that you would be able to endure?  How do you fight the effects of chemicals in your body without going crazy?  Breast implants can make women feel like they are going crazy.  I know as I’ve experienced it.  I would be willing to bet if this woman never got implants, she would still be alive today.  What person could endure such heart ache and physical pain??? 

Beth

Finally! Real Breasts are Back! According to the Times of India, read on!

The bosom has changed its shape! It’s not being pushed up, anymore! But being allowed a bit of natural gravity. Too much of a boob thing, is a turn-off. The official breast of 2008, is soft, sublte and natural. And not, pushed up, in your face!

We’re living in an age, not many know the real shape of the breast women carry under their kurtas. After all, we’re living in a culture of Wonderbra. And we’re over-exposed to the divas of the cleavage cult like Pamela Anderson, Sherlyn Chopra, who have made flat-chested women extinct!

So, are women wearing their breasts differently? What’s the official breast of 2008? Says plastic surgeon Dr Tejinder Bhatti, “The official breast is natural and not too big. It’s not in your face.

While women of Brazil and Argentina want overpowering breasts, those in India are going in for a subtle change. We get women who want a soft, rounded and high shape of the bosom.”

The West had moved beyond the flat, boyish chest popular during the 1920s, the vital stats of the first Miss America in 1921 were 30-25-32. In 1970s, it was 34-21-34!

Interestingly, curious things have happened to the bosom shape — Ayesha Takia reportedly wants to get rid of her big assets, Jessica Simpson has topped a new poll by a magazine to find the best boobs in Hollywood, former supermodel Tyra Banks came second, while actress Scarlet Johansson was third, Carmen Electra was fourth and, surprisingly, Lindsay Lohan was named fifth.
Just till last season, cleavage was in. Not anymore.

Why even The Guardian reports, there was Elizabeth Hurley, Elle Macpherson, Cindy Crawford - all women in their 40s, all sporting an impeccable, mad-for-it cleavage… Now that we’ve tired of ‘It Bags’, peachy ‘It Breasts’ have rolled into the public arena. Says designer Raakesh Agarvwal, “The official breast of 2008, is well-rounded in a corset. But this corset is covered-up, the breasts aren’t too big, they’re subtle, shy and covered. There’s rise of feminity which is not vampish, but proud.”

We’re living in an age, most celebrities flaunt their assets at the merest provocation. Yet, the boob overdrive needs to slow down.
Look at the lingerie war — the winner is the shy, soft, natural breast. Says fitness trainer, Leena Mogre, “The shape of the breast in fashion is well-rounded, firm and not sagging. Too much silicon means they’re hard. I tell women, to choose their bras with extreme care, especially for excercise.”

On the catwalk for fall-winter ’08, the breast will be higher and gentler. Says designer Gaurav Gupta, “And the cleavage though very visible will be veiled in transparent layering.”

Sadly, as women try to get perfect breasts off the shelf, implants and silicon breasts turn-off men like never before, “The natural breast is the way to be, which sags with gravity and has unique softness not silicon artificial layering,” adds Bhatti.

Who on earth would do something this bizzarre??  It is freaky beyond words.  All I can say is that he will win the prize for the scariest costume on Halloween but this man walks around like this everyday……..why??? 

If I saw this man in a dark alley or anywhere for that matter, I’d run like hell!!!  I just don’t understand why someone would want to look like this not to mention inserting a silicone star in his forehead and an eye tattoo??? 

Maybe not such a good role model for his children?  What do you think?

Beth

Well here is some great news!  The OC Register reports that ‘according to Allerghan and Mentor, women are cutting back on breast enhancements!  Lets hope this trend continues.  It seems to be blamed on the economy but its wishful thinking on my part that when the economy turns around this trend will continue! 

Beth

Shown here is a picture of the new lady, Aja Rock that Tommy Lee has been reportedly hanging out with along with her deformed looking breast.  Aja Rock is a contestent on an overseas reality show ‘Celebrity Treasure Island’. 

First of all, if my breast looked like this, I would not be wearing what she has on. 

The article states that this is due to capsular contrature and in order to fix it, she will need to have the scar tissue removed.  This is also known as the capsule and can make the breasts hard, painful and deformed looking like you see in this picture.

The article states that in order to fix this problem, she will need to have a capsulectomy to remove the scar tissue.  Also stated is that there is no need to remove the implants as they can be placed back in after the scar tissue or capsule is removed.  Doesn’t sound like a very good idea to me and sounds very risky. 

This is her 3rd boob job so maybe it’s a good time for her to think about removing these things and going all natural. 

I could never figure out why women go to such extreme’s for a set of fake looking boobs. 

Beth

Here is some disturbing news that comes from the OC Register.  Seven OC PS’s are found to be in violation of wrong-site surgery, breast cancer misdiagnosis and use of experimental wrinkle cream. 

The violations don’t stop there!  The seven Orange County doctors have also been disciplined by the California Medical board for infractions ranging from failing to treat post surgical wounds, injecting patients with experimental botox like drug.  Two of these doctors have been accused of wrong doing and face disipline action. 

As stated in the articles, the doctors named are:

Dr. Gonzalo Covarrubias, an orthopedic surgeon from San Juan Capistrano, received seven years probation for committing ‘gross negligence’.  He failed to treat an open wound on a diabetic patient for 2 months.  

Dr. George Georgeson, a Garden Grove pediatrician, forged letters of recommendation to a specialty college inEngland.

Dr. David Chang, an anesthesiologist from Irvine, failed to have an ear, nose and throat surgeon on standby during a difficult case of administering general anesthesia.

Dr. Richard Huberman of Newport Coast performed surgery on a patient’s wrong heal.

Dr. Joseph Manzini, a Huntington Beach dermatologist, administered wrinkle treatment cream that was not FDA approved.

Dr. Jyotinkumar Patel, a family practitioner from Laguna Niguel, received a reprimand. He failed to properly treat a breast cancer patient that later died.

Dr. Edward Stadler, a Mission Viejo gynecologist, failed to treat a patient’s breast mass.

Dr. Frederic Corbin, a plastic surgeon practicing in Brea and Beverly Hills, accused of using non-FDA approved silicone breast implants.

Dr. Brendan Mull, a pediatric neurologist accused of an act of violence.  

 There are many good doctors out there but please make sure you contact the medical board in your state to make sure that your doctor does not have any complaints against him/her.

Beth

Dr. Phil aired an episode on July 14th in which a panel of doctors answered medical questions. While there was interesting information given, the plastic surgeon (Dr. Andrew Ordon) they used didn’t quite get his facts right (shocking, right?). A woman went on the show that had over 16 operations on her breasts which included having 4 different sets of implants put in. The result was one breast that looked like a shriveled up mess in which the doctor stated that everything that could go wrong went wrong (contracture, infection, etc.). That much I partially agree with, partially because the women did not mention any weird symptoms…so she still had room to deteriorate according to what I’ve learned about breast implants. The plastic surgeon, Dr. Ordon then went on to say that “When you remove implants, and there’s nothing left in an area that’s been stretched, (the breast) shrinks down and shrivels down like the woman’s picture we just saw”. The picture he was referring to is one of the woman who’s had 16 operations and that some say looks equivalent to a mastectomy patient (on the right breast).

The problem here is that Dr. Ordon overgeneralized his statement and basically said that when women have their implants removed, they are going to be left horribly disfigured (and women are believing it as evident in this post). This is absolutely not true and I hate that this misinformation keeps getting promoted by the very people women are looking to for advice. So let’s get it straight, women that get their implants removed ARE NOT doomed to being disfigured! My breast implants were removed and I can’t believe how wonderful my natural breasts look. If you choose a doctor that is experienced in breast implant removal without shoving in replacement implants, then you can have great results. If you don’t believe me, take a peak around Yahoo’s Saline Support Group and www.explantation.com, where you can view true before and after photos.

On a different note, there was a different woman on the show with a mysterious illness (Morgellons) in which she said silicone (yes silicone!) fibers come out of her skin via lesions. That could have definitely used more air time and more explanation…none of the doctors were experienced in anything remotely close to this arena. Just to clarify, this woman did not mention having breast implants.

Oh, and this just in….beginning September 8th, we will be getting to hear more from Dr. Ordon as Dr. Phil brings us a new talk show called, “The Doctors“.  So get ready to clarify more breast implant misinformation fellow BBers; this surgeon will represent all plastic surgeons and we all know how closely they stick together. 

~Kacey

A new documentary will be released on August 1, 2008 that will expose the horrors of plastic surgery gone wrong. 

I think it’s a must see for anyone considering plastic surgery.  The documentary called America the Beautiful talks about women that have gone for different cosmetic procedures and have had horrible results. 

Former “Today” show guest host Mary Nissenson had a brow-lift at 42 and, 12 years later, is still experiencing severe pain.  

Nissenson’s pain was caused by a rare condition called reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD).  This disorder can occur when nerves are damaged.  

 Nissenson before surgery

 After surgery (photos courtesty of The New York Times)

Of course the documentary will cover breast augmentations as well.  It is reported that the number of malpractice cases have risen dramatically and according to the The New York Times article regarding this documentary, most of the cases are for breast augmentations gone wrong.

I hope everyone will take some time to not only watch the documentary but The New York times article has a place for comments.  First watch the trailer for the movie by clicking on the ‘America the Beautiful’ link and then click on the link for the NYT’s article and post a comment. 

I hope anyone thinking of having cosmetic surgery thinks twice before going under the knife.   It’s not always as safe as you may think.

Beth

WARNING!!! Somewhat graphic photos to follow!

I found some interesting photos on mallvibes.com today that I thought everyone would be interested in seeing. There was also an interesting thread of discussions on breast implants at mallvibes, so if you get a chance, jump over there and check out the comments.

After seeing these pictures I wondered if any women who have breast implants have really considered what their body and breasts will lool like as they age. I know when I was getting my implants it was more of an instant gratification kind of thing. I didn’t wonder what I would look like 20, 30 or 40 years down the road….nor do I think I really cared. I wanted those implants NOW! I couldn’t see past now, or what my future breasts would look like. I think this is true for most women getting implants. I also wonder if plastic surgeons explain to their patients what the implant and breasts will look like as the body ages and the skin loses elasticty. I’d imagine this doesn’t come up a whole lot in consultations. Women are more concerned with what size, what type, etc to care about 10 or 20 years down the road.

I hope after seeing these photos that it will encourage women who have implants to get them taken out ASAP, and that it will discourage those women who are contemplating getting implants-not to get them. Who wants to look like this woman in 20 or 30 years?  Not me!

Let’s all grace naturally and beautifully!