A White Rock woman who had emergency surgery nearly a year ago to remove her breast implants is hoping her story will save others the 91裸聊视频渢errifying91裸聊视频� experience that led up to her procedure.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 an epidemic right now, it91裸聊视频檚 so bad,91裸聊视频� Shannon Sayers said of breast-implant illness.
91裸聊视频淚 was told by my surgeon that (implants) were FDA-approved and 100 per cent safe. It took me seven years to get sick with them.91裸聊视频�
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Breast cancer, she noted, was 91裸聊视频渁 piece of cake,91裸聊视频� by comparison.
Sayers shared her story with Peace Arch News last week, on the same day that plans to suspend breast-implant manufacturer Allergan91裸聊视频檚 licences for Biocell implants, a move intended 91裸聊视频渢o protect Canadian patients from the rare but serious risk91裸聊视频� of breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).
Sayers said she doesn91裸聊视频檛 know if she has the lymphoma that has been associated with the textured implants she received in 2011, and encourages any woman who develops a fluid pocket around their implants to get tested for it.
She also wants women who may be considering implants for cosmetic or reconstruction purposes to think again.
91裸聊视频淎ccept your bodies the way they are,91裸聊视频� Sayers said. 91裸聊视频淲hy would you risk you life over this?91裸聊视频�
Sayers, 49, had her first set of implants 91裸聊视频� the saline variety 91裸聊视频� at age 24, a decision she says she made for cosmetic reasons, to counter the effects of breastfeeding. At that time, and for nearly two decades after, she never considered that the procedure could cause her grief down the road.
When her breast cancer was discovered nine years ago, one of the tumours was wrapped 91裸聊视频渓ike an octopus91裸聊视频� around one of those implants, she said. In performing a double-mastectomy 11 days post-diagnosis, her surgeon removed three tumours in all, along with 91裸聊视频渢hree or four91裸聊视频� lymph nodes.
Looking back, Sayers is confident her first implants led to her cancer. She said she was never told at 24 that implants have a five- to seven-year lifespan, and said more recent testing at BC Cancer confirmed her disease 91裸聊视频� which her mother and grandmother also had 91裸聊视频� was not rooted in genetics, she said.
91裸聊视频淢ine was called environmental,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚 would never have thought I would91裸聊视频檝e got cancer from implants.91裸聊视频�
Sayers said her breast-implant illness symptoms set in almost immediately after her second set of implants, although it would be years before she made the connection between them and the bouts of pneumonia and other ailments. She also experienced immune-related issues including rashes, neuropathy, joint pain and more.
Early last year, after her car was rear-ended in January 91裸聊视频� and unbeknownst to her, an implant capsule was ruptured by the resulting pressure from her seatbelt 91裸聊视频� the severity of her symptoms worsened. Sayers described the months that followed as a 91裸聊视频渘ightmare,91裸聊视频� with burning that felt like bee stings in her chest and numbness down one entire side of her body, ringing in her ears and feeling like her internal organs were on fire.
91裸聊视频淭hey all looked at me like I was crazy,91裸聊视频� Sayers said of the majority of medical personnel she saw when seeking help.
91裸聊视频淵ou feel like you91裸聊视频檙e going crazy.91裸聊视频�
Desperate to find an experienced surgeon to remove her implants, including the capsules, Sayers remembers she was on the brink of losing all hope 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淚 was going to die,91裸聊视频� she said, 91裸聊视频渕y body was so bad91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� when something told her to Google 91裸聊视频楤everly Hills.91裸聊视频�
After connecting with a surgeon there who specialized in explants, Sayers flew to California and had the US $18,000 surgery on April 25.
91裸聊视频淲hen I woke up, all I remember, I had tears coming down my face: 91裸聊视频業91裸聊视频檓 going to be OK,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� she said.
Sayers learned soon after that a MRSA-type infection, propionibacterium, had been behind many of her symptoms, 91裸聊视频渂urning (her) from the inside.91裸聊视频� She plans to send one of her implants for more conclusive testing of a black, mould-like film that covers it.
Sayers said three months after her explant, her symptoms had significantly subsided, and today, she feels 91裸聊视频渁bout 90 per cent91裸聊视频� recovered 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淟ast year at this time, I was about 12 lbs lighter, my hair was falling out, I had skin falling off my freaking body,91裸聊视频� she said.
A burning sensation still lingers under her ribs, and anxiety remains a daily ordeal, but Sayers is determined to continue a regimen of natural products that she91裸聊视频檚 found keeps her symptoms at bay.
91裸聊视频淥ne day at a time for me,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淭oday91裸聊视频檚 a pretty good day.91裸聊视频�
Wanting to share her experience, spread information and support other women, Sayers launched a blog, , in January. She invites any woman with questions to contact her at 604-802-2214.
tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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