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 乌鸦传媒渢errifying乌鸦传媒� experience that led up to her procedure.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 an epidemic right now, it乌鸦传媒檚 so bad,乌鸦传媒� Shannon Sayers said of breast-implant illness.
乌鸦传媒淚 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.乌鸦传媒�
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Breast cancer, she noted, was 乌鸦传媒渁 piece of cake,乌鸦传媒� by comparison.
Sayers shared her story with Peace Arch News last week, on the same day that plans to suspend breast-implant manufacturer Allergan乌鸦传媒檚 licences for Biocell implants, a move intended 乌鸦传媒渢o protect Canadian patients from the rare but serious risk乌鸦传媒� of breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).
Sayers said she doesn乌鸦传媒檛 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.
乌鸦传媒淎ccept your bodies the way they are,乌鸦传媒� Sayers said. 乌鸦传媒淲hy would you risk you life over this?乌鸦传媒�
Sayers, 49, had her first set of implants 乌鸦传媒� the saline variety 乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒渓ike an octopus乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒渢hree or four乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒� which her mother and grandmother also had 乌鸦传媒� was not rooted in genetics, she said.
乌鸦传媒淢ine was called environmental,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚 would never have thought I would乌鸦传媒檝e got cancer from implants.乌鸦传媒�
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 乌鸦传媒� and unbeknownst to her, an implant capsule was ruptured by the resulting pressure from her seatbelt 乌鸦传媒� the severity of her symptoms worsened. Sayers described the months that followed as a 乌鸦传媒渘ightmare,乌鸦传媒� 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.
乌鸦传媒淭hey all looked at me like I was crazy,乌鸦传媒� Sayers said of the majority of medical personnel she saw when seeking help.
乌鸦传媒淵ou feel like you乌鸦传媒檙e going crazy.乌鸦传媒�
Desperate to find an experienced surgeon to remove her implants, including the capsules, Sayers remembers she was on the brink of losing all hope 乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒淚 was going to die,乌鸦传媒� she said, 乌鸦传媒渕y body was so bad乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒� when something told her to Google 乌鸦传媒楤everly Hills.乌鸦传媒�
After connecting with a surgeon there who specialized in explants, Sayers flew to California and had the US $18,000 surgery on April 25.
乌鸦传媒淲hen I woke up, all I remember, I had tears coming down my face: 乌鸦传媒業乌鸦传媒檓 going to be OK,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕 she said.
Sayers learned soon after that a MRSA-type infection, propionibacterium, had been behind many of her symptoms, 乌鸦传媒渂urning (her) from the inside.乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒渁bout 90 per cent乌鸦传媒� recovered 乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒淟ast year at this time, I was about 12 lbs lighter, my hair was falling out, I had skin falling off my freaking body,乌鸦传媒� 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 she乌鸦传媒檚 found keeps her symptoms at bay.
乌鸦传媒淥ne day at a time for me,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淭oday乌鸦传媒檚 a pretty good day.乌鸦传媒�
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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