‘IMPLANT REMOVAL SAVED MY LIFE’
MICHELE Atherton had 17 years of mystery illness, scans, tests and countless doctors visits and could not pin-point the cause of her chronically deteriorating health.
But after having her breast implants removed eight months ago, Ms Atherton said she went from feeling like she was dying to finally regaining her health.
She attributes her extensive list of health issues and complications to Breast Implant Illness.
“I was young, impressionable and trying to feel my best and I really believed implants could help me achieve that,” she said.
But when health issues such as chronic fatigue, rashes, shortness of breath, digestive issues, hair loss, nausea, chronic inflammation, headaches, joint pain, night sweats, insomnia, and vision loss began to plague her life, she was worried she was dying.
“I was starting to notice strange little symptoms but still just brushed it off with all the normal reasons,” she said.
“I was having kidney infections and my right kidney was so damaged that I had part of it removed. I had to have a stent n my bladder for six weeks.”
Then she began getting pain in her right shoulder and down her arm.
She sought a second opinion and was told the implant had became capsulated and scar tissue around the implant was causing the pain.
She decided to have the implants replaced. But her problems continued.
“I pushed myself through the hard days but I knew something wasn’t right,” Ms Atherton said.
“I went for my early morning walk when I felt really dizzy and nauseous.
“I felt so ill and I didn’t improve for months and months. I was pretty much bed ridden and I had to give up work I saw doctor after doctor, specialists, naturopaths, homeopaths, osteopaths, acupuncturists, herbal medicine doctors, nothing was helping me.
“I felt so helpless. I knew I was dying and if I didn’t find answers soon I wouldn’t be around for my children.”
After seeing five surgeons she decided to remove her implants for good.
“I had two surgeons out of the five tell me my implants had nothing to do with me being so ill,” she said.
“I just want to warn other women that this can be a consequence and maybe I can help other women recognise their symptoms could be related to their breast implants.”
The Australian Breast Device Registry was established in 2012 and found 3.5 per cent of implants placed in Australia require revision surgery within two years, mainly due to internal scarring, being incorrectly placed or leakage.
Specialist plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive Surgeon Dr Craig Layt there was not a solid diagnostic criteria to determine if breast implants caused any form of autoimmune disease or other illness.
“People have been trying to make that link for 30 years and there has not been proven evidence,” he said.