I'm going back in

I’m going back in. I feel like I’m coming in off the bench, coming out of retirement for one last hurrah, or some action movie star diving back into the scene to save one more person. But of course it’s not sports or action scenes for me, it’s back to the BRCA and Breast Cancer related journey that we all thought I was done with.

A couple of major things have occurred in the last few years. First, If you follow cancer in the news like I do, you’ve probably heard that there was a recall of silicone breast implants. The recall happens to be the make but not model of my implants. In the US, the FDA has recalled only several specific models of Allergan implants. These implants are causing Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), which is a unique form of lymphoma that only occurs In those that have breast implants. As of July 2019 there had been 573 women diagnosed with it, including 33 deaths. All of these women had breast implants, but 481 of them had Allergan implants. The FDA requested in July that Allergan recall certain implants, which they voluntarily did. However the FDA recommendation is actually not to remove the implants until you are exhibiting symptoms of lymphoma. Yes, you read that right. No need to remove until you show signs of lymphoma. Seriously the FDA is telling women who have already been through treatment for breast cancer (because silicone implants are only available for those who have been through treatment) to just wait and see if they develop lymphoma!

The French government and 33 other European countries however have recalled additional Allergan implants and banned the sales of ALL implants produced by this company and refused to give them approval for future sales until they prove they are safe and comply with their set standards of proof. This was almost six months before the FDA made their stance known. 

So, are mine recalled? No, they are not in the US recall list, but they are on the European banned list. If you hear me talking to some about what's coming up for me, you'll likely hear me say that my implants have been recalled. It's just easier than explaining everything surrounding the recall and everything else that went into making the decision. 

What else do you mean? I’ve also experienced a couple health things over the last few years that have made me wonder if breast implant illness could be a factor. I referenced some thyroid issues, sudden onset of allergies, random skin rashes, adrenal issues, and alopecia on my yearly posts. I've worked hard with doctors over the years to balance out my hormones so that I can sleep normally as I've had times when I was so tired I could fall deep asleep at 4pm and other bouts of insomnia where I felt as though my brain and body were moving 1000 mph all night long. When I first started seeing a naturopathic nurse practitioner about this, she said right away, "Have you thought about it being related to your implants?" After everything I'd been through with recent surgeries, it was not going to be my implants in my mind. She was able to help me stabilize everything and get off of thyroid medicine, but a mystery liver enzyme consistently came back as high throughout maintenance. Doctors move and insurance changes, so three years later I had to find another doctor and was able to find a great Integrative Medicine specialist. I originally went to her because I was considering step 2b (removal of my ovaries) and after everything I experience after my year of surgeries, I wanted advice on what to do so that I don’t experience all the mess again. When reviewing my medical history her first question was, “Could it be your implants?” New Ob/Gyn visit this year and she also questioned the implants as the cause of what I have been through. The liver enzyme is still high and this doctor likes to check C reactive protein as well. During the appointment to review my lab results, she actually said, “Holy shit that’s high!” Apparently, it’s the highest she has ever seen on a patient. It’s a marker for inflammation within the body. That was finally enough to make me actually google Breast Implant Illness and check, check, check, check so many of the symptoms listed match what I’ve been dealing with!

However breast implant illness is a controversial topic as it is not recognized by all in the medical community because there is currently insufficient data linking the onset of symptoms with breast implants. The thought is that our bodies are rejecting the foreign objects in our bodies and come up with these autoimmune responses as their attempt to get rid of them.

Added to all of this is the general issues that come from breast implants. They are COLD! They are under my muscle, which means whenever I do something that utilizes my chest muscles, I have significant pain as the muscle tries to repair itself. This occurs whether during exercise (in which I already avoid push-up or anything directly chest related) or just life relate like shoveling snow or digging up plants for gardening. They have an expiration date anyway, so at some point they’d have to be replaced. They require annual MRIs to ensure that they are still in one piece and I have lovely reactions to MRIs.

So, I’m just ready to be done with them. I'm officially working with UW Health to figure out when my implants can be explanted and I can try something new with reconstruction!