I’ve done previous posts on this topic, but it can be hard for visitors to my blog to find older ‘archived’ blog posts. This cautionary ‘buyer beware’ / ‘be an informed consumer’ topic is worth repeating.
When I made an appointment with a plastic surgeon to get breast implants, in some regards, I was pretty asleep at the wheel of life. I defaulted to blind ‘white coat’ trust. I unquestioningly believed the sales pitch the plastic surgeon gave me that though ‘older’ implants had problems, the ‘new ones’ were safe and would last my lifetime.
It would take twenty-three years (of which I spent 16 years in a declining health spiral that would take me to death’s doorstep) to realize I’d been duped, and that I’d been a naive consumer. When I discovered my implants were not only ruptured, but had leaked silicone irretrievably within me, for a brief time I felt like a fool. I was a complete health and fitness freak, but it was completely lost on me that I had toxic sacs of chemicals within me. I was completely unaware of the potential of silicone migration or the havoc it could wreak on my health.
To be sure, I’m not a fool and neither is any woman that has found themselves in a similar situation, harmed by implants.
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SALES PITCH:
WHAT I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING ..
Actual catalogue sales pitch for the ‘Dow Corning Silastic II’ implants I had:
The SILASTIC II Mammary Implant. High Performance, in a direct comparison with current competitive ‘low bleed’ products. Superior Low Bleed characteristics and Greatly Enhanced Physical Properties.
Independent testing to be the Superior Implant in the marketplace today! SILASTIC II Mammary Implant, High Performance, represents years of research by Dow Corning, the recognized leader in silicone technology, to produce a ‘State of the Art’ mammary implant. The SILASTIC II Mammary Implant, High Performance, is the best product to meet today’s needs!
* Superior Low Bleed Characteristics
* Greatly Enhanced Physical Properties
* Available only from Dow Corning Wright
- High Performance Medical Grade Silicone Elastomer is available only from Dow Corning Wright.
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WHAT I ACTUALLY WASTED MY MONEY ON:
In 1990 I paid $5,000 (plus, taxes and travel expenses) believing I was purchasing ‘safe’ breast implants that would last my lifetime ..
THIS is what I actually got:
I spent $5,000+ on breast implants that would be RECALLED within a year of getting them. Of course, I wasn’t notified.
Within 5-6 years my ‘lifetime’ breast implants catastrophically failed.
I spent 16 years sick and trying to find out what was going on.
**It should be noted that ‘experienced’ doctors and specialists didn’t figure out what was making me sick. It was a young ‘resident’ that saved my life. **
The shiny new implants women are shown when they’re being pitched the ‘breast implants are safe’ spiel don’t look like that long once they’re placed within a human body. They only look ‘shiny and new’ sitting on a shelf or packaged nicely in a box, or in a slick media campaign photograph.
Most women will remain unaware for years, or even decades, that they were sold a product under false pretence, without having been fully informed about potential complications; and without awareness of what the implants are doing within them.
I think many of us, upon learning our breast implants failed AND/OR caused ‘Breast Implant Illness’ experience a brief period of feeling troubled that we allowed ourselves to be conned. But, truly even women who did exhaustive research into breast implants prior to finally deciding to get them ended up just as duped because of the fact that the truth of implants has been hidden. The dangers and incidence of harms and failures, concealed. It’s only been through women harmed that the truth is finally being exposed.
If you’re considering getting breast implants LET US BE YOUR CAUTIONARY TALE. So much information is available online now, and in Facebook breast implant illness support forums.
Please don’t fall for a slick sales pitch. There’s a lot of them, such as the ‘gummy bears don’t usually rupture, but if they do its not a problem’ lie .. the ‘saline is safer’ crock .. the ‘smooth implants are safe because they don’t cause cancer’ deceit .. the ‘breast implants are the most studied medical devices in the history of implantable devices’ misinformation ..
I could go on and on listing misleading ‘sales pitches’.
Don’t fall for ‘the new ones are safe’ sales pitch. The new ones are NOT safer. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A ‘SAFE’ BREAST IMPLANT. They ALL FAIL. They ALL have potential serious complications.
PLEASE KNOW that in 2020 all silicone breast implants are non-compliant devices based on the 2006 conditional FDA re-approval. And that there is NO LONG TERM SAFETY DATA on breast implants. EVERY SINGLE WOMAN GETTING IMPLANTS IS A HUMAN GUINEA PIG.
PLEASE BE A WISE and INFORMED CONSUMER.
Breast Implant Failure & Illness 