I’ve not been online for a while … a lot has happened in the time I’ve been away, including the creation of an international awareness campaign where ladies share their photo and story, with the caption, ‘I was harmed by breast implants’.

Most of you are already aware of my story so with my pictures instead of sharing my story in detail again I will say what feels even more pressing to me .. NOBODY GETS OUT OF HAVING BREAST IMPLANTS UNSCATHED. It’s a matter of degree and when.

I often see that even breast implant awareness advocates comment that not everyone that gets breast implants will become sick. That, IMHO, needs to be a broader conversation. It’s not just about becoming ‘sick’. It’s about the inevitable irreversible changes from surgery, and further breast and chest wall destruction that happens over time from breast implants. It’s about the harm being caused that might not be immediately recognized as ‘sick’. During the process taking place on the way to full out ‘sick’ women generally have no awareness of what’s happening within them. Some will fair better than others, but none will escape implants without some degree of harm – either physical destructive changes or illness, or both.

Anyone that has breast implants and thinks they’re sitting inertly in their body is mistaken. Misinformed. I was once in that mistaken and misinformed demographic.

Even after my implants had wreaked havoc with my health and taken me into the permanently harmed zone (though unknown to me till years later) I swore my implants weren’t making me sick. After all, my doctors, FDA, Health Canada and the manufacturer were in agreement that implants were safe and didn’t cause illness.

I was told my implants were state of the art – the newest, safest, greatest. My implants were recalled within a year of getting them, but I wasn’t notified. For over two decades I remained unawares and defended the devices that were unknowingly leaking silicone deeply within my chest wall and lymph system.

From the minute breast implants are placed the immune system launches into an effort to protect the wearer from them .. 24/7 … 365 days a year … at least until the implants are removed, and longer if there is residual silicone or other implant related harms that aren’t remedied through implant removal.

Breast implants sit within 2-3 cm of vital organs, including heart and lungs. Subtle respiratory changes are one of the most common early symptoms experienced by women with implants, though usually not recognized as being related to implants. If you have implants or are thinking about getting them, I encourage you to research. I support each woman in their own choice, but hope that through education and awareness everyone can make an informed choice.

You should know with certainty that harm from breast implants is inevitable and often irreversible.

** Thank you to the creators of this awareness campaign **

It’s time for an #AccountabilityCulture #DoTheRightThink #FDA #HealthCanada #InformedConsent #ALCL #NotOurDaughters #BreastImplantIllness #RealWorldEvidence #WeAreReal #WeAreNotGoingAway