I almost fell over when I saw your posting. I have been on this group and Brain Talk for several years and have never seen anyone else post publically here on this, other than me. This, despite the fact I have met many, many women in person, who have joined our unfortunate sorority and are suffering from neurological problems.

I had implants nearly 17 years. They were removed in 1992, due to systemic symptoms, including severe peripheral neuopathy.

There are few doctors who will openly admit that they are seeing these patients. Yesterday, I called a plastic surgeon's office in Dallas, attempting to help a friend of mine who is very ill and needs to have her implants removed immediately. I asked the receptionist if her doctor has seen any women with implant problems. She said no... I happen to know one of the women he implanted well enough to know he had seen her and she has PLENTY of health issues believed related to her implants.

I would strongly encourage you to consider explantation, particularly since you are showing signs of nervous system dysfunction. The shells on your implants are made of silicone, which in itself, appears to cause immune system disorders. At one point, over 400,000 women had reported implant problems to the FDA. There has been NO followup on this...

Most doctors refuse to connect our health problems with implants, so be prepared for the "rolling of the eyes." If you do opt for removal, the "en bloc" technique LizaJane refers to means that the surgeon cuts around the scar capsule, which forms around each implant, and removes the implant and capsule as one unit, much as a ball in a catcher's mitt.

I hope you will keep us posted on how you are doing and what you decide to do.

I would also like to thank Liza Jane for having the courage to post this information publicly. It is not always easy to speak out on this issue, which is immensely personal for some... I wish there were more women willing to come to this forum. Discussing this in a public forum might lead some women to consider that their health problems could be implant related. Explantation might at least give them a chance to improve their health.

Cathie