I realize I'm male and may have a different perspective on this--though I am balding, quite grey, and have never made any move to do anything about either condition.

As far as I'm concerned, even given all the pressures out there to "look good and/or young", I think "feeling good/being healthy" should trump "looking good/young". Every time. Even as regards weight loss, the real reason for keeping one's weight optimal is health, not appearance.

When issues of one's well-being are concerned, vanity should never be allowed to supercede. I even worry over those who dye their hair or paint their nails; perhaps less radical than implants, but still the application of uneeded and possibly harmful chemicals to the body. This goes for major classes of cosmetics, as well.

I think we'd all be better off worrying less about how we measure up to some impossible cultural/advertising standard--which also means "enforcing" it less in other people--and more time worrying about our nutrition, our exercise, and our personalities. (I also think that if our nutrition and exercise are optimal, we'll have a healthy enough glow to compensate for other "deficiencies".)

I would have to agree with you on this, but as a young woman, I guess I set too much priority in the way I looked after childbirth. If I had to make the same choice again, I would never have this surgery. Of course, this was in the days before you could research things like this on the Internet.

Following in my footsteps was my daughter, in her 20's at the time. She also began to exhibit some of the neuro problems and wasted no time in having her implants removed. She is doing well and looks great, without even having reconstructive surgery. Smaller yes, but she is doing very well and even managed to snag a wonderful husband without any trouble.

By the way, the sales job was good.... "The implants are safe, they will last a lifetime, and you will NEVER have to worry about breast cancer."

I thought it was interesting that Ann's doctor would even mention that it would be interesting to study her case, wondering if it could be the cause of her neuropathy... Most doctors want no part of that...

Cathie

I've known several women in the same situation, and all were told by their surgeons that implants are 100% safe. Now you're stuck with the unintended and unexpected life changing results. It's disgusting that the doctors who did this to you are assuaging their guilt with vacations to Hawaii and the Bahamas paid for by you.

I hope you can collectively come up with powerful and effective strategies to heal from this.

That was mostly in my 20's. I was blessed with wavy dark hair and porcelain skin, which people always told my parents I was striking.

I realised this when one of my father's friends told him he was in love with me and asked for my hand in marriage. My father replied that if he ever came past again, or near me again, he would kill him. LOL!!

By then I knew looks can get you places. I was very dismissive of people who didn't fit into the stereotypical mold of beauty,and I never had friends that were better looking than me because I didn't like competition.

I married at 25, and that was a stretch as by 19 many of my parents friends were trying to fix me up with their son's. I also think my parents were a bit releived to see me married as I am sure they were worried that my looks would fade, or at least that's what my mum said all the time.

I lived like this in this bubble, and married someone very handsome hoping to have good looking kids.

All this changed so much when I got my PN,and in an odd way it was almost a blessing in disguise because I finally saw beauty in unconventional things. I became my own advocate. I stopped to smell the roses. I listened to my clients more and better. I have friends who also have disabilities. I have friends who come from all walks of life as they say. I enjoy simple things. I don't waste my money anymore on frivilous things.

I am starting to go grey now too. On the sides of my hair. Since my hair is dark,it is quite noticeable, but I decided not to colour for the time being.

I really finally beleive that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it took this illness to show me that.

But as they say hindsight is always 20/20. I generally don't have the high opinion of doctor's that I used to have. They have their heirarchy, and surgeons are generally considered to be tops.

I beleive the spine surgeon who operated on me also lied to me and didn't disclose his unsuccessful ratio. He told me I only had a 2% chance of reherniation,but had less chance than someone who had never had it before. I beleived him. Within 2 years I was showing signs of reherniation,and attempted to email him,and he didn't reply. 2 calls to his office also with no return calls. He charged me $13,000 to do the surgery back then. I never complained against him for some reason, I just didn't want everyone to find out I was sick again.

But let me tell you if any doctor messes with me today, in my present state, I won't be so quick to let things slide anymore.

Do you think we scared Ann away? She hasn't posted. I hope not, there are some things that will help her. This group is a good resource for people like us. It is nice to have people who understand the frustrations of dealing with PN and who will share advice about things that have worked for them.

I hope she comes back. Maybe this is my fault. If so, I am sorry.

Cathie

You need not apologise for anything. I highly doubt we scared here away.

She has posted...and is probably just trying to absorb all the experience and thoughts of the wonderful people on this forum.

away....

I am trying to grasp all this and I am definately in denial. I am having a hard time reconciling the saline issue..I have never had any pain or scaring issues with my implants, so it is difficult to imagine my PN is caused by them. I am doing further research...I have my CT scan scheduled next Tuesday and I am going to Kona on the 16th where I will be proudly showing off my 42D's LOL! Keep in mind I am 5'11", so they are in proportion!

Just trying to lighten things up around here! My implants were my choice ya know and I accept that responsibilty. I weighed the pro's & con's...and I was not told by my doctor that there were no risks and he did say that they needed replacement every 10 years.

So on I go, weighing all the options. Thanks for all the input and opinions...I appreciate it...

Ann

denial from/about things is what NEUROPATHY is all about!

Two things have changed radically over the last 10 years that make a difference: first, information-data is keeping up [almost] with the technologies and the changes in those technologies and second, information is far more readily available to US of the benefits and blunders of same. Then word is more readily exchanged about it all thru vehicles of the 'net' and bulletin-boards.. Patients are, if they make the effort, FAR MORE AGRESSIVE about getting information and then demanding, not just 'hoping' for more than adequate answers!

We are now able to be far more proactive in our choices, with solid information backing up our choices rather than the 'trust-me' attitude of the past. It would be almost delightful to hand your well-being over to a medical person and plain old TRUST! That isn't the way that world, nor any other, seems to work tho.

Whatever your choice, it IS your choice, and I for one understand about choices. We all make them, and live with them. I for one know the angst of such choices and send you this: !!!! - j

Ann Elizabeth---I've pm'd you. Please have a look. LJ

Syndromes Associated with Silicone Breast Implants: A Clinical Study and Review
Journal Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine
Publisher Taylor & Francis
ISSN 1359-0847 (Print) 1364-6907 (Online
Authors
ARTHUR DALE ERICSSON MD
Abstract
Silicone breast implants have been associated with a variety of medical conditions. This article is the first in an analysis of the data that have been accumulated in over 500 patients with medical conditions that appear coincident with implantation with several different silicone breast prosthetic devices. The vast majority, over 87% of symptomatic patients, appear to have a neuropathy (demyelinating and axonal-diagnosis made on nerve and muscle biopsy and ELISA analysis), while approximately 22-25% of symptomatic patients have evidence of autoimmune thyroid disease. A small percentage of patients (10-12%) have evidence of central demyelination (brain and spinal cord-diagnosis made by magnetic resonance imaging and ELISA testing). Silicone breast implant adjuvant syndrome is proposed as a diagnosis for these symptomatic patients. The significance of these findings is discussed in considerable detail and extensive references are offered for the reader.

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