I tried to find the type of title that would get the attention of as many people as possible...specifically...women that are considering going through breast implant surgery as well the people in their lives. Now that I have your attention…
What you are about to read is from the perspective as the partner of someone that had explant surgery. I never heard of Breast Implant Illness until recently and what I learned is worth sharing for the benefit of women's health and society in general. It’s a subject worth talking about. On a personal level it adversely impacts the health of many women in our lives. When I consider how much work is missed by an individual with Breast Impact Illness and multiply that by even a modest percentage of women that have undergone implant surgery...the direct and indirect costs must be astronomical.
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To provide some background into this story...I'm a 46-year-old male and my girlfriend is 38. I nicknamed her "Monkey" because she reminded me of spider monkey as she climbed trees while we were hiking. We've been together for three years and she had breast implants prior us meeting. Monkey is petite, cute and her entire package is a beautiful person. Like many women...she has insecurities about her appearance particularly her petite build.
From a guy's perspective...most of us are not very fussy when it comes to breasts. Personally, I prefer all-natural breasts over implants any day of the week. It just seems to me that placing a foreign object in a person's body to satisfy what society deems appealing is a bit silly...especially when considering the costs.
"And then the magazines trick the women. The magazines start picking at your self-esteem. Every page you turn, you start feeling fatter, and uglier, and you feel like your clothes aren’t good enough.
And the magazines have you forgetting how fucking beautiful you are.
And that’s what happens. Now look what happens.
And then you forget how beautiful you are, and we all suffer." ~ Dave Chappelle
She's one sick little Monkey....
It was about one year into our relationship when Monkey started complaining of fatigue. Honestly, there were times when I thought she was just being a whiney crybaby...but the symptoms continued and expanded to headaches, body aches, nerve pain, increased anxiety, chest pain and difficulty breathing. Over a duration of 18 months, she had been treated by a variety of doctors... General Practitioners, Neurologists, Rheumatologists and Holistic Health Professionals...it has cost her a fortune in deductibles, co-pays and time missed from work. The financial cost doesn't even cast a shadow and the emotional toll to which has reduced Monkey to tears on more than one occasion. She felt defeated as one professional after another was unable to identify the problem.
At about the time she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, Monkey began networking with a Facebook group of women discussing Breast Implant Illness. Immediately she noticed that many of the women had been experiencing the same exact symptoms…and the one thing they all had in common was their breast implants. Some of the women expressed immediate relief from explant surgery, which is a permanent removal of the implant. If you're considering an explant surgery...I will only suggest that you do what’s best for your wellbeing by doing research and making an informed decision.
As you can imagine...a woman with the self-esteem issue of being too thin is going to struggle with the idea of returning to smaller breasts. All we have to do is consider what a woman is willing to wear for shoes to give you an idea of the lengths they will go through for fashion. As far as I'm concerned...it's a riddle that will never be solved.
Monkey pulls the trigger....
Although we've had daily discussions about how Monkey was feeling...we only had a few discussions about the explant surgery. I approach everything with logic...the benefit of large breasts simply does not outweigh the benefit of good health. Although it's a personal decision that must be made by the individual...to me it was a no brainer...return to the healthier version of yourself. If you have anyone in your life that would tell you different…start surround yourself with better people.
Monkey has always been easily startled like a deer in the woods...but when it comes to committing to a decision like having surgery she doesn't flinch. If she could overcome all her fears in the same manner...perhaps she may not have gone through with the implant surgery in the first place.
Do your research! I will say that Monkey made an informed decision. She communicated with physicians and other women, read articles, watched videos, viewed pictures...it wasn't a decision that was not taken lightly as no medical procedure should be.
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The surgery was scheduled within two weeks of her commitment...it wasn't cheap and isn't covered under by her health insurance. Typically, a health insurance carrier will only pay for an explant if there is leakage. The cost of explant surgery is approximately $8,000 but depends on other individual factors as well.
Monkey was told that the surgery would take approximately two hours. We arrived at the facility at 8:00 AM and exited by 1:00 PM. I don't know what I was anticipating, but the experience went about as smooth as a medical procedure can go. Thankfully, she experienced some immediate relief from some of the symptoms. However, it’s early and it she will be out of work for at least one week.
As I write this it's 7:30 PM... a little cannabis brownie and pain medication seems to have made her pain very manageable. Monkey's chest is wrapped like a Gordita and she's been able to sleep... mostly because of the brownie I think…something to keep in mind if you go through the procedure.
"Success in life is the result of good judgment. Good judgment is usually the result of experience. Experience is usually the result of bad judgment." ~ Anthony Robbins
If you're a person that has set their mind on having breast implant surgery, it's unlikely that this article will change your mind. This is for the woman that finds herself on the fence and struggling with the decision. I'm not a medical professional...but a large group of women with one thing in common all experiencing the same adverse symptoms is something to be considered. Is the possibility of diminished health worth any perceived benefit from having larger breasts?
Monkey is a beautiful person...and hopefully she understands moving forward that it has nothing to do with her breast size. After undergoing two implant surgeries, all the recent exploratory procedures and ultimately the explant...I'm sure she could have done better things with her money. I assure you...the people in your life would much rather see you healthy and happy.
If you're a woman experiencing health related issues after implant surgery...you're not going crazy. I don't know all the facts behind this phenomenon but living with someone going through the experience has opened my eyes. My suggestion is that you reach out to one of these groups and do as much research as possible.
Ultimately…if this helps anyone pursue a more informed decision that leads to better health then it was completely worth the time.
