Boobs or No Boobs – a Personal Choice
Jean Criss
Today’s blog discusses the affects having breast implants with numerous allergies. I’ve learned so much from my personal experiences after bilateral Breast Cancer. So much so, that I innovated a versatile post-surgical brand to improve your spirits throughout recovery with a contemporary, colorful fashion line called CRISSCROSS Intimates, and continue to educate as I thrive and share my Survivor stories. These past few months I encountered new breast developments, coupled and contemplated with life-altering decisions: boobs or no boobs. I stand by my choice and here’s why.
First and foremost, it really is a personal choice. Keep the implants or remove them. It’s not as cut ‘n dry a decision as one may think. Perhaps for a man, this might seem simple, and I’ve heard “just be done with it” or “get it over”. But I find myself as a busy, active, working woman who still considers myself to be energetic and outgoing, I’d like to have breasts.
If MRSA returns, or another bacterial infection pops up, perhaps I might think differently but for now, I deal with contemplations, pain and complications. I make the breast decisions to “correct or fix” the issue with less invasive, alternative treatments to be healthy and maintain a comfortable lifestyle without enduring long recoveries and ongoing, in-depth breast surgeries if I don’t need to.
You may know that a number of Gel-implant styles were recalled in 2019. Please reference this blog post and consult with your physician asap to learn more if you think you’re a candidate. My current or 4th set of implants are on recall (again) and what I recently learned is that if you’ve had them more than 10 years, the doctor and hospital fees may not be covered by private health insurance, only the implant replacement fee. Everyone’s situation is unique so do investigate your scenario, open a claim, and be prepared before you visit your doctor – being well informed is the breast medicine!
Being the busy working woman (entrepreneur) that I am, I decided long ago, to have implant reconstructive surgery over a “trans or TRAM flap” breast surgery, where they take tissue, fat and muscle, typically from somewhere else on your body – eg, tummy, back or bottom most commonly, and move that to rebuild breast(s). Mesh (metal) is most often placed in the area where the fat/muscle was removed. Major scaring often occurs, recovery can be quite lengthy, and you may not be whole after all this is said and done – meaning oftentimes, you are left a bit lopsided or disfigured depending on the situation and procedure. I already knew what it meant to be lopsided having had a bilateral lumpectomy before the bilateral mastectomy and while a TRAM does not require any foreign objects in you like “Gel”, the overall results were not as appealing to me. So, I opted “out” of this procedure long ago. I chose to “Go Gummy” as my preferred reconstructive procedure and have never contemplated that decision.
Typically, most women may choose between Saline or Silicone implants however that depends upon the type of breast reconstructive surgery you require. I had a nipple and skin sparing reconstructive procedure and Silicone implants were the recommended viable choice to have fuller volume, weight, and size needed to fill the breast pocket while the outside breast tissue remains quite thin. Saline implants would basically show ripple effects had I gone with those.
Both styles use a gel-based shell, and, of course, the Silicone implants use gel inside too. It’s a known research fact that women with Silicone gel-filled breast implants are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with autoimmune or rheumatic disorders, such as Sjögren syndrome, systemic sclerosis, and sarcoidosis, compared with women without breast implants of a similar age and socioeconomic status. Hence my ever-increasing list of allergies.
Silicone implants have vastly improved since my diagnosis in 2007 and companies like Natrelle® and Allergan® offer a variety of FDA approved styles that have proven to be long-lasting. They are now giving a 15 – 20-year shelf life for many of these implants whereas before it was merely a 10-year window before replacement was suggested.
To reassure women, implants have come a long way and they are the most commonly used product for breast reconstructive surgery amongst the ASPS organization of Board Certified Plastic Surgeons. Note that Breast augmentation continues to be the top cosmetic surgical procedure and has been since 2006. Silicone implants were used in 88%, and saline implants in 12%, of all breast augmentations in 2018. You can learn more about gel-technology and the differences between Saline and Silicone here or the evolution of the generation of Gummy-bear implants here.
As a clinical trial research patient of the Gummy bears, one might say that I’ve learned a lot especially since my journey began and now considering a 5th reconstructive surgical implant replacement, a number of factors will weigh in. Originally this was scheduled right after Memorial Day 2021, however, at my pre-op visit, plans changed. Many decisions to be made in a short timeframe and I opted for the less invasive procedure short term and to wait out the general surgery. I am happy to report that my short-term in-office procedure was a success, pain has resolved itself and I am feeling better. Next week will be my 30-day post-op visit, and at that time, we will resume discussions about the 5th implant replacement and what’s necessary to move forward. Bottom line is that it’s not that easy preparing for these surgeries, like going to get a cast replaced or a crown in your mouth repaired. It’s a quite complicated process and once you’ve had MRSA, breast cellulitis a number of times, and other surgical complications, you need to make the right decisions for your best breast health and wellness. I did and will continue to do so.
When my breast cancer journey began in 2007, I probably had less than a dozen allergies – nothing that significant – seemed normal to most. Now in 2021, my allergy list has gone through the roof with almost 7 dozen allergies. I definitely need to be careful and read all labeled ingredients thoroughly (food and drugs). Life is not as satisfying when you know you can’t eat so many great food dishes on the menu, when socializing or purchasing OTC meds but you learn to cope. One small ingredient can set my body off in an anti-phylactic, highly allergic reaction and it seems to be getting worse as time goes on. We don’t know the root cause to all my allergies – is it from long-term use of the Gel-based implants, a rupture or leak unidentifiable from non-contrast MRI (allergic to dyes), short stint of radiation, or five years on Tomaxifen. We really just don’t know yet. Regardless, dining out and my lifestyle has been challenging. During the Pandemic, it was easier to cope by cooking at home a lot. Nowadays, I just watch what I eat with restrictions.
While my breasts have been painful and woke me up at night (hence my trilogy story continues My Pain Woke Me Up), my left leg swelled at the upper thigh down to the ankle in all sorts of areas with bumps and huge welts. One welt was about the size of a soccer ball, was so hot and I could not walk for a few days as it affected my joints – so we aren’t talking about a small Hive. In fact, the diagnosis: “Angioedema” swelling of the leg, also known as “Urticaria” (or Giant Hives) not to be confused with “Lymphedema”. Swelling under the second layer of your skin, hot, red, hyper-sensitive skin and often may be difficult to diagnose sometimes caused by food, drugs or insect bites. Treated with double, then triple anti-histamines, it subsided after 30-45 days. This was not your typical 2 or 3-day hive reaction.
Protocol for me is to eat a “clean and healthy, allergy-free” diet. Be vigilant. New allergies can sometimes be ‘trial and error’ until you determine what the “trigger” is and unfortunately there is not a blood test nor a pin prick test for all known allergies. When I discovered it was most likely caused from Gummy Vitamins and Gelatin-based products, I stopped them immediately and started feeling better. Honestly, my Allergist, Dermatologist, Infectious Disease and Internist Docs were stumped for a while. I am always that “one in a million” patient who has the “unusual ailments” and there is nothing I can do about that. They gave me ultrasound, blood cultures and the works. Results confirm I am highly allergic to an ingredient found in many OTC (over the counter) food and drugs described as “Glycol”.
Gelatin-based ingredients are found in Gummy bear Vitamins, Candy, Jello®, corn syrup, Dextrose,… and use some form of Glycol. A few years back, I had major reactions to Gel-cap meds, liquid Vitamins, creams and similar Glycerin based products too. Botox® is Gel-based and cannot be prescribed for my migraines as result. Sometimes it’s difficult to diagnose symptoms, identify the cause, navigate brands but don’t give up and keep digging. Eventually you’ll find the answers for proper treatment! During my findings, I discovered that Covid 19 vaccines use Poly-Glycol. At first, the ingredients were not published and now they are all posted by brand on the CDC.gov website.
So, if you’ve experienced symptoms like mine or know of a Breast Cancer Survivor with Auto-Immune issues that can relate, be vigilant about your health choices and first “do some research” and always consult your physician. When you self-educate and take action, you may save your own life and someone near and dear to you. Any form of allergy can be life-threatening — food, drugs, insect bites, and even the “Go Gummy” implants. Thrive and Survive!
Wishing you all the breast!
Jean Criss is an avid-writer, blogger, contributing columnist, author of trilogy series, digital media entrepreneur and fashion design innovator. Jean thrives on survivorship, bringing new ideas to life and collaborating with communities. Living life passionately Pink! jean@crisscrossintimates.com