Boob-Free and Fabulous: My Journey to Holistic Breast Explantation
Okay, so maybe not totally boob-free…but less than what I have been my entire life! Before I dive into Breast Explantation and some important info I feel needs to be shared, I need to give a small backstory of my journey to making the decision to have a Breast Explant.
A Little About Me
Some might say I was “blessed” from a very young age, but not me. I know, I know, I should be grateful to have blossomed so early, to be able to look SO curvy by the time I was in high-school , and that I could fill out my wedding dress so well. However, the amount of back pain, shoulder pain, and rib pain I have had to brush off and deal with since I was in Junior High, seems a bit unfair if you ask me! I already had my mind made up, by the time I was finished nursing, I was going to get a reduction! I was done!
The Reduction
Along with NEEDING a breast reduction, my doctor was not liking the way my abdominal wall was not tightening as it should have by 2 years post labor, so we threw in an abdominoplasty procedure to make sure everything was in place and protected as it should be! Yay!! I was a hot mess (haha)! Upon my first consultation we discussed my expectations and what I was hoping for…A little pain relief! There was discussion of placing an implant for a lift, which seemed to be the “normal” thing, according to the surgeon. So, I decided on the implant, confirmed a surgery appointment, and that was that…no discussion about hormone imbalances, immune responses, or symptoms (aside from the obvious ones with the procedure itself). I did somewhat question why I should put an implant in a space I was trying to reduce, but I was encouraged by the surgeon to focus on the results I was hoping for, everything would be great! The surgery was flawless, and the results were amazing. My recovery was a bit rough, but that was to be expected when your entire mid section is being rearranged like a game of Tetris. After the bruising and pain subsided I felt and looked amazing…so what could go wrong?
What Did Go Wrong?
Well, about one year after my implants were taking up residency, I began to feel extremely tired…like all of the time. Not a “normal-I’m a Mom of 3 under 6” kind of tired. Like, barely being able to move around tired. I could hardly remember anything…brain fog was hitting me hard! My skin started getting so itchy (no matter how much lotion I used!). My vision started to get blurry. My feet and fingers would get tingly and go numb randomly throughout the day. My eyebrows became close to non existent. My cycles were completely off. And let’s not forget how horrible my sleep was. Sounds fun right? That’s when an amazing friend introduced me to the naturopathic world…I found my people!!!!
Within the first year of appointments, labs, testing, and results, we discovered I had Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Hypothyroid. (Let the treatment begin!) It has been a lot of experimenting with different treatments, but I am feeling so much better.
It wasn’t until I found a doctor on Instagram (of all places!) that I had even heard of BII (Breast Implant Illness). I basically began to stalk his practice, podcast, and posts. It was just way too much of a coincidence that Hashimoto’s and BII has so many parallel symptoms. And, of course, I had implants placed a year before my symptoms began (at least symptoms I was aware of). It was a very intense AHA moment for me.
Time To Explant The Problem
Now, I’m not saying my implants are the overall cause of my autoimmune condition, but I’m pretty sure they are the biggest trigger. Placing a foreign object in your body, be it food, chemical, or implant, your body is going to go in attack and defense mode! You want your body to do that!!! The problem begins to arise when your body can’t rid the “invader” from your body. Bring on the inflammation and nasty symptoms that your body develops to give you signals that it is not okay with what you just did! In a way, it’s like a toddler when you force them to do something they don’t want to do (or even a teenager!). They will throw a fit! Well, that is exactly what my body has been doing all these years…so now I am listening to it…FINALLY!
Not to say my Hashimoto’s will be completely healed…I will be working on reversing that, like I have been since I was diagnosed. But, somehow I feel as those removing these toxic implants will speed up that healing and reversal process! So it’s time to remove the implants.
Prep For Surgery
There are so many reasons why I admire and respect my doctor and his practice, but the one that stands out the most is his approach to healing the WHOLE body, not just removing the implants. I’ll admit, it was a rapid prep timeframe for me, but it has truly worked for me. I am a “rip the bandaid off” kind of person. SO, the last minute cancellation for me to take- was a sign for me to go for it! Not gonna say I am not nervous about it…it’s surgery! However, the awesome staff, and amazing support I have received from my friends, family, and my amazing and encouraging husband have made the nerves calm done quite a bit!
The guidance for my surgery prep has been amazing, and I wanted to share because I believe this information is vital for anyone going in for surgery. Preparing your body for surgery is just as, if not more important, than the post op care. So here are some tips:
Load up on Protein (protein helps build and repair muscle, skin, and body tissue-so it’s important) 100-150 grams per day
Follow a gluten free, dairy free, and processed free diet which lowers inflammation and helps your body respond faster and stronger to treatments and recovery
Sleep! Sleep is the bodies best defense for healing so get a solid 7-8 hours
Take the supplements recommended by your doctor. I have certain supplements recommended to prep my body, but also to assist my body with healing after
Eliminate blood thinning medications and supplements 2 weeks before surgery
No alcohol for 7 days before surgery
No smoking or Nicotine products for at least 6 weeks prior to surgery
Along with these guidelines, my doctor and his staff iare providing immense support (which is vital), a step by step protocol to follow the night before my procedure to ensure I get a good nights rest and my body is prepared for surgery, as well as post-op care (that I am so excited for!)
What Post Explant Care Should Look Like
Not looking forward to the surgery so much, but the post-op is calling my name! Did I mention how amazing this doctor and his staff are? Not only are they always on call as a support for each of their patients, they guide you throughout your post-op care journey throughout the year. Each patient is placed with their on call functional physician who will assist you with your supplements and customized health plan, along with an entire specialty group that is there to answer questions and give you support. There are even other past patients that are on call in the office that are there to just talk if you ever need to chat with someone who “gets it”.
The one thing, okay there are two things, I am looking forward to in my post-op treatment plan is utilizing a Balancer Pro Lymphatic Suit (not once, but twice), and a Hyperbaric Chamber (again twice). I will stay in Austin, TX to complete these two rounds of therapy before I head back home…and I have heard amazing things about both of these theraputic devices…so I’m excited!
Just in case you may not know what these two therapeutic machanisms are:
Balancer Pro Lymphatic Suit: a medical garment designed to assist with lymphatic drainage therapy. The lymphatic system is responsible for removing waste and toxins from bodily tissues. When this system becomes compromised due to surgery, injury, or medical conditions like lymphedema, it can result in fluid buildup and swelling. The Balancer Pro Lymphatic Suit works by applying gentle pressure to the limbs, which helps to stimulate the lymphatic system and encourage the movement of lymph fluid. This can reduce swelling, alleviate discomfort, and promote healing.
Hyperbaric Chamber: often referred to as a hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) chamber, is a medical device that provides a pressurized environment with a higher-than-normal atmospheric pressure. This chamber is used to administer hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a treatment that involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room or tube. Used to treat various medical conditions, including decompression sickness (commonly known as "the bends"), carbon monoxide poisoning, non-healing wounds (such as diabetic foot ulcers), radiation injuries, and certain infections. The increased pressure in the chamber allows the lungs to gather more oxygen, which then gets dissolved into the bloodstream at a higher concentration than normal. This enhances the delivery of oxygen to tissues in the body, promoting healing and reducing the effects of conditions being treated.
It has been a journey for me to “feel” myself again, but the point is I never gave up…and I never will. I have become the strongest health advocate not just for myself, but for my family, my friends, and my community! If you feel like something is off, go find a different path…you may find the answer along the way.
If You Are Looking For Information or Alternatives:
There are so many alternatives if you are looking to have a reduction, a lift, or possibly filling out a particular area of your body. I will never force anyone to lean one way or the other on something that is there choice. But, if you are curious about options:
*Reduction: Just a reduction; reduction with natural lift; reduction with natural lift and fat lipid transfer
*Breast Augmentation: natural lift; fat lipid transfer; natural lift with fat lipid transfer
Best part about all of these procedures is they are all natural with no risk of BII diagnosis!
If you need more information and are curious check out Dr. Robert Whitfield and his awesome staff @breastimplantillnessexpert on IG
I am looking forward to sharing my results and more information along my journey! Thank you all for your amazing support! We got this!!! ❤️
