Cosmetic Surgery Today posted a blog today entitled “Safety of Breast Implants Spark Fiery Debate“.  They mentioned a Beauty and the Breast post, which acknowledged that women are often “sold” on the idea of breast implants after visiting a plastic surgeon.  Although I’m thrilled that they are giving attention to the negative side of breast augmentation and asking women to thoroughly research the procedure, I’m not pleased with the site that they linked for research. 

I thought that everyone deserves  to know that there is an independent informational site that is dedicated to truly informing consumers.  It’s not sponsored by plastic surgeons or manufacturers, rather it is a product of a non-profit think tank that is dedicated to analyzing existing research.  If a person wants to know science-based information regarding breast augmentation, then www.breastimplantinfo.org is the place to visit.  If you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s a must read for women, doctors, and the media.

~Kacey

“I am a research engineer that works primarily with materials. PVC is used because it is the cheapest durable plastic, and its properties can be customized with additives. Not only is PVC harmful, the additives are harmful too (if not worse). For women and mothers everywhere, pay close attention to the use of PVC in anything that touches you or your child, especially when it comes to baby’s toys and sex toys. Visit wikipedia for a very thorough discussion on this plastic.”  ~Mr. Engineer

Mr. Engineer,  

Thank you for your comments. I thought your insightful post needed to be the focus of our next discussion.  I seemingly meet people with priviledged information all of the time. While vacationing one year, I met a researcher who had found a connection between hair dye and cancer. When their research was really starting to make strides, she said the FDA came in, collected everything, and said they’ll be taking over the study…and then she never heard anything more of it. She said that this was typical when researchers find something that could cause a lot of concern and the FDA gets wind of it. By the way, from what she said, it might be a good idea to avoid every color but brown.

Another time, a doctor of mine mentioned that during his residency, he was helping with a study on artificial sweeteners and their effect on rats. He said that every one of the rats got cancer during the study, and that they were instructed to surgically remove the cancer, and then the rats were considered “cancer-free”. Nevermind that they all got cancer from the sweeteners, with the cancer removed they could pretend it never happened. ***Did you know that in breast implant studies, often times the women that remove their implants (for whatever reason) are automatically dropped from from the study altogether?  Now I’m sure the public would be curious to know WHY they removed their implants (personal choice, health problems, capsular contracture, rupture, etc.).  That’s information that would be HELPFUL to a study, I would think.

These are just examples of a small amount of the information I’ve been exposed to by the professionals that have been involved with research. I wish we could all know what is really going on, from the people who see it happening every day. The best tool we have in this day and age is the Internet, as free-speech can truly prevail and companies are not able to stop our messages (or at least for the most part).

Thanks again for giving us a heads up. I encourage others to do the same, as we should all help each other to be as safe and healthy as possible. You’d think the FDA was looking out for us (they can barely keep up with produce by the way), but that’s just something we tell ourselves at night to help us sleep better.

Any other things we should look out for, readers?

~Kacey

BlogHer, RealityCheck: Women in Blogging Virginia DeBolt writes about women bloggers and their rising presence and willingness to speak out. That means us!

Jezebel, Fat & Smart? Or Skinny & Stupid? & Botox on the Brain Seems like most people want to be chubby and smart. What about you? Also, we hope Virginia Madsen is thick-skinned (hah) enough to be Botox’s spokeswoman, since apparently it has, uh, some side effects.

Women’s E-News, Bill Puts Brakes on ‘Drive-Through’ Masctectomies Something to keep an eye on: activists are rallying for health insurance companies to pay for women’s post-mastectomy care, instead of just sending them home. It’s called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act and R. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. and Marcia Cross (you know, Bree on Desperate Housewives) are advocates.

NBC News, Plastic Surgery Congrats Cards Some of these are sickening and some seem like backhanded compliments. What’s next? Implant rupture I’m Sorry cards? “Hope this doesn’t burst your bubble!” Give us a break.

Dear Mr. Savage,

I read your response to I Miss Her Boobs with dismay. You were honest in your inability to give good advice, but your answer rested on the assumption that this is just a sexual/cosmetic/emotional issue, when in fact it could be one of pure survival - the wife not wanting to extend the life-and-death struggle that all cancer patients go through.

The fact is, getting implants after a mastectomy is highly risky; complication rates for mastectomy patients are very high. One study shows that 46 percent of patients getting implants will need more surgery within three years of their reconstruction; numbers from similar reports (here and here, to start) show the same. Rather than bitterness towards the idea of breasts, I bet Mrs. I Miss Her Breasts is just happy to be alive and hopes never to see the inside of an operating room again.

Mr. Savage, I do feel sympathy for both husband and wife in this situation. Both are in mourning: he for her breasts and she for the security of a life without the specter of cancer. His wife has obviously been through some trauma and pain, and so has he. After something like cancer, both would want to be able to get their lives back on the track to normalcy, and of course that includes their sex lives. Now, however, both halves of this couple are in a different place than they were before, and dealing with this transition is never easy.

My personal experience underscores how difficult it is to get to a win-win situation out of something like this. As I underwent surgery after surgery to get breast implants that didn’t work, time after time, my husband felt my pain and discomfort to such an extent that he begged me not to try again after the second implant failure, the third implant failure and then the fourth implant failure. Yes, I had used eight implants. It was terribly upsetting to him that I was so sick because he thought I was only getting implants to please him. As we talked about it – and we talked a lot over that year and a half of constant surgery – breast implants were my way of trying to triumph over a disease that left me disfigured. Breast implants to him represented one step after another of chronic illness and he wanted me any way I was, as long as I was alive and not ill from implants and surgery.

Ultimately, I stopped trying implants and had natural tissue transfer surgery, which provided me with breasts I was pretty happy with. Perfecting nipple reconstruction and shape adjusting took a few more surgeries and with each surgery I could see that my relationship with my husband had become more strained. All he wanted was the security of my having a long life to share with him and he was offended that I thought that breasts were so important to him that I would risk so much discomfort and our relationship just to have them. It took a lot of time for us to heal our differences. And during that time we enjoyed finding other ways to please each other. That part was a wonderful journey for both of us and ultimately led to a complete recovery of our relationship. We’ve been married for over 46 years.

I hope that this couple talks to each other more so that the husband can fully understand why his wife doesn’t want to reconstruct. Whether this man likes it or not, breast cancer is now a part of this marriage. The compromise here shouldn’t be to accept a non-existent sex life but to embrace a new one. In time, exploring newer, more creative sexual activities may help him not miss those breasts so much. I know how possible this is, because I’ve been there.

Sincerely,

Sybil Goldrich

It’s time for this woman to grow up so that her doctor takes her seriously. A “foob“?

An adult is proactive and does not accept treatment that is incomplete. A careful look and touch or even a moment to palpate the reconstructed breast is appropriate and should be asked for, if not given. Frankly, if you have to ask for that basic care, then this doctor is not the doctor for the job. Find another who will treat your reconstruction seriously.

I deeply understand that by giving painful issues names that mask the real problem it can be like a band-aid over a wound. But, one day, you have to look at the wound and accept it for what it is. And that is when you become an adult in the world of mastectomy and reconstruction, use appropriate and correct vocabulary, and expect, even demand, correct treatment..

And that is the day that your doctor or another doctor will take you seriously.

Firebox.com, The Winerack Can’t afford implants? For just $30, you can get a bigger bust and the female answer to the beer hat. It’s a little more useful than silicone, right? (Click here for a demonstrative video, in case you can’t quite wrap your head around it.)

Bloomberg.com, Cosmetic Surgery Losing Stigma for Men, Rises 17% in 2007 It’s not just the ladies that enjoy a little injection now and then. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American men underwent “more than 1 million” cosmetic procedures in 2007, including liposuction, nose jobs and “male breast reduction.” On that note…

ABC.com, Male Breast Surgery on the Rise for Teens This article estimates that 40 to 50 percent of all men have some version of gynecomastia, or “man boobs.” It also profiles a 16-year-old boy that opted for surgery to reduce his chest, rather than have to take off his shirt in gym class. We’re sure there are women everywhere who know how that feels, but why must surgery always be the answer?

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Breast Cancer Risk and Surgical Intervention While we have our doubts about patients being told the details about reconstructive and cosmetic surgery using implants, it’s relatively heartening to see plastic surgeons paying attention to breast cancer risks in women and making recommendations as such.

Daily Mail, Why Aren’t Cancer Patients Being Told Their Breasts Can Be Saved? It’s true that cancer patients should be given more options and information then just, “Have a mastectomy!” But they should ALSO be given all the information about reconstruction options–and we’re sure that they aren’t.

Washington Post, Barbara Seaman, 72, Pioneer In Women’s Health Movement, has passed away. The co-founder of the National Women’s Health Network and a proponent of the women’s health movement in the 1970’s, Barbara Seaman is an inspiration for those of us actively fighting for women’s health.

TAGS: breast implants, cosmetic surgery, gynecomastia, breast cancer, teenagers, Barbara Seaman

A few days ago a friend sent me a link to a cancer survivor’s blog and suggested that I might want to get involved. I did go and spend a good deal of time reading the blog posts and it stirred up my emotions.

Although I have empathy for these women, I am just in such a different place than they are right now. Looking back, I probably also struggled with feelings of “Why me?” and grieving over the loss of my breast. BUT… here I am 30 years later and I want to smack these gals for being consumed with that attitude.

Life does not stop because we lose a breast. It would be far worse to lose an arm, leg, an eye, or even your hearing.

I remember 30 years ago I was living in Manhattan and I had just gotten out of the hospital. I was on the bus going downtown to my bank, feeling oh so sorry for myself… There I sat, just having had major surgery, and NO ONE on the bus but me had the slightest idea of what I had been through.

I watched a blind man get on the bus with his guide dog, and he found the time on his watch with his fingers. Then I spotted one of the homeless beggars with no legs on one of those dollies pushing himself down the street with his hands.

At that moment I felt pretty damn lucky to have only lost a breast.

GOODNESS… I sure wish there was a way to make women wake up and realize that this BREAST issue is all fueled by media hype, implant manufactures, plastic surgeons, and obnoxious men that just want to look at big breasts.

For crying out loud, the ONLY REASON for breasts is to nurse babies… and if you don’t have a baby, why the hell do you need breasts?

Just to let you all know where I am coming from… I am a 30 year survivor of breast cancer. I was a 25-years old and not married when I was diagnosed and had a mastectomy. I did silicone reconstruction five years post-mastectomy and then had to deal with multiple surgeries and illnesses as a result of that choice. For the last 12 years I am back to living with one breast… and, yes, there are times when I find it difficult to obtain the look I want in clothes or bathing suits. And no, I will never wear a strapless gown again… BUT WHO THE HECK CARES? I have my LIFE! And a pretty darn happy one at that.

Every time I have surgery, and that has been far too many times to list, I return home from the hospital with renewed vigor and purpose because I am so glad that I’ve survived once again. The skies are bluer, my husband’s eyes are bluer, my mood is bluer still, but I determine that my focus in life will be more positive from now on. I vow to live to the fullest because hospitalization is life at the least pleasant and in fact is quite scary.

I love that, when my husband drives me home, the list of resolutions I tell him about is staggering. Within a week or two, however, my perspective changes. I begin to feel safer and more secure that life will return to the way it was before the last surgery. And I allow it. But when I saw this piece by Erma Bombeck, I thought again about those post-surgical promises. She opened my eyes!

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER, by Erma Bombeck
(Written after she found out she was dying from cancer)

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the
earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it
melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was
stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried
much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the
fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about
his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer
day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more
while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical,
wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished
every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was
the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, ‘Later.
Now go get washed up for dinner.’ There would have been more ‘I love
you’s’; more ‘I’m sorry’s.’

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…
look at it and really see it … live it and never give it back.

Erma Bombeck was a journalist who wrote about life in general, motherhood and kids. She started writing in her garage at home and soon became a beloved nationally syndicated columnist. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she wrote the following piece. It seems to me that whether or not we have a diagnosis of illness, her words are worth living.

Somehow, I hope that Erma knows we remember her for reminding us to really live each day as if it was our last.

TAGS: erma bombeck

The Daily Mail in the UK yesterday profiled cancer patient June Kenton, who declares in the article, “When I fell victim I knew I’d never have an implant.” Why is this significant? Because not only is June a long-time breast cancer awareness activist, she is Queen Elizabeth’s own custom bra-maker and owner of the upscale London lingerie shop, Rigby & Peller.

A regular exam found cancerous granules in June’s left breast, which required a mastectomy. She says,

“I’ve always been so aware of mastectomy because of the business and campaigns I’ve been involved in, and I immediately said: ‘Well, if I do have to have a mastectomy, then I want to have breast reconstruction from my own tissue.’”

But why were implants not an option for her?

“Implants can be wonderful if you have both sides done, but a lot of the time they aren’t so wonderful.

“We see instances where the implants have shrivelled up or moved and sometimes the two breasts don’t match. Also, when you fit a woman’s bra and ask her to bend forward while you do it up, the (silicone) breast doesn’t fall into the cup properly because it’s become solid. This means another operation is required to have it removed and a new one put in.”

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File this is under the “HERE WE GO AGAIN!” category, girls.

This Reuters article, “Cell Phones, Coffee Not High Cancer Risks,” tells us about a risk ranking system devised by Australian cancer specialist Professor Bernard Stewart to debunk popular myths. The five-point system “lists the risk of cancer from proven and likely, to inferred, unknown or unlikely” causes. And of course in the very first paragraph, after cell phones and coffee, “having breast implants is unlikely to cause cancer.”

When did anyone ever say that breast implants cause cancer? Why is this outdated myth being debunked AGAIN? Of course, this plays right into the manufacturers’ marketing strategy of lobbing distractions at the public to keep us from paying attention to breast implants’ real risks, like the fact that detecting cancer could be impeded because layers of silicone or saline are in the way.

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