artificial insemination kit for humans
As a person who usually makes decisions confidently, I found myself overwhelmed during my breast cancer journey, navigating appointments, tests, and surgery plans. In that haze, I overlooked the potential downsides of opting for breast implants. A friend, a nurse, suggested I research breast implant illness, but I dismissed her advice, caught up in decision fatigue and the fear of going flat at just thirty-five.
Initially, my implants looked stunning—almost like art. I joked that I would be the most glamorous grandma in the retirement home. Yet, from the moment I woke up from surgery, I experienced persistent shoulder and rib pain. Despite physical therapy, yoga, and an MRI that showed no damage, I remained in constant agony. After three years, a slew of unexplained symptoms emerged, including dry eyes, chronic fatigue, joint pain, and new food intolerances. Thankfully, after having my implants and the surrounding scar tissue removed, I saw significant improvement.
Dr. Anna Lee, an emergency physician and breast cancer survivor, recognizes that women’s experiences with reconstruction differ widely. She emphasizes her responsibility as a physician to present all available options equally. She advocates for a thorough exploration of the risks and benefits of each choice, ensuring that patients make informed decisions.
While I didn’t feel outright pressure to get implants, I believe that, given my age at diagnosis, the option of going flat was not adequately discussed. I was unaware of the risks associated with implants, especially as someone with an autoimmune condition. I’ve previously stated that individuals with autoimmune diseases should seriously consider forgoing implants, as their bodies may reject them. I believe my medical team had my best interests at heart, but the prevailing notion that women need breast reconstruction to maintain femininity influenced my decision.
Despite advances in society, the lingering belief persists that women without breasts are somehow “less than.” Implants are meant to help us retain our femininity after cancer, yet these foreign objects contain over forty chemicals and pose risks such as rupture, concealing cancer in screenings, and causing illness. Even the FDA has issued a black box warning regarding breast implants. Many women undergo mastectomies to reclaim their health, only to find themselves feeling worse after opting for implants.
I discovered I wasn’t alone in feeling that breast cancer patients are often steered towards implants during vulnerable times. I spoke with several survivors about their experiences with surgical decisions. Were they fully informed? Did they feel pressured into reconstruction?
Survivor Stories
Linda, a sixty-six-year-old from Tennessee, was told she needed a mastectomy but wasn’t informed about the option of going flat. Her research revealed this option, but she felt her medical team didn’t present it as a viable choice.
Jessica, a forty-six-year-old from Iowa diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, felt her surgeon simply assumed she would want reconstruction. She was told that women who choose reconstruction often report better psychological outcomes, which influenced her view on the matter. Ultimately, complications led her to go flat.
Rachel, twenty-eight and from Australia, felt that going flat was only suggested as a temporary phase rather than a permanent choice. After multiple surgeries, she wishes she had been given the flat option from the start and felt pressure to choose reconstruction.
Lastly, Elizabeth, fifty-three, was never presented with the flat option. After experiencing complications with her implants, she eventually chose to go flat upon learning more about breast implant illness.
I share these experiences not to criticize medical professionals, who play an essential role in our cancer journeys, but to highlight that many women feel misled. We deserve to be heard and informed about all our options. Until the root causes of our health issues are addressed—often through the complete removal of implants—we cannot begin healing.
Breast cancer patients should receive full disclosure and be allowed time to weigh their options. If I had taken the time to research the potential side effects of implants and considered going flat, I could have avoided years of illness following my cancer treatment. Today, I’m much healthier and happier as someone who chose to go flat.