Healing from Breast Implant Removal to have a new issue with a new medical device.

Now Feb. 8, 2017 - An iliac stent was placed in me on May 18, 2016, I had an adverse reaction immediately upon placement (I was awake and unsedated for this procedure). I was in so much pain and the surgeon dismissed it. (I have HIGH pain tolerance and even my husband told the nurse this is unusual for me to complain). Long story short, MRI should no inflammation and my sedrate test was slightly elevated but not where the doctor thought it should be, allergy testing to metals negative(BUT, my allergist said that could be a false test and stressed 3times to get the stent removed), but that surgeon would not listen to either of us. As I swelled up more and more and started to learn to live in pain AGAIN.....I finally asked for a referral to UAB vascular Department. I was put in with Adam Beck, M.D. head of Vascular Surgery. At my initial appointment he questioned why I was seeing him since my chief complaint  was swelling all over. "you are exactly who I need because I started to swell after this iliac stent was placed". He said , "I am listening".  I explained BII in a few sentences and he could tell I had a lot of knowledge on his topic. He said because my chief complaint was swelling, he was not dismissing my theory but he has to refer me to Endocrinology. If they say it is not my hasimotos then he would consider the ex-plant of the iliac stent, but it is a life threatening surgery, not an easy operation. I didn't think twice, I just knew it had to come out.
Have you ever tried to become a new endocrinology patient??? 3-6 month waiting. So, Doctor Beck used a favor to get me in sooner. After that doctor agreed it was not thyroid. I was booked for the surgery.  
      Dec.1, 2016 was a new beginning for me again! I think sometimes things happen that need to be. After waking from surgery (I do not remember most of this from anesthesia). My husband said the post op room had many medical students coming to my curtain, not because something was wrong with me but because I was educating them all of breast implant illness. I was showing pictures and the videos of Paula Blades, Amanda Gilcrease and I on the news, The Doctor's TV Show and  Animal Planets, Monster's Inside Me, which featured my story this season. The ICU did not have a bed for me for over 11 hrs, so I remained in post op and had a grand audience. (I only wish I could remember) LOL.
    On day 3 of recovering, Dr. Beck came in my hospital room and he stood there with a small smirk on his face. I asked, "what?" and he stated that he could tell the swelling in my face was leaving. I asked him what he saw when he opened me up and he told me he saw exactly what I had described, a hot mess full of red inflamed tissue. My insides showed what I felt, but the MRI and Blood work stated normal. It is very sad to me that many doctor's only rely on blood work or MRI/radiology images ad not listen to their patients. I am so grateful that UAB doctor's have listened to me and witnessed for themselves that a patient knows their body better than any blood work or radiology machine. I am 7 weeks post op and definitely better than I was 2, 3 and 5 months ago.

Love, Hope, Faith and Forgiveness Saved my life~  Update since it was written. UAB Medical has proven the Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis are false positives as Dr. Kolb suspected. I was told for 1.5 yrs I have them and I told the doctors I don't. My blood was drawn and from the same vial they did a fast lab 24-48hr results as most labs do....it came back positive and the one they grew out over several weeks, like in the olden days.....NEGATIVE~!~ 

         Hi there~ :-) My name is Anne Ziegenhorn

   I am a wife and mother of 2, living on the Emerald Coast of Florida. I first want to say I wish to help others by sharing my story. I never stopped trusting my heart in all of this. I was and still am my own best advocate fighting for answers!  I am thankful that God was by my side the entire time~
        I kept searching for what was making me so ill and baffled multiple doctors (I’m talking 18-20 Dr.’s including The Mayo Clinic). Doctors did not believe that I knew my own body as well as I do. It started with blurred vision and 15-20lbs unexplained weight gain. I went 8 months unable to speak and just the thought of speaking caused excruciating pain. I wrote on a dry erase board and texted. I was lethargic, had a strangulation feeing X's 10,  when I tried to speak on a good day it is a super strange froggy toad sound with lots of pain, blurred vision, headaches, the strain my body feels makes a permanent crease in the brow furrow, fingers/ toes split open and bleed, the sores on my feet comes back and breaks open, I bruise easily, I look swollen, the lesions on my face are awful, I am so depressed at how I look and feel, yet I know I am a positive outgoing person so I put make up on and pretend I am happy; but I feel like dying...I feel like a freak, I feel ugly. What was/is it?

I refuse to be a victim, I am a survivor!

     My background~ I used to be a plastic surgeons medical assistant, a swimsuit/local commercial model, I was one of the original Destin Hooter Girls, I am a Registered Dental Hygienist, I used to teach radiology to dental assistant students, I am a certified permanent make-up artist, licensed and certified hair removal and skin care specialist, I home schooled until I could not speak, I was a volleyball and soccer coach, I taught vertical fitness, President of PTO, and I would volunteer in our community.
          I had been a slender person my entire life except during pregnancy. I am smart, funny, full of life, I smile all the time, I was sexy,  I was frisky all the time (God blessed my husband).

       From the spring 2011 start of symptoms that no doctor understood, but I have a detailed timeline written out that goes in date order and a description of what was happening. For approximately 5 years I complained of rt breast pain and my left breast would grow and shrink all while I would have awful skin lesions on my face and sores on my fingers and toes and more (I have photo and videos); I am fast forwarding to Sept. 2013. I had already scheduled a mammogram due to the breast pain getting worse and I felt God showed me my breast was causing all my illness even though I had tried to get it checked. My appt was made for Sept. 30, 2013.

           Fri Sept 27, 2013~ upon waking, I did my routine self breast exam; (my mother had Breast and ovarian cancers). “OHHHH no!  I think I sprung a leak in my rt implant”. On Monday the 30^th, I arrived to my mammo appointment; there were 2 techs in the room. I told them in my funky voice, that I think I ruptured the rt implant but it was hard to tell because I gained 60lbs in 2 yrs and have been unable to lose it, which has given me more breast tissue. One of the techs took my rt breast mammo, she walks over and says to me. “Yes, it is ruptured but we saw a leak 2 years ago”. I was so perplexed that they saw something 2 yrs prior and NO ONE told me or my doctor; I checked the written report from 2011 at home and it states; NORMAL.

           All my symptoms came flooding over me with a vengeance; I took pictures and videos of me taking my temps and was amazed at the amount of sweat I had but my temp was 93-96.4 degrees, the red face, neck, and lesions, the mood swings from the lack of sleep, short term memory loss, weight gain, burning sensation, tremors, stuttering, blurred vision, strange hoarse vocals, ect.

          I decided to get a copy of my films Oct 2, 2013 and when I saw what they looked like, I knew in my heart I finally had the answer and that explained my illness. Since I was a plastic surgeons scrub tech I knew there was talk of the implant debate of if implants can or cannot get mammograms from the pressure of the machine. (at my mammo appt in 2002 I asked if it was safe to get mammos w/implants and I was told, yes).  On Oct 2nd, 2013, I looked at the pictures of my implants the left one looked normal on all films, but something was on or in my right one and each year it looked worse for at least 5 years. By 2010 and 2011 films you can definitely tell the implant is compromised and something in it had increased in volume or appeared it was multiplying. I knew at that moment it was the cause of my illness was, but what is my illness. Between September 27, 2013 and October 10, 2013, I studied my films and thought they looked like a petrie dish in biochemistry. OMG~I figured it myself what was making me so sick; I had mold in my implant and over the years it was leaking and making me ill and NO DOCTOR caught it since no one else looked at my mammograms and all they saw was the written report.  My general doctor sent me to a plastic surgeon to have the implant removed.
I went  to a local plastic surgeon in Destin. I asked the nurse to have him view my mammograms I brought on a disc. She left the room and came back to told me, he did not need to view the mammo films and she assured me there was no such thing as mold inside implants. The surgeon offered to pop my left implant as standard procedure until I could lose weight; my weight was his main concern not any of my other issues. I declined and the conversation was not placed in my record when I requested a copy.

          I turned to the internet and typed in mold in Saline implants.  This is how I found Dr. Susan Kolb, Atl, GA. She has been featured on Animal Planet “Monsters Inside Me” and written books on Biotoxin Illness and moldy implants.  She too experienced the same illness. She is my surgeon and one of the experts on this phenomenon. I emailed her the copies of my mammograms and she answered me personally, stating she had never seen mold caught on film before and I needed to be placed on antifungal and antibiotics immediately. She contacted my general physician. Within 24 hrs of being on both medications I had a voice a little raspy but I could speak again, my sores started to heal, within 5 days I lost 11lbs.

         Next, I was set up for an appointment to see her Oct.29, 2013. I met her at 4:45 in the afternoon with my friend Kim Hobbs, who drove me to GA, because I was too ill to drive and my husband was our only source of income working 2-3 jobs to provide for our family. Dr. Kolb told me how sick I was and Kim says Dr. Kolb was very concerned about me. Most of her patient’s implants are in tacked upon removal yet their implants had a microscopic leak causing them to be ill. My implant which was full of mold, leaked for years then completely ruptured. All of the moldy water spread thru my body all 300-320cc’s of it. She started pre-op immediately the next day to make sure my thyroid levels, my heart and lungs could handle surgery.  On Oct. 31, 2013 I had surgery that saved my life. (see videos and photos of my low body temp 97.7 down to93.9) Still today even when I am sick, I DO NOT register a fever on a thermometer, but I am drenched in sweat.

     I am not bitter: I just want to help save other women from going through what I did. 5 years prior to the rupture I complained of breast pain over and over had multiple mammos, 3 years of sickness including losing my career as a dental hygienist because my fingers are numb from the effect on my neurological system. Just think about it, inhaling mold kills people; I had mold leaking inside of me for years and once it fully ruptured 300-320 cc’s of moldy fluid flooded my entire system and my body absorbed it and the spores being trapped under the dermis layer swelling my body. It is no wonder that Dr. Susan Kolb feels I am lucky to be alive. Mentor Saline Implants are known for leaky valves and mold being present.
I started to photograph my illness effects on my body with date and time and made videos of me taking my temp as my body started to shut down.

        This is now my life; if I can help prevent another women going through all this to find out her gut instinct was correct, that is what I wish to do. I am 1^st generation in my family to be diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Hashimatos Thyroiditis, Biotoxin illness, Raynards, neuropathy and silicone dysfunction illness. I was also diagnosed and my blood still shows positive for RA and Lupus, which I disputed and now has been proven I do not have either. All these are painful and debilitating because the nerves get affected and go numb with a burning sensation, tremors, stuttering, blurred vision, strange headaches and sometimes I cannot speak. The Hashimatos Thyroiditis stemmed from Hyperthyroid/Graves Disease prior to ablation. I never wanted my thyroid killed and fought with doctors for 4 months before consenting, my God voice kept telling me not to do it. Once I consented, I said, “God, if I am doing the wrong thing, you have to protect me”. I had never heard of or been tested me for Hashimatos prior to ablating my thyroid (killing my thyroid with nuclear medicine). No doctor has been able to regulate my thyroid from the ablation (not knowing it was my breast implant causing the illness instead of thyroid); 3 endocrinologist and 2 general physicians recommended the ablation. That was spring/summer 2011 and they said my gallbladder needed to be removed because they felt it was gallbladder symptoms even though I said, “my boob hurts, not my chest or upper quadrant, my BOOB”.  It turns out it  was a cyst on the gallbladder not stones inside of it. I also had my last ovary removed 2010 because a cyst kept growing and growing. Instead of looking at me as a whole focused only on one body part at a time and stressed I needed my ovary out, because even though my mom survived breast cancer, she died from ovarian cancer.

    Kim Hobbs one of my Best Friends who went with me for surgery will tell about my illness and Dr. Kolbs reaction and comments. I have several letters from other friends that describe me in the past 4yrs-20yrs ago to what the past 5 years has done to me.
Dr. Susan Kolb  770-457-4677

     Safer implants are needed. I feel every person can make a choice and if all the information is given then they can do what they wish, that is not my place to tell a person what they can or can not do! I can however warn them of what has happened to so many and that the manufacturers and doctors do not tell the full truth. Many doctors are deceived by the multibillion dollar industry.  I believe in, informed consent and want women to know what implants are are made of, that they are not made to last forever, they need to be changed every 10 years, and cause toxic chemical poisoning and a multitude of health issues. Back when mine were placed, we were told they would last forever. To all the plastic surgeons out there; when taking implants out please realize mold may be present, some look clear but the test come back with aspirguillis; if it is amber to brown colored fluid get it tested even if no color, get it tested. The shell of ALL implants is siliconeand it typically is the causes of many that get sick, but Mentor is known for leaky valves and mold.

         I ultimately gave in to what the doctors wanted, but I have never given up on the Hope to find the answers, my Faith in God and how He protected me even with wrong decisions as I prayed before doing things; I asked that if this is not His choice to protect me, the Love of my husband, my children & my friends, and I forgive the doctors for reacting as they are practicing medicine instead of looking at each person as a separate being. Maybe, just maybe my story can change the way they run their practice and maybe some doctors will get back to KNOWing each patient and not just do the simple thing. I will say I have had a few who listen and take time, but I had to stop seeing them due to lack of money to pay them because my insurance did not cover these doctors.

      Most people look at me and think or say “She doesn’t look sick”. Good, I have achieved my goal to not LOOK sick.  I do not want pity; I am sharing to help save another.                       

An example: As a hygienist, I went to work and cleaned teeth many times with a cold/or flu and the sicker I got not knowing what this illness was; I still showed up not knowing I was almost in a coma; according to Dr. Riche and I worked by pushing through as many of us do in life. 
I choose to live life; not to just watch, but to be a part of my children growing up.  On most days I do have pain, I sweat almost all day long, my fingers and toes are numb, sometimes my arm , leg, hip, &/or back go numb, lock up at the joint and I am limited on things I can do now. But again I choose to live life; I might pay for it with a flare up later that day or even for several days;  I am here to say until I stop breathing and God calls me home, I will put on my make-up, smile, try to be active, and live the life I have been given.         

I have all my mammos from 2002-present the only year missed was 2012 due to Dr. Riche telling me I should be in a coma according to my labs. 

 THERE IS A VIDEO on fb of my moldy implant.....

Below modeling 1995-2010 a few mammo films and me 6weeks after surgery with Picc line and mold inside the Left implant(rt implant full of it ruptured and dumped all 320cc inside of me). Or what was left after leaking for at least 2 years. I believe it is the 2010 film we can see the spray on film. And my symptoms started late 2010 and early 2011.

       

           

               

                         

Thank you for viewing and sharing my story ~!~

Thank you all so much for viewing and sharing my story. I hope this will save another woman from suffering the way I did. My hope is that doctors, radiologist, nurses and all medical staff have more knowledge about implants~ I am just so HaPpY to be here and share my wisdom & knowledge from all of this ~!~

   ~ Faith, Perseverance, & Forgiveness Saved my life ~

Praising God for the life I have and learning to love myself no matter what~ Quick update at my 13.5 month since having the moldy ruptured right breast implant and staph infected/moldy left breast implant removed.

      This style blog has you reading most recent entry, so for the whole story scroll down and look at older post prompter to take you back to when I started. 

Left implant still intact after removal from Dr. Kolb in Atlanta, GA ~ The Left implant had staph infection and mold present; imagine how much was in the right one that ruptured inside of me as you can see on the mammograms the left appeared normal and the right one has all the stuff growing on film. The doctors say it should have killed me~ I give God the glory to allow me to share my story~ 

Do these "look" normal to you?

The left "looks" normal but as we saw in the photo with it outside of my body, it had mold present.

Modeling days 1995-2010

2010 my weight went up and down 10-15 and my vision started getting strange.

PICC line for IV antibiotic treatments after surgery.

 I use a chiropractor who seems a lot like the doctor on the  TV show "House".  His name is Dr.Sean Price in FWB, FL at The Chirospa off of Beal Pkwy. He looks at my whole being: symptoms, blood work, allergies to food and products which is helping to get my body to detox so we can see if I truly have these autoimmune illnesses or if my body is just flushing all the toxins out still.  
Remember if you have breast implants NO MAMMOGRAMS; ultrasound 1st if it looks suspicious then an MRI, so no squooshing of the implant~!~

 

10 months post op

Update 10 months post op~ If I have been able to save 1 persons life by sharing my story then I am blessed~!~
 In July/August I was also diagnosed with Lupus in addition to the Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hashimotos Thyroiditis, Raynards Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Silicone Sickness (the shell of all implants are made from silicone, even though filled with saline). 
I am the 1st generation in my family for all of these illnesses~
         I have been told that several friends who shared my story with their friends, family and/or people who know me and saw my mammograms and witnessed how sick I became to the point I almost lost my life; well, they have either taken their implants out, replaced them because it had been longer than 10 years or decided not to get them at all. 
     I believe I am alive to spread the word not only about this but how the government system fails those who need them when this type of event comes. I am still waiting to get disability since I am unable to work with how often I flare up with my autoimmune diseases; when 1 flares, they all flare~but, I do try to act normal even though my body is screaming on the inside. (People who suffer from Autoimmune Diseases, may look normal on the outside; so do not judge what you do not know)~!~
Please feel free to keep sharing my story, maybe it can go viral to save a life~

Short Recap~ I was told my mammos were normal, what do you think?

 Please share my blog~Plastic Surgeons, Radiologist and Mammo Techs need to know that Implants patients should NOT get mammos and if the implant looks strange it is their Obligation to tell the patient~!~ The whole blog explains more in detail and more pictures, but some just want the overview and how I almost died when the rt implant ruptured inside me~

top left picture; appears to be a normal left implant. Middle and lower left pictures; different years as growth of something inside rt implant. lower rt picture: moldy left implant after ex-plant, the right ruptured and all the mold went inside of me and nearly killed me.         ~I survived~
The left implant has mold and we do not see it on the films; imagine how much was in the right implant to catch it growing all these years~ YIKES~ I believe god has a bigger plan for my life
The left implant still has approximately 80% percent of the saline fluid plus mold and staph and the right implant is completely ruptured with only a brown discoloring of moldy particles left.
Women with saline implants also get silicone illness because ALL implants outer shell are made of silicone. In my blog I list more info along with all my symptoms and diagnosis; this is why I want to help other women make informed decisions; I am not against implants as long as the surgeon admits the downfalls to them and the replacement is needed ever 10 yrs.  I tried to make each section short.
Start at the very bottom to see the 1st blog and scroll up~

I was told "implants last forever in 1998, but they need to be changed every 8-12 yrs~

                   Implants are not a 1 time surgery or financial investment
    If you have implants now, did your surgeon tell you they need to be exchanged for new ones every 8-12 years? I used to be a plastic surgeon surgical tech in the 1990's and I never knew this information.  We believed implants were forever. Apparently that has changed but not all surgeons explain this to their patients. And since the media rarely covers this topic, we the general public do not know this. This is why I am trying to create a buzz so the media will pick up the story and make it a headliner and not a small story and let it fade away.

                                                             Do the math...
Age 25 spend $3500-4000 for implants and surgery
Age 35 same a little less since exchanging $3000-3500
Age 45 cost of implants goes up and scar tissue makes it harder, $3800-4500 
Age 55 $4000-4500
Age 65 $4500-4700 or you have them removed and need a lift too additional $1500-2000
 That's 5-7  breast surgeries in your lifetime & approx $20,000-$30,000                           
   Dr. Susan Kolb and her partner Dr. Gordon of Plastikos in Atl, GA explain this to their patients and you sign a form that you are aware of this. Dr. Melmed in Dallas, TX was just featured on a Christian talk show  with a patient who is ill with similar issues as me. I was happy that I have found so many written articles on this subject, but again it is not put in the news. Please post and share this info.
   

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OfBt7DYRqk 

 Dr Kolb on Saline Implants

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9g80LuU8d0

Dr Kolb on Silicone Implants 

 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/18/dr-kolb-discusses-breast-implants.aspx

http://www.knowthecause.com/index.php/contributor-blog/31-as-seen-on-the-show/2195-after-the-show-breast-implants    Dr. Melmed on Christian Talk Show~

http://plasticsurgery.about.com/od/breastsurgery/a/Are-Breast-Implants-Causing-Cancer.htm