Implants -- what was the worst part?

I have silicone implants - today's silicone don't leak. And I've never worried about illness - yes, it's possible but it's rare.

The worst part was simply adjusting to having it. At this point I rarely even notice.

You might want to post this question in the Reconstruction Forum rather than the Living Without Reconstruction Forum. If you send a private message to the Moderators, they can move it for you.

beajomom,

What do you want? Ultimately that's the question you need to answer. Are you looking for affirmation that implants are painful or harmful? There will be some who can attest to that, but that's the minority. Yes, there are whole threads devoted to uncomfortable implants and explanting, but folks who are happy with their recon tend to fade away from bco as they put their bc experience behind them. The reality is that most women with implants are quite happy but a small number are not. Neither of those scenarios should factor into your decision as you will have no way to predict how you will be be effected should you choose implants.

Yes, I do know they are there if I think about them but after the first few months I barely noticed. So, tbh, it was weird at first but things normalized fairly quickly. One thing to remember is that after a Mx/bmx all underlying breast tissue is removed so you will lose sensation. Many of us find that skin sensation returns but that's about it so in that sense things don't feel the same, which you might consider “fake" and indeed, implants are not breast tissue. Externally, they feel like the firm breasts of a younger woman but are warm.Since I'm almost 65, I am happy with that “side effect". My implants are now a normal part of me and I rarely even think about them.

Go flat or do recon, it's up to you but other peoples experiences are not predictive of what your experience might be. Nothing can predict that! It sounds as if you are looking for bad implant experiences to justify your desire to go flat. Please look at what you want. Going flat is an excellent choice for many as are implants. You have to decide what will be best for you.

Exbrnxgrl (Ten years out, thrilled with my implants

Hi there,

I am one of those “rare" people who had implants and later got them removed and went flat. I am so happy I did, and if I were in your shoes I too would really like to hear from someone like me! Implants are not for everyone, and being forced into the decision between reconstructed breasts or going flat because you have cancer makes the decision even harder— you didn't get to the question on your own, you were forced into it.

I had a really difficult time with my implants. It started with an infection in my tissue expanders, and my plastic surgeon ignored my symptoms for two months until I had to have emergency surgery. My later exchange for implants went a bit better, but they were bigger than what I had wanted, even though everyone else agreed it was a good result. I had them for three years, during which time I gained a lot of weight and had a lot of discomfort, and I went to physical therapy three times a week the whole time to try to get a handle on the situation. It took me a long time to even learn that going flat was an option, and a way out. My PS was really unsupportive of the decision, but I was finally able to push it and the relief that I felt after explant was honestly indescribable. My pathology report showed that they had been causing chronic inflammation, which was an answer to the physical difficulties I had been having. I felt like me again, I looked like me again (my dad even commented that my face was full of life again), and I realized I wasn't compromising my health or comfort for aesthetics, which has never been a very “me" thing to do.

Moreover, and more to your question, I don't think I was ever really the type of person to have something “fake" in my body; I wouldn't have ever considered implants were I not undergoing mastectomy at a young age (and absolutely everyone told me I'd regret not getting reconstruction— but I didn't know enough about myself to know they were wrong). On the best of days, they weren’t “me” and they weren’t really boobs either, and I wish I could have mourned what I had lost without the cognitive interference of something that made me throw away a bunch of clothes I loved and try to start over as someone who had a really different body, not just one that was sadly missing something I used to have. It’s really hard for me think about how much of my time was spent dealing with them and the multiple surgeries they entailed, when I could have been one and done, too. Plus, now I can have whatever size boobs I want whenever I want, even though I'm mostly happy to just go flat. I’m 32 now and was 27 when I got the implants, and I would definitely say that I can dress a lot better (including swimsuits) with prostheses or flat vs. trying to fit things around my stiff and foreign implants, just in case that’s part of your question, too. I hope my perspective helps give you some clarity, even if we are very different kinds of people and you come to completely different conclusion. I didn't get to hear voices like mine beforehand, I wish I had, and I think it's really great that you had the foresight to seek some out. If you do go flat, I highly recommend reviewing the Flat Closure Now website, so that you are able to assure that you'll get the results you want. I hope this helps and wish you luck