October 27, 2021 • 38 mins
What do you need to know about getting your implants removed? What are your options? How can you prepare your body for the surgery? What happens after they are removed?
Special Guests: Dr. Tony Youn (IG: @tonyyounmd) and Ricci Jess (IG: @truth_about_breast_implants). Follow us on Instagram: Kristin - @kristin_e_nobles Christine - @CTorres1017 For more information: www.sicktitties.com
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Close to the Chest with Kristen and Christine is brought
to you by I Heart Radio. My name is Kristin
Nobles and today is October. This week's episode is ironically
about the road to X plant and I am only
twenty days post x plant, but the road to get
here took me twenty three years. And during that roller
coaster of a journey, I experienced so much and have
(00:23):
permanent emotional, physical and financial scars that I'll bear with
me for the rest of my life. And three years
ago I actually hit a fork in that road and
chose the wrong treatment and I got sicker. So twenty
days ago, when they wheeled me into that hospital room
to do the surgery, I was petrified. There were no
doctors that could guarantee I would get better, There was
no definitive outcome, but I knew things couldn't get worse.
(00:46):
So I took the leap of faith and I did
the X plant, and I must say it's the best
thing I ever did. And I really hope that the
road to x plant becomes a highway full of women
surviving and thriving, and that even though it's a roller
coaster to get here, eventually will have directions so people
can navigate it. But for me, the road to X
plant with hell, but getting through it was the best
(01:09):
thing I ever did. And then questions walk into the room,
heads turning on down on the side, Christine, this week's
episode is the road to x plant. This is such
(01:29):
an important episode. I've spoken to so many people and
find that for everyone this is a very difficult journey
that's tough to navigate given doctors are just starting to
recognize b I I is its own illness and we're
just finding out how to diagnose and treat it. I
know it seems that there's so many conflicting opinions and
with doctors out there is still saying b I I
(01:50):
is not real. It can also be full of dead
ends and wrong turns that can literally cost women their lives,
as we've learned exactly and last for years and for
many of us, costing us valuable time, money and hope
along the way. I know I saw a lot of
doctors and got a range of opinions and diagnosis and
(02:11):
treatment recommendations which were all over the place, and I'm
learning this is common in an issue many women see
where they meet several doctors before they find the right
one who will eventually diagnose them and refer them to
someone that will treat them well. Justin listening to you
and from my relatively short experience joining you on your journey,
there doesn't seem to be a test to diagnose b
(02:33):
I I, and for many women it takes a leap
of faith that explanting will help with all their symptoms.
Doctors can't guarantee that their patients will get better or
even recover. True, and once they do decide to take
that leap of faith, there's still so much to figure out.
I recall going through all the different terms treatments being
(02:53):
recommended and being so overwhelmed what I googled them, And
as we know, I've done this twice now and neither
time was it easy. However, I did find that there
are a lot of amazing experts, survivors and explant liaison's
out there dedicating their time to make sure that women
know what to expect when explanting and sharing information in
real time so we know what's working well, Christians, So
(03:15):
who do we get to learn from today? Well, our
first guest is Dr Tony Yune. He is someone I
follow online because He is hysterically funny and passionate his
videos debunking urban myths about plastic surgery or what actually
caught my attention. His posts are honest and brave, yet
so funny, and he refers to himself as the holistic
plastic Surgeon. So I hope he can give us the
(03:37):
whole truth as he knows it right now in his
practice about b I I and the diagnostic and treatment
process he uses. Well, let's hear from Dr Tony June
and what he asked to say about b I I
and what he thinks women can expect when explanting. I
(04:01):
want to thank Dr You for joining Christine and I
am close to the chest. Dr Union is a board
certified plastic surgeon and known as America's holistic plastic surgeon.
So coming into this, what is a holistic plastic surgeon?
Good question. I went through all the typical training to
become a plastic surgeon. I did four years of medical school,
I did three year general surgery residency, I did two
(04:23):
years of plastic surgery residency. I did a year fellowship
out in Beverly Hills with a top name plastic surgeon
out there. And after hitting what I felt was the
pinnacle of success. I kind of realized that the that
what we learn in surgery is not necessarily the right
way to go. So in surgery, the idea is is
that the bigger the operation, the more successful you are.
(04:45):
So we're in training, we hope to get up to
those upper levels where we can do the bigger operations,
you know, the six the eight hour surgeries. And in
plastic surgery you kind of look at it in similar
ways as well, is that the doctors who are who
have really hit the pinnacle of their success as plastic
urgents are doing faceless. They're doing um, you know, big
tummy talks and and rhino plastic and stuff. The idea
(05:07):
that I was always taught and I always believe for
a long time, that the goal is to get somebody
into the operating room and do the biggest operation that
you can is actually false. It should be the opposite.
The goal should be to keep them out of the
operating room and to only operate when it's absolutely necessary.
And so the idea behind holistic classic surgery is that
(05:28):
there's so many things that we can do to look
and feel our best, and we should really go after
those things. First using plastic surgery going under the knife
as an actual last resort. So on that note, I
would love to kind of jump in into why we
invited you here today. You know, you looking at surgery
as an entire process close to the chest is about
an issue called breast implant illness, and as a surgeon
(05:51):
with this approach, I was wondering if you had actually
treated any women who are currently going through b I I. Yeah,
this is something that I see in my practice all
the time. The difficult thing with b I I, The
most difficult part of it is diagnosing it. It would
be great if there was some type of a blood
test or a list of symptoms that only B I
I patients have, but that therein lies a challenge. But
(06:13):
I do see b II patients every week in my practice. Well,
that's such an incredible thing for you to say, because
I think is a doctor and what I'm learning as
a patient. It's so much about education with this illness
and information being shared. Have you noticed any common group
of symptoms and the patients you're seeing the problem with
B I I is that the there is a list
(06:35):
of over forty symptoms that you can find online and
all of these symptoms can be attributed to other types
of illnesses. I mean, in general, it is a plethora
of autoimmune types of symptoms. Um So there isn't necessarily
a m H A through line that kind of goes
through all of these that every you know, everybody with
(06:57):
b I I has these symptoms. The only thing that
everybody with b I I has our breast implant. And
it's the symptoms that can definitely vary. Uh. And the
challenge sometimes too is that you know, I have had
women who come to see me four breast implants, new patients,
never had implants before, and in all of my consultations
now I do go over b I I with them
(07:18):
and the potential risk of it, and I list some
of these symptoms, you know, brain fog, rashes, muscle aches,
joint pain, and I had I've had numerous patients stopped
me and say, Drune, I have b I I. And
I tell them, what, wait a minute, you don't have
breast implants, And they go, I know, but I have
all these symptoms already. UM So that's there in lies
the challenge. You know, these are symptoms that are related
(07:40):
to other types of illnesses too. Uh. And so you know,
usually the issue with B I I is it's what
we call a diagnosis of exclusion when everything else uh
comes back quote unquote normal, but you know you're not normal.
You know there's something wrong. Then that's when we really
seriously start looking at B I I as being a
possible diagnosis. Can you tell listeners how BII is currently classified?
(08:03):
It really isn't. That's the thing is that B I
I does not have an I C D ten code. Uh.
And that's why if you have B I I, insurance
isn't gonna pay for it, because it's not a a
a widely established diagnosis, you know it really, b I
I is more of a common term started um amongst
(08:26):
patients and now has taken on a life of its own.
I think for good reason. I know a lot of
women I've talked to and I've watched some of your
amazing videos, and what you said earlier is that you know, diet, nutrition,
et cetera. What would you recommend a woman getting ready
to explant do just to prepare her body for that
type of a procedure. Yeah, I mean, there are a
(08:47):
number of things that you can do. Most of these
are basically general things that are going to be good
for your health. You know, in medicine we always talked
about stopping smoking prior to surgery. Well, that's going to
be for more healing types of issues, you know, so
you don't get infection, you don't get tissue that becomes necrotic,
that dies, Eating a balanced diet, you know, increasing the
amount of fruits and vegetables that you eat, also eating
(09:09):
good healthy meats. Myself, I have a supplement protocol that
I give to all of my pre impost out major
surgery patients. This includes protein powders and includes probiotic because
inevitably they're going to be on antibiotic, includes some anti
inflammatory substances as well antioxidants, uh, and so all of
(09:30):
my patients are put on that prior to surgery and
then afterwards as well. The challenges is there are people
who do have their own quote unquote natural healing protocols.
With b I I, this is not something that I
have researched. I don't have a lot of experience with those,
because once can I put my my patients on this
supplement protocol, which I do feel helps, but I think
(09:52):
with b I I, the challenges is that it has
become an area where some people have taken it upon
them cells to extract money out of the situation in
patients who are desperate for answers, and they pray on
BII patients with sometimes unproven modalities and even surgeries that
(10:15):
I believe maybe excessive, And therein lies the challenge, you know,
I think with b I I there are extremes on
both ends. You know, there are those people who say
all breast implants are poison. If you're gonna implants, you
know you're going to be sick for the rest of
your life, and you should do you know, these different
cleanses and this and that. And then on the flip side,
there are doctors will say that b I I is
a psychological condition and that it's all psycho somatic and
(10:38):
there's no reality to it. And I think, like most
things in life, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle,
and that's kind of how I feel about it. What
I find amazing is that I feel like we're very
early in this journey of researching implants in B I I,
and so I think going forward, as patients, a lot
of like you said, social media is blown up. Women
are sharing their stories and people are really starting to
(11:00):
research this, which I think is super exciting because the
other thing I've heard is that a lot of women,
like us, we aren't pro anti implant, We're pro reconstruction
and pro innovation. So have you've seen any cool innovative
ways like you talked about earlier, for women to do
enhancement in a more quote natural way or a safer
way that you recommend not necessarily And therein lies the challenge. Um,
(11:25):
you know, the other option that women have is injections
of fat into the breasts, you know, and what can
be more can be more natural than taking your own
fat from let's say your thighs or your tummy, purifying
that fat and then injecting in another part of the
body where your body will keep some of it by
creating new blood supply to that tissue, and now it's
(11:45):
your it's basically been transplanted into a different part of
your body. So the idea itself of hey, instead of
doing an implant, when enhance your breast with your own
tissue makes last sense on the surface, and there's a
lot of doctors who are doing that. You can do it,
I think safely for reconstruc auction. A lot of doctors
are doing it after women have messedectomies, so their breast
tissues removed, and they use fat sometimes to soften the
(12:07):
tissue around an implant and things like that. The problem
with fat that I have is that we have learned
many years ago that are fat is chock full of
stem cells. Stem cells are basically cells that are the
most youngest cells in our body and the ideas that
if you put those cells into a body part, then
those cells will then turn into the cells of that
body part. And that's the whole idea of using it
(12:29):
for cancer reconstruction and things like that. So what happens
if you take a an organ that one in nine
women will develop breast cancer okay, with a uve cancer
in that organ at some point in their lifetime. So
and you have that organ and you then infuse a
bunch of stem cells kind of haphazardly all throughout that organ.
(12:52):
Is there any chance that you may be infusing fat
chocolates stem cells around maybe an early pre cancerous area
And what happens to those cells? Are you those stem
cells going to potentially cause what would be a cancer
to show up? Ten years earlier than maybe it would otherwise.
Those are questions that they haven't really been answered. Does
that make sense? It totally makes sense. Actually, when I
(13:15):
first heard it, I thought I was getting, as my
dad would say, it too for a smaller waist and
in bigger books. Yeah, there you go. But then the
doctor said there were some things to consider, and sometimes
unfortunately it's a trade off. You know, I get women
who we take their implants out. I mean, really, what
it comes down to is women who truly have b
I I who are having issues. Um, a lot of
(13:37):
them are okay with the fact that you take the
implants out and the breasts aren't gonna look like they
did before, But they feel so much better and and
they think a lot of them you know, that's that's
a trade off for them. Um, but really, you know
what what is an appropriate trade off for for going
from feeling sick to feeling quote unquote normal and vibrant,
(14:00):
you know and healthy. Therein lies the challenge, you know,
I think with classic surgery, you know, we look, we
can look at fat injections to the breast and say
this is a very safe operation in that the risk
of complications is very low. From infection and bleeding and
that type of thing. And same with breast implants. You
know that, you know, it is a surgery that has
over satisfaction rate. I do a lot of breast implant
(14:21):
surgeries UM and the complication rate, well, it has its
own complications with capsular contracture, uh, implant displacement and stuff
like that, and the surgeons we tend to really focus
on those types of complications, not the other ones where
you say, well, what happens theoretically down the line twenty
years from now if you've had all this fat inject
into your breast, any chance you might have a higher
(14:42):
risk of breast cancer? You know, those aren't necessarily the
questions that are being answered and are being talked about
at our conferences. It's more like, Okay, how much what
percentage of the fat will stay? Is there a risk
of infection? We're looking at more shorter term types of things,
and I do think that there is a discussion that
should be made about longer term consequences of some of
these operations, you know. And that's the same thing with
(15:04):
fat into the buttocks. You know, that's a huge thing
right now, and people are putting a leader of fat
into each butt cheek. And yeah, maybe it looks good
when you're in your twenties, but what about when you're
in your forties and the skin isn't quite as as
uh elastic as before and not quite as taught. How's
it going to look? Then? Well, you know, we don't
really think about that, but we know that it's safe.
(15:25):
You know, in general, you know, from immediate complications, are
you personally doing more exploits than you used to? I am,
and I think that it's because you know, I don't
advertise explant surgery. There are doctors out there who I
really have a problem with where there they look at
b I I as a marketing and business opportunity. And
(15:47):
it discussed me because there are doctors out there who
will advertise themselves as specialists for b I I. Uh.
You know, if you're a board certified cosmetic plastic surgeon
like myself, you know these are bread and butter operations.
You know, we all know how to do these operations,
and so I think to put yourself out there saying
I'm an expert at doing this, it just doesn't make
(16:09):
any sense to me, And to me, it reeks of
opportunism and trying to take a situation where a person
is sick, they're desperate potentially, and now, oh, look, this
person advertises that they're the best at doing this. They
must be the issue that I have with treatment with
b I I. There is no treatment that we know
works the best, okay, And so there really are three
(16:31):
ways that you can treat b I I. You can
just remove the implant. You can remove the implant and
remove the capsule called a total capsulectomy, or you can
remove the implant in the capsule. All is one big
piece called on block, and I'm sure you've read and
heard a lot about that. Uh. The problem that I
have is that none of these have really been tested
(16:52):
in studies to show which one works better than the other.
But there are doctors out there who will say that
you need to do on block and I'm an unblocked
specialist at doing this, so you must come to me,
and they charge a ton of money, scaring people into
thinking that this is what you need to do. So
that's where it becomes really difficult and and B I
for B I A patients, it can get kind of confusing.
(17:13):
What's very confusing. There's not real hard research yet So
how far do you think we are from? Like you said,
people are starting, But what is it going to take
in Who does it take to get this to a
place where we understand it better? What it necessitates is
unfortunately hundreds, if not thousands of women who have had
diagnosis of B I I. And then you compare women
(17:35):
who have just their implants taken out, two implants to
patients by their implants and a cap slick to me too,
patients who had on block, and you see what percentage
of those women recover? Do you get a better recovery
from with one group than the other. Does a recovery
all the same, you know, from all these different things.
So I'll tell you in my practice, what I'm doing
for my BI patients is I remove the implants and
(17:56):
I do a cap selectomy, meaning I remove all the
scar tissue. And often I can do that in a
small incision that's maybe an inch and a half or
two inches long. But I have patients will come to
see me. You say, Well, everybody online says, and this
doctor says, I need to do an on block, meaning
you have to remove everything all in one big piece.
Otherwise I'm not going to get better well, then I
would have to do that. I would have to extend
(18:17):
my incision from about uh two inches long to about
five inches long. It actually makes the surgery much easier
for me, because it's much harder to do surgery through
a small little hole than through a huge, you know,
massive incision. But I don't feel it's the right thing
for my patients because there's no science to show that
doing it on block is going to make them better.
(18:38):
But there are a lot of doctors out there, and
there are a lot of b I i UM advocates
who are telling patients you must do an on block
otherwise you're not going to get better, and there just
is no science to show that. And there in lies
I think you know, some of the concern that I have.
So these are the studies that need to be done,
but unfortunately the treatments are happening before the studies are
(18:58):
being done. And there in lies the challenge here. And
what I find interesting and is my final question for
you and I guess the over share of the day.
So I had all of those tests done, I was fine,
we obviously no, no, I'm not because of the other biopsies.
But then recently I went into something called the thyroid
storm and was diagnosed with Graves disease. So I wondered if,
(19:19):
in your opinion, which I know it's an opinion at
this point, do you believe that you know if you
have b I I or you have an underlying issue.
Have you seen people have ender crime problems with implants
that they didn't have prior but their original tests were fine.
I have not seen or heard much of that. But
at the same time, you know, the numbers that I
see are not going to be potentially enough for me
(19:42):
to say, hey, I've I've seen enough to tell you
whether this is right or you know, real or not.
But that is not something I myself have seen, you know,
and there's so many people who do have issues with
their thyroid, whether it's hashimotos or Graves. It would make
life easier to be able to blame it on the implants,
but it's not necessarily always the implants fault, because I
do believe myself and I wouldn't be doing these operations
(20:04):
implanting patients if I didn't believe that that implants are
safe for the vast majority of women. But I also
believe in bio individuality and the fact that I do
believe that there are that there is a percentage, probably
fairly small, that just don't do well with implants, you know,
and they develop breast implant illness, and to take the
implants out is going to be their best avenue to
(20:25):
the best healthy Wow, Chris, that is just a great
reminder that we're just beginning to understand b I I,
and it sounds like there's so much to learn. Explanting
(20:47):
is not the only thing we need to think about.
I can't even imagine having to make this many decisions
about my body with no concrete facts for support. It
seems that choosing the right doctor and procedure, both for
explant and the reconstruction, can be critical. I know right well.
Our next guest educates, supports, and empowers women is they
(21:08):
go through the explant process. She is known as the
b II Concierge, and she shared the stories of thousands
of women who have gone through the explant and recovery
process and what she's seen along their journeys. Yeah, and
her organization, Tabby the Truth about Breast Implants, has collected
thousands of stories from these women around the world, and
(21:30):
she's helped navigate the diagnostic, treatment and recovery process. As
an explant liaison, she shares their stories and celebrates their journeys. Yes,
and she's based out of Australia, which is a huge
reminder that this truly is a global issue and no
matter where you're from, it's all about where you're headed
and we all need help on this journey. It's so
(21:51):
important to reach out and ask for help, no matter
how hard it can be. Well, Kristen, let's talk to
Ricky Jess and learn from a passionate advocate, survivor what
to expect when driving down the road to explant. I
wanted to just jump it in and start by asking
(22:11):
you how you actually started tabby and if you don't
mind telling us a bit about your journey getting there. Yeah. Sure,
So I explanted four years ago, and back then it
was way more unknowing than it is now. It was
like people thought I was the only person who's ever
happened to that I was crazy. Um. So it really
just propelled me to like really get the information out there. Um.
(22:33):
You know, I had two choices, was, you know, to
get angry or to do something about it. Um. And
you know, when people started thinking I was only when
it had effected. It really made me want to show
you just how many women were affected by it. Even
back then there were still you know, with thirty thousand
of us UM, and now there's you know, hundreds of
thousands of us and four years I've made a massive difference.
(22:55):
But you know, I do it all as a passion project.
I do it, you know, alongside a full time job
with two kids. It's really important to me to make
my journey worth something more than an uneducated mistake. So
that's what's really you know, during me for these four
years to make what I went through worth something. I
think that's the amazing, incredible thing about this community. And
do you maintaining with the listeners a bit of the
(23:16):
tips you have for someone going into this process to
get diagnosed and then ultimately treated well. I guess it's
hard to be diagnosed because it's not necessarily medically recognized
across the board, and there are a lot more doctors
that I speak to every APPLELAI, to every medical professional
I come across, because you never know who they're going
to speak to that has these weird symptoms of no
real answers UM. So it's hard to get a diagnosis
(23:38):
is unfortunately still self diagnosed. But it's a process, and
you know you're going to go through all the emotions
under the sun, and you need to realize that those
emotions of valid you're feeling for the valid, and you
need to feel what you need to feel and work
for it. It's not an overnight thing. You need to
realize that you really is not defined by your breath.
You're so much more than two plastic ONTs on your chair.
(24:00):
Is not who you are. You have so much to
offer this world, and you can offer much better if
you're healthy. Health has to come before vanity, because without health,
we have nothing. You need to have realistic expectations because
all of your health issues may not be caused by
the breast and plants, but surely they're probably been exacerbated
by the breast of plants. But women that don't have
breast and plants have health issues. It doesn't mean that
(24:21):
every single health issue that you have is going to
disappear when your ex plants, But I have never met
anybody that hasn't had some noticeable change. I think you're
really giving yourself and your health the best chance at
being as healthy as you possibly can be when your
body is not being preoccupied by fighting a toxic foreign object.
You know you might not be perfectly healthy afterwards, but
(24:43):
you giving your body the best chance it has lived
to the best that can well. On that note, one
of the questions they had for you is do you
mantoring a bit with the listeners about the process of
going through an ex plant and what you should expect
during your procedure and recovery. M different for everybody, but
personally and most people I find have this experience, there's
(25:05):
always an exception to the rule that it's slightly more
painful and slightly longer recovery than getting the implants in
the first place. So I took two weeks after getting
the implants. I took three and a half weeks off
having them the ex plants, and the pain associated with
it was about the same level up after any surgery.
I like to create a calm, healing space. You know,
(25:25):
you need to be in an environment where you can
heal safely and sleep equal healing. You know, it's better
to have sleeps during the day than stead up watching
Netflix on movies because you're recovering your body heals. Why
you're a slate, you know, just create a beautiful environment
for your body to heal and give yourself the time
to heal mentally, emotionally and physically. Well. You also connect
people together to have that support that are going through
(25:48):
the process. Do you mean sharing a bit about that,
because I think that's so special, so important to connect
women with women that are going through the same journey
at the same time. You know, me talking about my
experience four years ago, it's not the same as someone
going through it right now, So I think it's so nice.
I had like a group of women that I wrote to.
One was in London, one was in Costa Rica, two
were in Perth, and when you just supported each other
(26:09):
through the process, and it was so nice to go, oh,
you know, I'm feeling this. It's just normal. Are you
feeling this? You know my teachers are pulling as that normal,
you know, just talking to women as they're going through it.
Um And that's why the support groups so handy, and
I don't think you can you can have that experience
without being on the support group. I come across a
lot of women that aren't on Facebook, but I sometimes
(26:30):
recommend to them to just set up like a profile
just to be on the support group because it is
invaluable that support that you get on there. And if
it wasn't for that support group, I probably would not
have found out about resting play on us too much later.
The sense of community, finding information, doing your research, and
sharing your story, it sounds like, is the key to
(26:51):
beginning that health journey. And that's so really it's incredible
because even though you know you said it took you
five days from the link to the surgery, it was
years leading up to that. It was it was years
and years of me being a very, very sick twenty
year old that was previously perfectly healthy. You know, everyone
around me is like, there's always something wrong with you.
There's I'm always pretending to be okay. I didn't feel normal.
(27:13):
I felt so alone for those ten years, like a
prisoner in my own body. You know. The feeling that
I have now is like it's like being reborn. Really
it is. What's the average weight in your area for
an explant. It really just depends on the surgeon and
how booked out they are. I was lucky I got
in on a cancelation, so you know, not normal to
(27:34):
go five days afterwards. But sometimes in a surgeon if
you really sick. Become friends with a few surgeons in
Australia that are being very supportive about breast and play
on us and if a woman's really stick they'll try
and tag them on to the end of a surgery
leaders to get their minison as possible. So it can
be very fast like it was for me. But there
are surgeons that have a decent wait time. It can
be a couple of months. In the public system, it's
(27:55):
usually only up to about six or eight weeks wait
to have it done for free the public system. The
criteria for that is not so much breast implant illness.
It's rupture or capsular contractor with associated risks of worrying
about the health issues associated with breast implants sort of
goes hand in hand. But most women have some formal
capsular contractor, especially if they've had the implants for a
(28:16):
couple of years, so most of women get the criteria.
So it used to be a year and a half
way and now it's six in the public system, six weeks.
That's in Australia. In America it's the same. Like some
surgeons can fitting quite quickly. Um there's other surgeons that
are quite popular and specialize in egg plant, and they
can wait up to a year to be seen. But
you know, those particular surgeons are so amazing at what
(28:38):
they do that you know, you really have to weigh
it up. If you manage to getting with a surgeon
that is that good at it and does it day
in and day out, I personally would feel like it's
worth the weight. But I also haven't had to experience
waiting with these things, knowing what they're doing to our body.
I would just I think I would just feel like
ripping them out if I didn't get them out straight away.
So you have to do what's best for you, what's
most important to you. And I think there are lots
(29:00):
and lots of surgeons out there that are very good
at is pasage, but there's a lot of surgeons that aren't.
They don't believe in the at all. What would you
advise women on how to choose a doctor? Speak to people?
There are surgeons that do this a lot, and the
only way you're going to find that is making the
people like myself, there's lots of us or on the
support groups, and they use surgeons have always vouched for
(29:23):
and used by many patients on the group. There are
a lot more surgeons out there that are on the list,
so you do need to speak to people, but you
can write their name in the in the top search
for other support group it or broup. Everything about them
a hundred percent and they think as a listener, it's
really important to research and look at the blogs, look
(29:43):
at the testimonials, and look at what the research is
that's going to start coming out in this community. One
of the biggest issues I've experienced, and it was curious
if it's something you've had to face or help people through,
but I became very depressed. It's some moments in in
other moments they had just high levels of anxiety. Is
that something that you've seen coming in the community. And
(30:05):
is a follow up question, are there things you recommend
to women to just navigate through this. I don't think
you ever, You're going to being your best mental stay
until the hour. Like I went through a lot physically,
but the hardest thing for me was at the end
of the mental load. I felt like I was losing
my mind. I was a young of too a moment
of two young kids, and I was having panic attacks
(30:26):
to the point where I couldn't breathe. I was on
anti depressants, was on anti anxiety and medication. It was
really ramping up towards the ends because I had a
leakage and I had my body squeezing the implants hard
that possibly could put all that stuff of going through
my body. The sky cactuals in themselves have tiny little
blood vessel which acts act as a delivery system betwe
(30:47):
your body. So as much as your body is trying
to wall off this foreign object, it's still all connected
to tissue that is you and in vestl them isn't
a living thing while it's in your body. Um so
that goes through the body and from me. The mental
aspect was the most frightening and the most stabilitating of
it all. And literally the day I woke up after surgery,
(31:08):
it was like that weight, it just it just left me.
And I started weaning up my meditation from that day
and I've never gone back on it four years. I
haven't needed it. Me on my worst day now is
like me and my best day with implants mentally, so
a lot of people worry about because they are so
depressed and they are so anxious, and they attached that
to or if I'm not happy with my aesthetic appearance afterwards,
(31:29):
when you're gonna load on more with my mental health.
You can't have that clean flight until they're gone, until
that threat of your endocrine system being an overdrive your
flight or flight mode trying to protect you. It all
just one down. I felt like I was having My
endocrine system was going so fast after ex plant that
I felt like I had ten thousand coffees. I was
just on all the time, but I didn't have any
(31:52):
anxiety attached to it. I was just beaming with life
because my body was so used to running at this
speed that I didn't have to do it anymore. It
took a while for it to wind down. Then eventually
I crashed, and then my endocrine systems sort of raised
that back to normal. But I hear that a lot
of people are just beaming with energy afterwards because their
bodies all of a sudden having to slow down the
(32:14):
pace of what it's working at. I mean, I'm a doctor,
I'm not a medical professional, but I know what I
went through, and I know the feeling that I had well,
and what you just said right there, Ricky sums it
up is that there was these were banned. The information
that was given to us and the pitch was that
they were lifetime devices, they were completely safe, and it's
new technology. I'm sure you've heard it all, but thanks
(32:34):
to you and the information you put out. What I
love is that you know the approach we all have
to this is we want to understand and I think
through this podcast, your community that you've built, the work
you continue to do every day, and the law of
attraction around women in general who feel this sense of
purpose out of their pain. Not only can we educate
and empower other women, but I think what we're encouraging,
(32:56):
starting from the inside out, is to invest in your
cell and to know that health is beauty and that
there is no need to sacrifice in order to be beautiful,
to be happy, and to be loved and accepted, that
we are as we are. And also we're not alone.
And thanks to you, I'm not only not alone, but
I'm a smarter patient and hopefully a bit stronger going
(33:17):
into this. You've got there, I'm sorry, started for you
to get them out and be able to start healing.
And that's the thing, you know, getting them out is
the beginning of your healing process, not the end of it.
Turning that page. It is like a new book. You
make that what you want. Well, I can't wait. What
(33:40):
wise words and such an intrepid supporter. I am so
inspired by all of the amazing survivors who go on
to be advocates and pay for it. What they learn
truly a testimony to what a life changing experience this
can be and really how a lot of us end
up turning our pain into purpose. Shall we talk about
what we learned from these incredible experts? I mean, first,
(34:01):
I think the road to explant starts with finding a
doctor who believes in b I I and is supportive
and can help diagnose you, someone who is compassionate and
helps you understand what you're dealing with. After all, they
are your primary navigation and guides on this road. And
I learned the road to xplant is unique for each
of us, and while it can be a long road
(34:21):
and can be scary, it's best navigated with someone who
has directions, given they've been through it before. Finding an
advocate that has been through this and available for you
is really key to helping you, say valuable time, money,
and heartache is you find the right resources that you
need and significantly improves your odds of success. There are
so many different choices that can affect the outcome of
(34:42):
this process. There has to be a better way to
diagnose b I I. We keep hearing that this disease
is diagnosed by exclusion. This seems exhaustive to have to
exclude every possible illness before settling on Well, maybe it's
your implants. Why isn't there more research being done? I
know it's so important to find a doctor who actually
believes in b I I, and it's hard to do that,
(35:05):
and you need one with experience, including that this is
part of their practice, is a focus and can come
give you some options to help you come up with
the treatment plan that you feel works for you. It's
also really important to make sure you know what the
entire treatment looks like, the excellant the recovery, and if
and what reconstruction may be right for you. Again, the
main lesson we learn is not to go it alone.
(35:27):
Gather a team of doctor, friends and advocates because together
you are not alone absolutely and know that each journey
is unique to you. Do not pressure yourself to heal
over night. The X plan is just the beginning of
the rest of your life, and you need support for
the long haul and having advocates and survivors around you
is how survivors have the best chance of actually thriving,
(35:50):
and together we're not alone. Close to the Chest with
Kristen and Christine has been brought to you by b
Noble Media Group and I Heart Radio a very special
thanks to our guest Dr Tony Une and Ricky Jess.
You can find Dr Yun on Instagram at Tony Un
(36:10):
m D That's t O n y y o U
n m D and tune into his podcast, The Holistic
Plastic Surgery Show wherever you get your podcasts. For more
on Ricky Jess, visit the b I I Concierge dot com.
That's the b I I Concierge c O N C
(36:31):
I E r g E dot com. And for more
on Tabby at Truth About Breast Implants dot net That's
Truth About Breast Implants dot net and follow her on
Instagram at Truth Underscore About Underscore Breast Underscore Implants. Now,
(36:51):
I'd like to share some gratitude a very special thanks
to I Heart Radio to our Parker and her I
Heart Radio Marketing team, and a big big thanks to
our executive producer Ramsay Yacht. If you or someone you
know would like to know more about breast implant illness,
please visit sick Titties dot com. That's s I c
(37:11):
K t I T T I e s dot com. Also,
please follow us on Instagram at sick dot titties and
at b Noble Art that's b n O B L
e A r T. And we would also love to
have you join our Facebook page at b Noble on
B I I and please remember you're not alone. Together
(37:35):
we can beat this. The views and opinions expressed are
solely those of the podcast author or individuals participating in
the podcast, and do not represent the opinions of High
Heart Media or its employees. This podcast should not be
used as medical advice, mental health advice, mental health counseling
or therapy, or as imparting any health care recommendations at all.
(37:56):
Individuals are advised to seek independent medical counseling, advice, and
or therapy from a competent healthcare professional with respect to
any medical condition, mental health issues, health inquiry, or matter,
including matters discussed on this podcast. Close to the Chest
with Kristen and Christine is a production of I Heart
Radio and produced in our studios located in Atlanta, Georgia.
(38:19):
For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i
heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
Close to the Chest with Kristen and Christine is brought
to you by I Heart Radio. My name is Kristin
Nobles and today is October. This week's episode is ironically
about the road to X plant and I am only
twenty days post x plant, but the road to get
here took me twenty three years. And during that roller
coaster of a journey, I experienced so much and have
(00:23):
permanent emotional, physical and financial scars that I'll bear with
me for the rest of my life. And three years
ago I actually hit a fork in that road and
chose the wrong treatment and I got sicker. So twenty
days ago, when they wheeled me into that hospital room
to do the surgery, I was petrified. There were no
doctors that could guarantee I would get better, There was
no definitive outcome, but I knew things couldn't get worse.
(00:46):
So I took the leap of faith and I did
the X plant, and I must say it's the best
thing I ever did. And I really hope that the
road to x plant becomes a highway full of women
surviving and thriving, and that even though it's a roller
coaster to get here, eventually will have directions so people
can navigate it. But for me, the road to X
plant with hell, but getting through it was the best
(01:09):
thing I ever did. And then questions walk into the room,
heads turning on down on the side, Christine, this week's
episode is the road to x plant. This is such
(01:29):
an important episode. I've spoken to so many people and
find that for everyone this is a very difficult journey
that's tough to navigate given doctors are just starting to
recognize b I I is its own illness and we're
just finding out how to diagnose and treat it. I
know it seems that there's so many conflicting opinions and
with doctors out there is still saying b I I
(01:50):
is not real. It can also be full of dead
ends and wrong turns that can literally cost women their lives,
as we've learned exactly and last for years and for
many of us, costing us valuable time, money and hope
along the way. I know I saw a lot of
doctors and got a range of opinions and diagnosis and
(02:11):
treatment recommendations which were all over the place, and I'm
learning this is common in an issue many women see
where they meet several doctors before they find the right
one who will eventually diagnose them and refer them to
someone that will treat them well. Justin listening to you
and from my relatively short experience joining you on your journey,
there doesn't seem to be a test to diagnose b
(02:33):
I I, and for many women it takes a leap
of faith that explanting will help with all their symptoms.
Doctors can't guarantee that their patients will get better or
even recover. True, and once they do decide to take
that leap of faith, there's still so much to figure out.
I recall going through all the different terms treatments being
(02:53):
recommended and being so overwhelmed what I googled them, And
as we know, I've done this twice now and neither
time was it easy. However, I did find that there
are a lot of amazing experts, survivors and explant liaison's
out there dedicating their time to make sure that women
know what to expect when explanting and sharing information in
real time so we know what's working well, Christians, So
(03:15):
who do we get to learn from today? Well, our
first guest is Dr Tony Yune. He is someone I
follow online because He is hysterically funny and passionate his
videos debunking urban myths about plastic surgery or what actually
caught my attention. His posts are honest and brave, yet
so funny, and he refers to himself as the holistic
plastic Surgeon. So I hope he can give us the
(03:37):
whole truth as he knows it right now in his
practice about b I I and the diagnostic and treatment
process he uses. Well, let's hear from Dr Tony June
and what he asked to say about b I I
and what he thinks women can expect when explanting. I
(04:01):
want to thank Dr You for joining Christine and I
am close to the chest. Dr Union is a board
certified plastic surgeon and known as America's holistic plastic surgeon.
So coming into this, what is a holistic plastic surgeon?
Good question. I went through all the typical training to
become a plastic surgeon. I did four years of medical school,
I did three year general surgery residency, I did two
(04:23):
years of plastic surgery residency. I did a year fellowship
out in Beverly Hills with a top name plastic surgeon
out there. And after hitting what I felt was the
pinnacle of success. I kind of realized that the that
what we learn in surgery is not necessarily the right
way to go. So in surgery, the idea is is
that the bigger the operation, the more successful you are.
(04:45):
So we're in training, we hope to get up to
those upper levels where we can do the bigger operations,
you know, the six the eight hour surgeries. And in
plastic surgery you kind of look at it in similar
ways as well, is that the doctors who are who
have really hit the pinnacle of their success as plastic
urgents are doing faceless. They're doing um, you know, big
tummy talks and and rhino plastic and stuff. The idea
(05:07):
that I was always taught and I always believe for
a long time, that the goal is to get somebody
into the operating room and do the biggest operation that
you can is actually false. It should be the opposite.
The goal should be to keep them out of the
operating room and to only operate when it's absolutely necessary.
And so the idea behind holistic classic surgery is that
(05:28):
there's so many things that we can do to look
and feel our best, and we should really go after
those things. First using plastic surgery going under the knife
as an actual last resort. So on that note, I
would love to kind of jump in into why we
invited you here today. You know, you looking at surgery
as an entire process close to the chest is about
an issue called breast implant illness, and as a surgeon
(05:51):
with this approach, I was wondering if you had actually
treated any women who are currently going through b I I. Yeah,
this is something that I see in my practice all
the time. The difficult thing with b I I, The
most difficult part of it is diagnosing it. It would
be great if there was some type of a blood
test or a list of symptoms that only B I
I patients have, but that therein lies a challenge. But
(06:13):
I do see b II patients every week in my practice. Well,
that's such an incredible thing for you to say, because
I think is a doctor and what I'm learning as
a patient. It's so much about education with this illness
and information being shared. Have you noticed any common group
of symptoms and the patients you're seeing the problem with
B I I is that the there is a list
(06:35):
of over forty symptoms that you can find online and
all of these symptoms can be attributed to other types
of illnesses. I mean, in general, it is a plethora
of autoimmune types of symptoms. Um So there isn't necessarily
a m H A through line that kind of goes
through all of these that every you know, everybody with
(06:57):
b I I has these symptoms. The only thing that
everybody with b I I has our breast implant. And
it's the symptoms that can definitely vary. Uh. And the
challenge sometimes too is that you know, I have had
women who come to see me four breast implants, new patients,
never had implants before, and in all of my consultations
now I do go over b I I with them
(07:18):
and the potential risk of it, and I list some
of these symptoms, you know, brain fog, rashes, muscle aches,
joint pain, and I had I've had numerous patients stopped
me and say, Drune, I have b I I. And
I tell them, what, wait a minute, you don't have
breast implants, And they go, I know, but I have
all these symptoms already. UM So that's there in lies
the challenge. You know, these are symptoms that are related
(07:40):
to other types of illnesses too. Uh. And so you know,
usually the issue with B I I is it's what
we call a diagnosis of exclusion when everything else uh
comes back quote unquote normal, but you know you're not normal.
You know there's something wrong. Then that's when we really
seriously start looking at B I I as being a
possible diagnosis. Can you tell listeners how BII is currently classified?
(08:03):
It really isn't. That's the thing is that B I
I does not have an I C D ten code. Uh.
And that's why if you have B I I, insurance
isn't gonna pay for it, because it's not a a
a widely established diagnosis, you know it really, b I
I is more of a common term started um amongst
(08:26):
patients and now has taken on a life of its own.
I think for good reason. I know a lot of
women I've talked to and I've watched some of your
amazing videos, and what you said earlier is that you know, diet, nutrition,
et cetera. What would you recommend a woman getting ready
to explant do just to prepare her body for that
type of a procedure. Yeah, I mean, there are a
(08:47):
number of things that you can do. Most of these
are basically general things that are going to be good
for your health. You know, in medicine we always talked
about stopping smoking prior to surgery. Well, that's going to
be for more healing types of issues, you know, so
you don't get infection, you don't get tissue that becomes necrotic,
that dies, Eating a balanced diet, you know, increasing the
amount of fruits and vegetables that you eat, also eating
(09:09):
good healthy meats. Myself, I have a supplement protocol that
I give to all of my pre impost out major
surgery patients. This includes protein powders and includes probiotic because
inevitably they're going to be on antibiotic, includes some anti
inflammatory substances as well antioxidants, uh, and so all of
(09:30):
my patients are put on that prior to surgery and
then afterwards as well. The challenges is there are people
who do have their own quote unquote natural healing protocols.
With b I I, this is not something that I
have researched. I don't have a lot of experience with those,
because once can I put my my patients on this
supplement protocol, which I do feel helps, but I think
(09:52):
with b I I, the challenges is that it has
become an area where some people have taken it upon
them cells to extract money out of the situation in
patients who are desperate for answers, and they pray on
BII patients with sometimes unproven modalities and even surgeries that
(10:15):
I believe maybe excessive, And therein lies the challenge, you know,
I think with b I I there are extremes on
both ends. You know, there are those people who say
all breast implants are poison. If you're gonna implants, you
know you're going to be sick for the rest of
your life, and you should do you know, these different
cleanses and this and that. And then on the flip side,
there are doctors will say that b I I is
a psychological condition and that it's all psycho somatic and
(10:38):
there's no reality to it. And I think, like most
things in life, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle,
and that's kind of how I feel about it. What
I find amazing is that I feel like we're very
early in this journey of researching implants in B I I,
and so I think going forward, as patients, a lot
of like you said, social media is blown up. Women
are sharing their stories and people are really starting to
(11:00):
research this, which I think is super exciting because the
other thing I've heard is that a lot of women,
like us, we aren't pro anti implant, We're pro reconstruction
and pro innovation. So have you've seen any cool innovative
ways like you talked about earlier, for women to do
enhancement in a more quote natural way or a safer
way that you recommend not necessarily And therein lies the challenge. Um,
(11:25):
you know, the other option that women have is injections
of fat into the breasts, you know, and what can
be more can be more natural than taking your own
fat from let's say your thighs or your tummy, purifying
that fat and then injecting in another part of the
body where your body will keep some of it by
creating new blood supply to that tissue, and now it's
(11:45):
your it's basically been transplanted into a different part of
your body. So the idea itself of hey, instead of
doing an implant, when enhance your breast with your own
tissue makes last sense on the surface, and there's a
lot of doctors who are doing that. You can do it,
I think safely for reconstruc auction. A lot of doctors
are doing it after women have messedectomies, so their breast
tissues removed, and they use fat sometimes to soften the
(12:07):
tissue around an implant and things like that. The problem
with fat that I have is that we have learned
many years ago that are fat is chock full of
stem cells. Stem cells are basically cells that are the
most youngest cells in our body and the ideas that
if you put those cells into a body part, then
those cells will then turn into the cells of that
body part. And that's the whole idea of using it
(12:29):
for cancer reconstruction and things like that. So what happens
if you take a an organ that one in nine
women will develop breast cancer okay, with a uve cancer
in that organ at some point in their lifetime. So
and you have that organ and you then infuse a
bunch of stem cells kind of haphazardly all throughout that organ.
(12:52):
Is there any chance that you may be infusing fat
chocolates stem cells around maybe an early pre cancerous area
And what happens to those cells? Are you those stem
cells going to potentially cause what would be a cancer
to show up? Ten years earlier than maybe it would otherwise.
Those are questions that they haven't really been answered. Does
that make sense? It totally makes sense. Actually, when I
(13:15):
first heard it, I thought I was getting, as my
dad would say, it too for a smaller waist and
in bigger books. Yeah, there you go. But then the
doctor said there were some things to consider, and sometimes
unfortunately it's a trade off. You know, I get women
who we take their implants out. I mean, really, what
it comes down to is women who truly have b
I I who are having issues. Um, a lot of
(13:37):
them are okay with the fact that you take the
implants out and the breasts aren't gonna look like they
did before, But they feel so much better and and
they think a lot of them you know, that's that's
a trade off for them. Um, but really, you know
what what is an appropriate trade off for for going
from feeling sick to feeling quote unquote normal and vibrant,
(14:00):
you know and healthy. Therein lies the challenge, you know,
I think with classic surgery, you know, we look, we
can look at fat injections to the breast and say
this is a very safe operation in that the risk
of complications is very low. From infection and bleeding and
that type of thing. And same with breast implants. You
know that, you know, it is a surgery that has
over satisfaction rate. I do a lot of breast implant
(14:21):
surgeries UM and the complication rate, well, it has its
own complications with capsular contracture, uh, implant displacement and stuff
like that, and the surgeons we tend to really focus
on those types of complications, not the other ones where
you say, well, what happens theoretically down the line twenty
years from now if you've had all this fat inject
into your breast, any chance you might have a higher
(14:42):
risk of breast cancer? You know, those aren't necessarily the
questions that are being answered and are being talked about
at our conferences. It's more like, Okay, how much what
percentage of the fat will stay? Is there a risk
of infection? We're looking at more shorter term types of things,
and I do think that there is a discussion that
should be made about longer term consequences of some of
these operations, you know. And that's the same thing with
(15:04):
fat into the buttocks. You know, that's a huge thing
right now, and people are putting a leader of fat
into each butt cheek. And yeah, maybe it looks good
when you're in your twenties, but what about when you're
in your forties and the skin isn't quite as as
uh elastic as before and not quite as taught. How's
it going to look? Then? Well, you know, we don't
really think about that, but we know that it's safe.
(15:25):
You know, in general, you know, from immediate complications, are
you personally doing more exploits than you used to? I am,
and I think that it's because you know, I don't
advertise explant surgery. There are doctors out there who I
really have a problem with where there they look at
b I I as a marketing and business opportunity. And
(15:47):
it discussed me because there are doctors out there who
will advertise themselves as specialists for b I I. Uh.
You know, if you're a board certified cosmetic plastic surgeon
like myself, you know these are bread and butter operations.
You know, we all know how to do these operations,
and so I think to put yourself out there saying
I'm an expert at doing this, it just doesn't make
(16:09):
any sense to me, And to me, it reeks of
opportunism and trying to take a situation where a person
is sick, they're desperate potentially, and now, oh, look, this
person advertises that they're the best at doing this. They
must be the issue that I have with treatment with
b I I. There is no treatment that we know
works the best, okay, And so there really are three
(16:31):
ways that you can treat b I I. You can
just remove the implant. You can remove the implant and
remove the capsule called a total capsulectomy, or you can
remove the implant in the capsule. All is one big
piece called on block, and I'm sure you've read and
heard a lot about that. Uh. The problem that I
have is that none of these have really been tested
(16:52):
in studies to show which one works better than the other.
But there are doctors out there who will say that
you need to do on block and I'm an unblocked
specialist at doing this, so you must come to me,
and they charge a ton of money, scaring people into
thinking that this is what you need to do. So
that's where it becomes really difficult and and B I
for B I A patients, it can get kind of confusing.
(17:13):
What's very confusing. There's not real hard research yet So
how far do you think we are from? Like you said,
people are starting, But what is it going to take
in Who does it take to get this to a
place where we understand it better? What it necessitates is
unfortunately hundreds, if not thousands of women who have had
diagnosis of B I I. And then you compare women
(17:35):
who have just their implants taken out, two implants to
patients by their implants and a cap slick to me too,
patients who had on block, and you see what percentage
of those women recover? Do you get a better recovery
from with one group than the other. Does a recovery
all the same, you know, from all these different things.
So I'll tell you in my practice, what I'm doing
for my BI patients is I remove the implants and
(17:56):
I do a cap selectomy, meaning I remove all the
scar tissue. And often I can do that in a
small incision that's maybe an inch and a half or
two inches long. But I have patients will come to
see me. You say, Well, everybody online says, and this
doctor says, I need to do an on block, meaning
you have to remove everything all in one big piece.
Otherwise I'm not going to get better well, then I
would have to do that. I would have to extend
(18:17):
my incision from about uh two inches long to about
five inches long. It actually makes the surgery much easier
for me, because it's much harder to do surgery through
a small little hole than through a huge, you know,
massive incision. But I don't feel it's the right thing
for my patients because there's no science to show that
doing it on block is going to make them better.
(18:38):
But there are a lot of doctors out there, and
there are a lot of b I i UM advocates
who are telling patients you must do an on block
otherwise you're not going to get better, and there just
is no science to show that. And there in lies
I think you know, some of the concern that I have.
So these are the studies that need to be done,
but unfortunately the treatments are happening before the studies are
(18:58):
being done. And there in lies the challenge here. And
what I find interesting and is my final question for
you and I guess the over share of the day.
So I had all of those tests done, I was fine,
we obviously no, no, I'm not because of the other biopsies.
But then recently I went into something called the thyroid
storm and was diagnosed with Graves disease. So I wondered if,
(19:19):
in your opinion, which I know it's an opinion at
this point, do you believe that you know if you
have b I I or you have an underlying issue.
Have you seen people have ender crime problems with implants
that they didn't have prior but their original tests were fine.
I have not seen or heard much of that. But
at the same time, you know, the numbers that I
see are not going to be potentially enough for me
(19:42):
to say, hey, I've I've seen enough to tell you
whether this is right or you know, real or not.
But that is not something I myself have seen, you know,
and there's so many people who do have issues with
their thyroid, whether it's hashimotos or Graves. It would make
life easier to be able to blame it on the implants,
but it's not necessarily always the implants fault, because I
do believe myself and I wouldn't be doing these operations
(20:04):
implanting patients if I didn't believe that that implants are
safe for the vast majority of women. But I also
believe in bio individuality and the fact that I do
believe that there are that there is a percentage, probably
fairly small, that just don't do well with implants, you know,
and they develop breast implant illness, and to take the
implants out is going to be their best avenue to
(20:25):
the best healthy Wow, Chris, that is just a great
reminder that we're just beginning to understand b I I,
and it sounds like there's so much to learn. Explanting
(20:47):
is not the only thing we need to think about.
I can't even imagine having to make this many decisions
about my body with no concrete facts for support. It
seems that choosing the right doctor and procedure, both for
explant and the reconstruction, can be critical. I know right well.
Our next guest educates, supports, and empowers women is they
(21:08):
go through the explant process. She is known as the
b II Concierge, and she shared the stories of thousands
of women who have gone through the explant and recovery
process and what she's seen along their journeys. Yeah, and
her organization, Tabby the Truth about Breast Implants, has collected
thousands of stories from these women around the world, and
(21:30):
she's helped navigate the diagnostic, treatment and recovery process. As
an explant liaison, she shares their stories and celebrates their journeys. Yes,
and she's based out of Australia, which is a huge
reminder that this truly is a global issue and no
matter where you're from, it's all about where you're headed
and we all need help on this journey. It's so
(21:51):
important to reach out and ask for help, no matter
how hard it can be. Well, Kristen, let's talk to
Ricky Jess and learn from a passionate advocate, survivor what
to expect when driving down the road to explant. I
wanted to just jump it in and start by asking
(22:11):
you how you actually started tabby and if you don't
mind telling us a bit about your journey getting there. Yeah. Sure,
So I explanted four years ago, and back then it
was way more unknowing than it is now. It was
like people thought I was the only person who's ever
happened to that I was crazy. Um. So it really
just propelled me to like really get the information out there. Um.
(22:33):
You know, I had two choices, was, you know, to
get angry or to do something about it. Um. And
you know, when people started thinking I was only when
it had effected. It really made me want to show
you just how many women were affected by it. Even
back then there were still you know, with thirty thousand
of us UM, and now there's you know, hundreds of
thousands of us and four years I've made a massive difference.
(22:55):
But you know, I do it all as a passion project.
I do it, you know, alongside a full time job
with two kids. It's really important to me to make
my journey worth something more than an uneducated mistake. So
that's what's really you know, during me for these four
years to make what I went through worth something. I
think that's the amazing, incredible thing about this community. And
do you maintaining with the listeners a bit of the
(23:16):
tips you have for someone going into this process to
get diagnosed and then ultimately treated well. I guess it's
hard to be diagnosed because it's not necessarily medically recognized
across the board, and there are a lot more doctors
that I speak to every APPLELAI, to every medical professional
I come across, because you never know who they're going
to speak to that has these weird symptoms of no
real answers UM. So it's hard to get a diagnosis
(23:38):
is unfortunately still self diagnosed. But it's a process, and
you know you're going to go through all the emotions
under the sun, and you need to realize that those
emotions of valid you're feeling for the valid, and you
need to feel what you need to feel and work
for it. It's not an overnight thing. You need to
realize that you really is not defined by your breath.
You're so much more than two plastic ONTs on your chair.
(24:00):
Is not who you are. You have so much to
offer this world, and you can offer much better if
you're healthy. Health has to come before vanity, because without health,
we have nothing. You need to have realistic expectations because
all of your health issues may not be caused by
the breast and plants, but surely they're probably been exacerbated
by the breast of plants. But women that don't have
breast and plants have health issues. It doesn't mean that
(24:21):
every single health issue that you have is going to
disappear when your ex plants, But I have never met
anybody that hasn't had some noticeable change. I think you're
really giving yourself and your health the best chance at
being as healthy as you possibly can be when your
body is not being preoccupied by fighting a toxic foreign object.
You know you might not be perfectly healthy afterwards, but
(24:43):
you giving your body the best chance it has lived
to the best that can well. On that note, one
of the questions they had for you is do you
mantoring a bit with the listeners about the process of
going through an ex plant and what you should expect
during your procedure and recovery. M different for everybody, but
personally and most people I find have this experience, there's
(25:05):
always an exception to the rule that it's slightly more
painful and slightly longer recovery than getting the implants in
the first place. So I took two weeks after getting
the implants. I took three and a half weeks off
having them the ex plants, and the pain associated with
it was about the same level up after any surgery.
I like to create a calm, healing space. You know,
(25:25):
you need to be in an environment where you can
heal safely and sleep equal healing. You know, it's better
to have sleeps during the day than stead up watching
Netflix on movies because you're recovering your body heals. Why
you're a slate, you know, just create a beautiful environment
for your body to heal and give yourself the time
to heal mentally, emotionally and physically. Well. You also connect
people together to have that support that are going through
(25:48):
the process. Do you mean sharing a bit about that,
because I think that's so special, so important to connect
women with women that are going through the same journey
at the same time. You know, me talking about my
experience four years ago, it's not the same as someone
going through it right now, So I think it's so nice.
I had like a group of women that I wrote to.
One was in London, one was in Costa Rica, two
were in Perth, and when you just supported each other
(26:09):
through the process, and it was so nice to go, oh,
you know, I'm feeling this. It's just normal. Are you
feeling this? You know my teachers are pulling as that normal,
you know, just talking to women as they're going through it.
Um And that's why the support groups so handy, and
I don't think you can you can have that experience
without being on the support group. I come across a
lot of women that aren't on Facebook, but I sometimes
(26:30):
recommend to them to just set up like a profile
just to be on the support group because it is
invaluable that support that you get on there. And if
it wasn't for that support group, I probably would not
have found out about resting play on us too much later.
The sense of community, finding information, doing your research, and
sharing your story, it sounds like, is the key to
(26:51):
beginning that health journey. And that's so really it's incredible
because even though you know you said it took you
five days from the link to the surgery, it was
years leading up to that. It was it was years
and years of me being a very, very sick twenty
year old that was previously perfectly healthy. You know, everyone
around me is like, there's always something wrong with you.
There's I'm always pretending to be okay. I didn't feel normal.
(27:13):
I felt so alone for those ten years, like a
prisoner in my own body. You know. The feeling that
I have now is like it's like being reborn. Really
it is. What's the average weight in your area for
an explant. It really just depends on the surgeon and
how booked out they are. I was lucky I got
in on a cancelation, so you know, not normal to
(27:34):
go five days afterwards. But sometimes in a surgeon if
you really sick. Become friends with a few surgeons in
Australia that are being very supportive about breast and play
on us and if a woman's really stick they'll try
and tag them on to the end of a surgery
leaders to get their minison as possible. So it can
be very fast like it was for me. But there
are surgeons that have a decent wait time. It can
be a couple of months. In the public system, it's
(27:55):
usually only up to about six or eight weeks wait
to have it done for free the public system. The
criteria for that is not so much breast implant illness.
It's rupture or capsular contractor with associated risks of worrying
about the health issues associated with breast implants sort of
goes hand in hand. But most women have some formal
capsular contractor, especially if they've had the implants for a
(28:16):
couple of years, so most of women get the criteria.
So it used to be a year and a half
way and now it's six in the public system, six weeks.
That's in Australia. In America it's the same. Like some
surgeons can fitting quite quickly. Um there's other surgeons that
are quite popular and specialize in egg plant, and they
can wait up to a year to be seen. But
you know, those particular surgeons are so amazing at what
(28:38):
they do that you know, you really have to weigh
it up. If you manage to getting with a surgeon
that is that good at it and does it day
in and day out, I personally would feel like it's
worth the weight. But I also haven't had to experience
waiting with these things, knowing what they're doing to our body.
I would just I think I would just feel like
ripping them out if I didn't get them out straight away.
So you have to do what's best for you, what's
most important to you. And I think there are lots
(29:00):
and lots of surgeons out there that are very good
at is pasage, but there's a lot of surgeons that aren't.
They don't believe in the at all. What would you
advise women on how to choose a doctor? Speak to people?
There are surgeons that do this a lot, and the
only way you're going to find that is making the
people like myself, there's lots of us or on the
support groups, and they use surgeons have always vouched for
(29:23):
and used by many patients on the group. There are
a lot more surgeons out there that are on the list,
so you do need to speak to people, but you
can write their name in the in the top search
for other support group it or broup. Everything about them
a hundred percent and they think as a listener, it's
really important to research and look at the blogs, look
(29:43):
at the testimonials, and look at what the research is
that's going to start coming out in this community. One
of the biggest issues I've experienced, and it was curious
if it's something you've had to face or help people through,
but I became very depressed. It's some moments in in
other moments they had just high levels of anxiety. Is
that something that you've seen coming in the community. And
(30:05):
is a follow up question, are there things you recommend
to women to just navigate through this. I don't think
you ever, You're going to being your best mental stay
until the hour. Like I went through a lot physically,
but the hardest thing for me was at the end
of the mental load. I felt like I was losing
my mind. I was a young of too a moment
of two young kids, and I was having panic attacks
(30:26):
to the point where I couldn't breathe. I was on
anti depressants, was on anti anxiety and medication. It was
really ramping up towards the ends because I had a
leakage and I had my body squeezing the implants hard
that possibly could put all that stuff of going through
my body. The sky cactuals in themselves have tiny little
blood vessel which acts act as a delivery system betwe
(30:47):
your body. So as much as your body is trying
to wall off this foreign object, it's still all connected
to tissue that is you and in vestl them isn't
a living thing while it's in your body. Um so
that goes through the body and from me. The mental
aspect was the most frightening and the most stabilitating of
it all. And literally the day I woke up after surgery,
(31:08):
it was like that weight, it just it just left me.
And I started weaning up my meditation from that day
and I've never gone back on it four years. I
haven't needed it. Me on my worst day now is
like me and my best day with implants mentally, so
a lot of people worry about because they are so
depressed and they are so anxious, and they attached that
to or if I'm not happy with my aesthetic appearance afterwards,
(31:29):
when you're gonna load on more with my mental health.
You can't have that clean flight until they're gone, until
that threat of your endocrine system being an overdrive your
flight or flight mode trying to protect you. It all
just one down. I felt like I was having My
endocrine system was going so fast after ex plant that
I felt like I had ten thousand coffees. I was
just on all the time, but I didn't have any
(31:52):
anxiety attached to it. I was just beaming with life
because my body was so used to running at this
speed that I didn't have to do it anymore. It
took a while for it to wind down. Then eventually
I crashed, and then my endocrine systems sort of raised
that back to normal. But I hear that a lot
of people are just beaming with energy afterwards because their
bodies all of a sudden having to slow down the
(32:14):
pace of what it's working at. I mean, I'm a doctor,
I'm not a medical professional, but I know what I
went through, and I know the feeling that I had well,
and what you just said right there, Ricky sums it
up is that there was these were banned. The information
that was given to us and the pitch was that
they were lifetime devices, they were completely safe, and it's
new technology. I'm sure you've heard it all, but thanks
(32:34):
to you and the information you put out. What I
love is that you know the approach we all have
to this is we want to understand and I think
through this podcast, your community that you've built, the work
you continue to do every day, and the law of
attraction around women in general who feel this sense of
purpose out of their pain. Not only can we educate
and empower other women, but I think what we're encouraging,
(32:56):
starting from the inside out, is to invest in your
cell and to know that health is beauty and that
there is no need to sacrifice in order to be beautiful,
to be happy, and to be loved and accepted, that
we are as we are. And also we're not alone.
And thanks to you, I'm not only not alone, but
I'm a smarter patient and hopefully a bit stronger going
(33:17):
into this. You've got there, I'm sorry, started for you
to get them out and be able to start healing.
And that's the thing, you know, getting them out is
the beginning of your healing process, not the end of it.
Turning that page. It is like a new book. You
make that what you want. Well, I can't wait. What
(33:40):
wise words and such an intrepid supporter. I am so
inspired by all of the amazing survivors who go on
to be advocates and pay for it. What they learn
truly a testimony to what a life changing experience this
can be and really how a lot of us end
up turning our pain into purpose. Shall we talk about
what we learned from these incredible experts? I mean, first,
(34:01):
I think the road to explant starts with finding a
doctor who believes in b I I and is supportive
and can help diagnose you, someone who is compassionate and
helps you understand what you're dealing with. After all, they
are your primary navigation and guides on this road. And
I learned the road to xplant is unique for each
of us, and while it can be a long road
(34:21):
and can be scary, it's best navigated with someone who
has directions, given they've been through it before. Finding an
advocate that has been through this and available for you
is really key to helping you, say valuable time, money,
and heartache is you find the right resources that you
need and significantly improves your odds of success. There are
so many different choices that can affect the outcome of
(34:42):
this process. There has to be a better way to
diagnose b I I. We keep hearing that this disease
is diagnosed by exclusion. This seems exhaustive to have to
exclude every possible illness before settling on Well, maybe it's
your implants. Why isn't there more research being done? I
know it's so important to find a doctor who actually
believes in b I I, and it's hard to do that,
(35:05):
and you need one with experience, including that this is
part of their practice, is a focus and can come
give you some options to help you come up with
the treatment plan that you feel works for you. It's
also really important to make sure you know what the
entire treatment looks like, the excellant the recovery, and if
and what reconstruction may be right for you. Again, the
main lesson we learn is not to go it alone.
(35:27):
Gather a team of doctor, friends and advocates because together
you are not alone absolutely and know that each journey
is unique to you. Do not pressure yourself to heal
over night. The X plan is just the beginning of
the rest of your life, and you need support for
the long haul and having advocates and survivors around you
is how survivors have the best chance of actually thriving,
(35:50):
and together we're not alone. Close to the Chest with
Kristen and Christine has been brought to you by b
Noble Media Group and I Heart Radio a very special
thanks to our guest Dr Tony Une and Ricky Jess.
You can find Dr Yun on Instagram at Tony Un
(36:10):
m D That's t O n y y o U
n m D and tune into his podcast, The Holistic
Plastic Surgery Show wherever you get your podcasts. For more
on Ricky Jess, visit the b I I Concierge dot com.
That's the b I I Concierge c O N C
(36:31):
I E r g E dot com. And for more
on Tabby at Truth About Breast Implants dot net That's
Truth About Breast Implants dot net and follow her on
Instagram at Truth Underscore About Underscore Breast Underscore Implants. Now,
(36:51):
I'd like to share some gratitude a very special thanks
to I Heart Radio to our Parker and her I
Heart Radio Marketing team, and a big big thanks to
our executive producer Ramsay Yacht. If you or someone you
know would like to know more about breast implant illness,
please visit sick Titties dot com. That's s I c
(37:11):
K t I T T I e s dot com. Also,
please follow us on Instagram at sick dot titties and
at b Noble Art that's b n O B L
e A r T. And we would also love to
have you join our Facebook page at b Noble on
B I I and please remember you're not alone. Together
(37:35):
we can beat this. The views and opinions expressed are
solely those of the podcast author or individuals participating in
the podcast, and do not represent the opinions of High
Heart Media or its employees. This podcast should not be
used as medical advice, mental health advice, mental health counseling
or therapy, or as imparting any health care recommendations at all.
(37:56):
Individuals are advised to seek independent medical counseling, advice, and
or therapy from a competent healthcare professional with respect to
any medical condition, mental health issues, health inquiry, or matter,
including matters discussed on this podcast. Close to the Chest
with Kristen and Christine is a production of I Heart
Radio and produced in our studios located in Atlanta, Georgia.
(38:19):
For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i
heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
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