September 10, 2024 • 25 mins
Are you ready for this rollercoaster ride? Here are 11 things I think you should know before you go in for your explant surgery. Whether you are just considering explanting, or already have your surgery booked, this is for you breastie! I hope it helps xx
Links and resources:
Free 33-Step Explant Planning Checklist:
checklist.empoweredexplant.com
Episode 43: When Should I Start Detoxing:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2073651/13930267
Episode 45: What to Expect During Surgery Recovery:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2073651/14010701
Empowered Explant Website Resources
www.empoweredexplant.com/resources
For coaching and support before or after surgery, email me!
darnah@empoweredexplant.com
Please help us be heard and raise awareness:
- Subscribe to the show
- Rate and review
- Share with your friends
Let's connect!
Join the Empowered Explant Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredexplant
Connect with Darnah on Instagram: @darnahmercieca
Interviews and sponsorships email: podcast@empoweredexplant.com
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/ilya-kuznetsov/anticipation
Disclaimer: This podcast does not constitute medical or mental health advice. Darnah is not a medical practitioner. She shares from personal experience, research, and conversations with other people. If you are experiencing symptoms, pain, post-surgery complications, or mental health concerns, please seek care from your medical provider or surgeon.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Darnah Mercieca (00:02):
Today, I'm sharing the things you really
need to know before explanting,whether you're in the early
stages of thinking about it oryou're already planning for
surgery.
These tips will help youprepare both physically and
emotionally for what's to come.
This is Empowered Explant thepodcast helping women ditch
their breast implants withconfidence Darnah Mercieca I'm a
(00:25):
board certified health andwellness coach and Explant
warrior, so my new background ispretty cool because it's not
new.
For starters, this used to beif you're watching the YouTube
video, okay, you can't see thisif you're just listening, but if
you're watching on YouTube,then you can see a new
background.
(00:46):
And I decided to flipeverything around so that y'all
had the view, instead of youlooking at the wall and me
looking at the view.
It's really pretty.
And then I've got my plants andmy shelf with all of my
sentimental stuff on there, myshelf with all of my sentimental
(01:08):
stuff on there, and if you,maybe I don't know if you'll be
able to see, but you might catcha hummingbird fly onto the
feeder at some point, so younever know.
Anyway, I like this better.
I hope you like it better, Ithink it looks better and, um,
except, I've got this tree, thisbamboo plant, growing out of my
head, which it's a bit weird,but it's okay, I can get over it
(01:35):
.
I am actually really excitedbecause I went to Positano,
italy I'm wearing my shirtpositively Positano, and it was
so fun.
Actually, italy's been on myvision board for six years six
(01:55):
years and it's a lot ofmanifesting Um and finally did
it went with my partner.
He's incredible.
We had a great time.
We went to London and Italy andit was just such a
life-changing transition in mylife, in my world, this summer.
(02:17):
So it was the perfect trip toreally lock in on all of the
changes that were happening inmy life, which I will share with
you over time.
But you are not here for mylife story today, so I will shut
up now and I'm going to tellyou the 11 things you need to
know before explanting.
(02:39):
Okay, a quick disclaimer.
Please know I'm not a medicaldoctor and this podcast does not
constitute medical or mentalhealth advice.
I share from my personalexperience, research and
conversations with other people.
If you're experiencing symptoms, pain, post-surgery
complications or mental healthconcerns, please seek care from
(03:00):
your medical provider or surgeonand please make any medical
decisions in consultation with aqualified and experienced
healthcare professional.
Let's jump in Number onemindset and emotions matter on
this journey.
Okay, explanting is not just aphysical journey, it's emotional
(03:22):
.
And here's the thing Emotionalhealing starts before you even
go into surgery.
It's a good idea to have thetools and practices in place for
managing anxiety, likejournaling, meditation or even
talking to a counselor ortherapist.
Start working on your self-talknow.
Speak kindly to yourself,because this process will test
(03:46):
you emotionally.
The way you talk to yourselfcan make a big difference as you
navigate through this journeyand as you heal and face
everything that you're going toface.
You're making a decision toreclaim your health and your
body, and that's a powerfulthing, so give yourself some
grace and some kindness.
(04:06):
Number two not all surgeons arecreated equal.
Finding the right surgeon ishuge.
Seriously, do not settle.
Not all surgeons understandexplant surgery the same way,
and it's important to findsomeone who gets your health
concerns, especially if you havebreast implant illness symptoms
(04:26):
.
Just go to someone that'sreally compassionate and
knowledgeable.
Take your time, do yourresearch and trust your gut.
If something feels off during aconsult, listen to that feeling
.
Okay, you're the one goingthrough this, so make sure that
you've got someone in yourcorner who respects that You're
(04:46):
the boss You're paying them.
You can ask all the questionsyou want, and don't forget that.
Number three your body might dosome crazy shit while you're
healing.
Things like hormonal shifts anddetox flares after explant
surgery are real.
They're actually a sign thatyour body is healing and
(05:08):
rebalancing.
Okay, it's easy to feelfrustrated, I know, when you're
dealing with mood swings or lowenergy or flare ups of symptoms
that you thought had gone away.
But just remember, your body isdoing what it needs to do to
recover.
Okay, it's been through a lot.
Give it a break.
The good news is, you can helpyour body out by focusing on the
(05:32):
right nutrition and self-care.
I sound like a broken recordbecause I feel like I say that
all the time, but it's true.
Eating well and taking care ofyourself can make these shifts
more manageable and make thesymptoms not as severe, if any.
Okay, so just don'tunderestimate how much of a
(05:53):
difference it can make and thatyou can take control of some of
the severity of that, some ofthe severity of that.
Number four your body and yourbrain will take time to adjust.
Your body is going to lookdifferent after surgery, okay,
(06:16):
and it's rare for your breaststo look exactly like they did
before implants.
So we just kind of have to getreal here with our expectations,
because we can kind of come outof surgery and feel that shock
and it can take time for yourbrain to catch up and rewire
itself to get used to your newlook.
You kind of walk past themirror and it feels shocking for
(06:38):
a while, but it's okay, it'snormal.
Be patient with yourself.
Your brain is going to start toget used to how you look in the
mirror and before you know it,kind of like me now.
I I can't even picture myselfwith the implants when I look in
(07:00):
the mirror.
Now, this is my normal and Ican't even imagine myself with
double D boobs, oh my goodness.
But as you're going throughthis, okay, speaking kindly to
yourself and using positiveaffirmations can really help
with this adjustment.
It can help get your brain backon track and reframe some of
(07:21):
those negative thoughts.
And just remember this is apart of your healing journey and
it's important to embrace itwith love and acceptance,
especially when it feels reallydifficult to do that.
Number five start preparing yourbody early.
If you're dealing with BIIsymptoms, you might even get a
(07:44):
little relief by making somelifestyle changes before surgery
if you're lucky, okay, butstart supporting your detox
organs now.
I'm not saying start a detoxnow.
I'm saying start supportingyour detox system, your detox
pathways now by drinking morewater, eating anti-inflammatory
(08:08):
foods and focusing on gut health.
These changes can help prepareyour body for surgery, yay, and
even give you a bit of a headstart on feeling better.
It's going to help you recovereasier, recover faster detox.
You're going to move into detoxmuch more smoothly.
(08:31):
So there's just so much thatyou should start doing before
surgery, a few months before, ifyou can, at least at minimum to
get that head start.
And it's just all about takingsmall, mindful steps towards
your surgery.
Number six detox support isimportant post-surgery.
(08:55):
So after surgery, your bodywill need help detoxing.
Your body's been through a lot.
It's probably compromised.
Your systems are compromised,like I mentioned in the last
point.
Start doing those things tosupport your body before surgery
(09:17):
, especially theanti-inflammatory diet and the
gut health, and then, aftersurgery, you're going to
continue to support your detoxorgans with supplements.
Clean eating and hydration issuper important as well and
movement starting to exercise.
You can also try simplepractices like dry brushing.
(09:37):
You can use infrared sauna tohelp your body along.
There's a lot of things thatyou could do, but they don't
have to be complicated orexpensive steps.
Okay, and it's not somethingthat you have to like dive into
aggressively straight after yoursurgery, dive into aggressively
(09:59):
straight after your surgery.
As long as you're taking thosesteps pre-surgery to clean up
what's going into your body andyour environment and really
support your detox system, youdon't have to go into detox
aggressively.
In fact, you shouldn't go intodetox aggressively.
You should let your body kindof get into its groove and start
(10:23):
clearing things out.
I do have an episode, a podcastepisode.
Oh, what is that episode?
Let me take a quick look.
I do have a podcast episodeabout detoxing.
When should I start detoxing?
Yes, I do.
Yay, I'm going to link to thatepisode in the show notes
because that's a great one here,because I just feel like a lot
(10:48):
of women ask like, oh, should Istart detoxing before?
Like, well, I've still got mybreast implants?
Should I start detoxingimmediately after surgery?
It's probably one of thebiggest questions that's asked
in our community.
So I will link to that episodein the show notes and I
recommend you listen to that.
(11:08):
Number seven recovery takes time.
It just does.
Be patient and kind to yourself.
Healing takes time.
Okay, it's just all a part ofthe process, and so the best
thing you can do during thistime is just be kind to yourself
and your body.
You need downtime, you need togo slow, you need to rest, you
(11:31):
need time off.
You can't dive into exercisestraight away, straight away.
It's just kind of part of thisprocess.
There's not much you can doabout that.
You can speed up your recoveryand have a stronger recovery by
preparing your body beforesurgery, yes, and by eating the
(12:04):
right foods and doing the rightthings.
The right self-care.
Taking care of yourself, makesa huge difference in your
recovery.
But you still got to recover.
So just you kind of got to suckit up and go through it and be
kind to your body.
Give it the time it needs tobounce back.
There is no point in rushing itbecause it could actually end
up having an adverse effect andsend you in the wrong direction.
Patience and self-care are key.
(12:29):
Number eight breast implantillness symptoms will not
disappear overnight.
Sorry, explanting is a majorstep, the major step, but BII
symptoms don't always disappearright away.
Your body is working hard toheal.
(12:55):
It's working hard to recoverafter its surgery and it might
take time for certain symptomsto fully go away.
It often does take a long timefor symptoms to fully go away,
and some symptoms might notfully go away depending on if
the damage has been done in yourbody to a point where it's not
reversible.
And sometimes that's the caseIf an autoimmune condition has
(13:19):
been triggered by theinflammation or the toxicity of
the implants and now you've gotan autoimmune disease that's
irreversible.
Maybe you're, maybe you'restuck with that for life.
But maybe removing your breastimplants and getting rid of the
inflammation and looking afteryourself and taking all of the
(13:41):
steps to clean up your life andthe toxins in your life and the
right self-care and all of that,maybe those symptoms will
decrease and it won't besomething that plagues you every
day.
So just remember that healingis a journey.
It looks different for everyoneand even small improvements are
(14:05):
a sign that your body is movingin the right direction.
So just know that removing yourbreast implants is a step in
the right direction.
You are addressing a root causeand getting rid of something
that's causing your body tostruggle, and even if some of
(14:30):
the breast implant illnesssymptoms linger for a long time.
That could also be a sign that,like there's still work to do,
there's still healing to do,there's still my system still
needs my help, right?
So just keep showing up foryourself.
That's the main thing there.
Number nine you don't need tobuy all the things.
(14:53):
You might feel like you do Iknow I felt like I did but you
don't need all the things.
So you don't need to buy everydetox treatment or every
high-tech product out there tobe prepared for explant surgery
or to recover from explantsurgery.
You don't need every singlesupplement out there.
(15:15):
Sometimes it just feels likeyou need to go on a shopping
spree to get everything that youneed Every type of zip up front
zip bra in all the colors andall the styles, and you need
every button down shirt becauseyou need like five different
outfits and trust me, girl, likeyou're not going to need all
the outfits, okay, you're justgoing to want to chill for the
(15:40):
most part, and I mean you canliterally get away with rotating
between two front zip bras theentire time.
One's in the wash, one you'rewearing, wash one you're wearing
.
Don't overdo it.
Focus on the basics goodnutrition, hydration and a
(16:09):
simple self-care plan, justreally focus on the basics.
That's not to say that you'rejust like, meh, okay, I don't
really need to do anything.
That's not what I'm saying.
You do need to show up foryourself and there is a way that
you need to do that to get thebest results and to really have
this explant surgery betransformative in your health
and in your life and your body.
You know consistently, takingmindful action over time is way
(16:36):
more effective and a lot cheaperthan buying all the fancy
things.
That's all I'm saying.
You don't need all the fancythings and you don't need to
spend all the money on stuffthat you just don't need or
won't use.
Trust that your body can healwith the essentials.
And for some people theessentials might look different.
(16:56):
Okay, for some people theessentials might be very simple
because they haven't had theirimplants long, they don't have a
lot of symptoms.
They maybe just got a simpleexplant.
They recovered very simple,like very quickly and easily.
And for others, you might bereally unwell and maybe the
essentials does mean you needmore right.
You might need more supplements.
Or you might need you might bereally unwell and maybe the
essentials does mean you needmore right.
You might need more supplementsor you might need, you know,
(17:19):
maybe you do some genetictesting to really get answers.
Maybe you do want to take somestem cell enhancing supplements
to help with your scarring andto really help your body be able
to heal, because you strugglewith healing.
(17:40):
There are things and theessentials can look different
for different people, like Isaid, but know yourself, know
what you really need, and Ithink that that's a part of how
this journey is unique foreverybody.
Number 10, you'll need a supportsystem.
You don't have to go throughthis alone.
(18:01):
You shouldn't go through thisalone.
Okay, having a solid supportsystem of family, friends, you
know, even if it's just oneperson back home that loves you
and is there for you and canlook after you after your
surgery and during recovery andall of that, it just helps to
(18:22):
not be alone.
Honestly, even during recovery,if you don't have anybody that
can be there to look out for youand care for you during that
time and help you out, I mean,there is nothing wrong with
paying for support as well, youknow.
Just remember that if you'vegot it, that is like there is
(18:44):
nothing wrong with paying tohave a carer come in and help
you.
Um another, you know, go to thechurch, go to the community that
you're a part of and see if youcan, you know, find somebody
that would be willing to helpyou out there.
There are so many good peoplein the world and, you know, also
(19:06):
, having a community of womenthat understand what you're
going through can make a hugedifference.
For example, the empoweredexplant Facebook group a great
place to come where you canshare very honestly how you're
feeling and what you're goingthrough.
You can say anything in thatgroup that is essentially from
(19:26):
your heart and what you'reexperiencing.
I encourage that, and we're allthere to support each other,
because everything that you feelon this journey is really real,
and there's a lot.
So, you know, don't be afraidto come in and get some support
when you need it and also be asupport to others.
(19:48):
I think that that's a reallynice way to also show up for
yourself and and to feel betteryourself as well.
And you know I'm here for youtoo, for what it's worth.
If you need guidance or justsomebody to talk to, I'm here.
You can hit me up, ask mequestions.
I am here for it.
(20:09):
So, yeah, just know that youare loved and you've got people
in the world that care about youand that it's okay to ask for
help.
I know a lot of us womenstruggle with the whole ask for
help part, but this is this is atime where, yeah, you probably
(20:31):
should.
You should probably havesomeone there in your corner
ready to help Because, um, Iknow that I I couldn't have gone
through it without my mom by myside.
Oh, my gosh, she was the besthelp ever.
And then I returned the favorfor her and I got to play nurse
(20:51):
for my mom, but, you know, foras long as she needed it and, um
, and it just made a bigdifference in both of our
experiences to to be there foreach other.
So I hope that you can findyour person as well.
Number 11, you will feel soempowered.
Heaven, you will feel soempowered.
(21:16):
One of the most amazing thingsabout explanting is how
empowered you feel after.
It's like a weight is liftedliterally, yes, but also
emotionally, and you'll juststart to finally feel more in
tune with your body Even beforeyour surgery.
You know your body Even beforeyour surgery.
(21:38):
Booking your surgery, gettingthat date on the calendar that
is a really empowering moment,right?
It's such a brave step towardsreclaiming your health and this
journey is so brave and I knowthat when you book that surgery
it's like, it's like a littlebit of a relief, right Cause
you've made your decision.
You've made that first likereally important decision, like
(21:59):
I am explanting and now I knowwhen I'm explanting.
Um, but this journey can betough, you know for sure.
Uh, but I don't know.
Even through the difficulttimes, it's so empowering and as
you overcome each challenge andas you move through every phase
(22:23):
of healing and this journey andgetting your health back and
noticing things as you movethrough, and even just like
moving through self-acceptance,you just get this sense of
ownership over yourself and yourlife and your health and just
this freedom that you feel andit's so worth it.
(22:46):
So you know you're making achoice that's going to lead to a
healthier, more vibrant you andthat's certainly something to
celebrate.
So, yeah, just know that, nomatter how you're feeling now,
if it feels overwhelming, ifanxiety is really heavy, if
(23:07):
there's tons of uncertainty, allof those things, that's all
just a part of this process, apart of this journey, I suppose.
But I want you to really leaninto those moments of when you
feel so empowered, like yeah,I'm making this decision for me,
I'm taking control right now ofwhat I can control right now,
(23:31):
of what I can, and just knowthat there is so much more of
that feeling, that empoweredfeeling, on the other side of
this, especially if you reallylean into it and go for that
transformation that this journeycan truly offer you,
(23:56):
transformation that this journeycan truly offer you.
So that's my 11 things that Ithink you need to know before
explant surgery.
If you're planning for yourexplant surgery or just starting
to think about it, I hope thesetips help you feel a little
more prepared and just kind ofget you in the mindset of, like,
what you need to know as you gointo this and there are so many
podcast episodes on EmpoweredExplant that dive into these
(24:18):
topics deeper and, like, reallyhelp you prepare more.
Just remember this is a process, but you've got the strength to
get through it.
Okay, you, you're here, you'realready here and for more
support as you move towards yoursurgery, don't forget to
download my 33-step explantplanning checklist at
(24:39):
checklistempoweredexplantcom.
I will link that here.
But that's going to help youget organized.
It's going to help you kind of.
It's more detailed right.
It's like an actual checklistof the tasks that you need to do
and the things that you need todo to get organized and feel
confident going into yoursurgery.
(25:00):
So I hope that's helpful foryou.
Thanks for being here with me,breasty.
If you found this episodehelpful, please share it with a
friend or not a friend, acomplete stranger who might need
to hear it.
And don't forget to rate thepodcast.
It really helps other womenfind this info too.
(25:20):
I'll see you here next week,breasty.
You.
Today, I'm sharing the things you really
need to know before explanting,whether you're in the early
stages of thinking about it oryou're already planning for
surgery.
These tips will help youprepare both physically and
emotionally for what's to come.
This is Empowered Explant thepodcast helping women ditch
their breast implants withconfidence Darnah Mercieca I'm a
(00:25):
board certified health andwellness coach and Explant
warrior, so my new background ispretty cool because it's not
new.
For starters, this used to beif you're watching the YouTube
video, okay, you can't see thisif you're just listening, but if
you're watching on YouTube,then you can see a new
background.
(00:46):
And I decided to flipeverything around so that y'all
had the view, instead of youlooking at the wall and me
looking at the view.
It's really pretty.
And then I've got my plants andmy shelf with all of my
sentimental stuff on there, myshelf with all of my sentimental
(01:08):
stuff on there, and if you,maybe I don't know if you'll be
able to see, but you might catcha hummingbird fly onto the
feeder at some point, so younever know.
Anyway, I like this better.
I hope you like it better, Ithink it looks better and, um,
except, I've got this tree, thisbamboo plant, growing out of my
head, which it's a bit weird,but it's okay, I can get over it
(01:35):
.
I am actually really excitedbecause I went to Positano,
italy I'm wearing my shirtpositively Positano, and it was
so fun.
Actually, italy's been on myvision board for six years six
(01:55):
years and it's a lot ofmanifesting Um and finally did
it went with my partner.
He's incredible.
We had a great time.
We went to London and Italy andit was just such a
life-changing transition in mylife, in my world, this summer.
(02:17):
So it was the perfect trip toreally lock in on all of the
changes that were happening inmy life, which I will share with
you over time.
But you are not here for mylife story today, so I will shut
up now and I'm going to tellyou the 11 things you need to
know before explanting.
(02:39):
Okay, a quick disclaimer.
Please know I'm not a medicaldoctor and this podcast does not
constitute medical or mentalhealth advice.
I share from my personalexperience, research and
conversations with other people.
If you're experiencing symptoms, pain, post-surgery
complications or mental healthconcerns, please seek care from
(03:00):
your medical provider or surgeonand please make any medical
decisions in consultation with aqualified and experienced
healthcare professional.
Let's jump in Number onemindset and emotions matter on
this journey.
Okay, explanting is not just aphysical journey, it's emotional
(03:22):
.
And here's the thing Emotionalhealing starts before you even
go into surgery.
It's a good idea to have thetools and practices in place for
managing anxiety, likejournaling, meditation or even
talking to a counselor ortherapist.
Start working on your self-talknow.
Speak kindly to yourself,because this process will test
(03:46):
you emotionally.
The way you talk to yourselfcan make a big difference as you
navigate through this journeyand as you heal and face
everything that you're going toface.
You're making a decision toreclaim your health and your
body, and that's a powerfulthing, so give yourself some
grace and some kindness.
(04:06):
Number two not all surgeons arecreated equal.
Finding the right surgeon ishuge.
Seriously, do not settle.
Not all surgeons understandexplant surgery the same way,
and it's important to findsomeone who gets your health
concerns, especially if you havebreast implant illness symptoms
(04:26):
.
Just go to someone that'sreally compassionate and
knowledgeable.
Take your time, do yourresearch and trust your gut.
If something feels off during aconsult, listen to that feeling
.
Okay, you're the one goingthrough this, so make sure that
you've got someone in yourcorner who respects that You're
(04:46):
the boss You're paying them.
You can ask all the questionsyou want, and don't forget that.
Number three your body might dosome crazy shit while you're
healing.
Things like hormonal shifts anddetox flares after explant
surgery are real.
They're actually a sign thatyour body is healing and
(05:08):
rebalancing.
Okay, it's easy to feelfrustrated, I know, when you're
dealing with mood swings or lowenergy or flare ups of symptoms
that you thought had gone away.
But just remember, your body isdoing what it needs to do to
recover.
Okay, it's been through a lot.
Give it a break.
The good news is, you can helpyour body out by focusing on the
(05:32):
right nutrition and self-care.
I sound like a broken recordbecause I feel like I say that
all the time, but it's true.
Eating well and taking care ofyourself can make these shifts
more manageable and make thesymptoms not as severe, if any.
Okay, so just don'tunderestimate how much of a
(05:53):
difference it can make and thatyou can take control of some of
the severity of that, some ofthe severity of that.
Number four your body and yourbrain will take time to adjust.
Your body is going to lookdifferent after surgery, okay,
(06:16):
and it's rare for your breaststo look exactly like they did
before implants.
So we just kind of have to getreal here with our expectations,
because we can kind of come outof surgery and feel that shock
and it can take time for yourbrain to catch up and rewire
itself to get used to your newlook.
You kind of walk past themirror and it feels shocking for
(06:38):
a while, but it's okay, it'snormal.
Be patient with yourself.
Your brain is going to start toget used to how you look in the
mirror and before you know it,kind of like me now.
I I can't even picture myselfwith the implants when I look in
(07:00):
the mirror.
Now, this is my normal and Ican't even imagine myself with
double D boobs, oh my goodness.
But as you're going throughthis, okay, speaking kindly to
yourself and using positiveaffirmations can really help
with this adjustment.
It can help get your brain backon track and reframe some of
(07:21):
those negative thoughts.
And just remember this is apart of your healing journey and
it's important to embrace itwith love and acceptance,
especially when it feels reallydifficult to do that.
Number five start preparing yourbody early.
If you're dealing with BIIsymptoms, you might even get a
(07:44):
little relief by making somelifestyle changes before surgery
if you're lucky, okay, butstart supporting your detox
organs now.
I'm not saying start a detoxnow.
I'm saying start supportingyour detox system, your detox
pathways now by drinking morewater, eating anti-inflammatory
(08:08):
foods and focusing on gut health.
These changes can help prepareyour body for surgery, yay, and
even give you a bit of a headstart on feeling better.
It's going to help you recovereasier, recover faster detox.
You're going to move into detoxmuch more smoothly.
(08:31):
So there's just so much thatyou should start doing before
surgery, a few months before, ifyou can, at least at minimum to
get that head start.
And it's just all about takingsmall, mindful steps towards
your surgery.
Number six detox support isimportant post-surgery.
(08:55):
So after surgery, your bodywill need help detoxing.
Your body's been through a lot.
It's probably compromised.
Your systems are compromised,like I mentioned in the last
point.
Start doing those things tosupport your body before surgery
(09:17):
, especially theanti-inflammatory diet and the
gut health, and then, aftersurgery, you're going to
continue to support your detoxorgans with supplements.
Clean eating and hydration issuper important as well and
movement starting to exercise.
You can also try simplepractices like dry brushing.
(09:37):
You can use infrared sauna tohelp your body along.
There's a lot of things thatyou could do, but they don't
have to be complicated orexpensive steps.
Okay, and it's not somethingthat you have to like dive into
aggressively straight after yoursurgery, dive into aggressively
(09:59):
straight after your surgery.
As long as you're taking thosesteps pre-surgery to clean up
what's going into your body andyour environment and really
support your detox system, youdon't have to go into detox
aggressively.
In fact, you shouldn't go intodetox aggressively.
You should let your body kindof get into its groove and start
(10:23):
clearing things out.
I do have an episode, a podcastepisode.
Oh, what is that episode?
Let me take a quick look.
I do have a podcast episodeabout detoxing.
When should I start detoxing?
Yes, I do.
Yay, I'm going to link to thatepisode in the show notes
because that's a great one here,because I just feel like a lot
(10:48):
of women ask like, oh, should Istart detoxing before?
Like, well, I've still got mybreast implants?
Should I start detoxingimmediately after surgery?
It's probably one of thebiggest questions that's asked
in our community.
So I will link to that episodein the show notes and I
recommend you listen to that.
(11:08):
Number seven recovery takes time.
It just does.
Be patient and kind to yourself.
Healing takes time.
Okay, it's just all a part ofthe process, and so the best
thing you can do during thistime is just be kind to yourself
and your body.
You need downtime, you need togo slow, you need to rest, you
(11:31):
need time off.
You can't dive into exercisestraight away, straight away.
It's just kind of part of thisprocess.
There's not much you can doabout that.
You can speed up your recoveryand have a stronger recovery by
preparing your body beforesurgery, yes, and by eating the
(12:04):
right foods and doing the rightthings.
The right self-care.
Taking care of yourself, makesa huge difference in your
recovery.
But you still got to recover.
So just you kind of got to suckit up and go through it and be
kind to your body.
Give it the time it needs tobounce back.
There is no point in rushing itbecause it could actually end
up having an adverse effect andsend you in the wrong direction.
Patience and self-care are key.
(12:29):
Number eight breast implantillness symptoms will not
disappear overnight.
Sorry, explanting is a majorstep, the major step, but BII
symptoms don't always disappearright away.
Your body is working hard toheal.
(12:55):
It's working hard to recoverafter its surgery and it might
take time for certain symptomsto fully go away.
It often does take a long timefor symptoms to fully go away,
and some symptoms might notfully go away depending on if
the damage has been done in yourbody to a point where it's not
reversible.
And sometimes that's the caseIf an autoimmune condition has
(13:19):
been triggered by theinflammation or the toxicity of
the implants and now you've gotan autoimmune disease that's
irreversible.
Maybe you're, maybe you'restuck with that for life.
But maybe removing your breastimplants and getting rid of the
inflammation and looking afteryourself and taking all of the
(13:41):
steps to clean up your life andthe toxins in your life and the
right self-care and all of that,maybe those symptoms will
decrease and it won't besomething that plagues you every
day.
So just remember that healingis a journey.
It looks different for everyoneand even small improvements are
(14:05):
a sign that your body is movingin the right direction.
So just know that removing yourbreast implants is a step in
the right direction.
You are addressing a root causeand getting rid of something
that's causing your body tostruggle, and even if some of
(14:30):
the breast implant illnesssymptoms linger for a long time.
That could also be a sign that,like there's still work to do,
there's still healing to do,there's still my system still
needs my help, right?
So just keep showing up foryourself.
That's the main thing there.
Number nine you don't need tobuy all the things.
(14:53):
You might feel like you do Iknow I felt like I did but you
don't need all the things.
So you don't need to buy everydetox treatment or every
high-tech product out there tobe prepared for explant surgery
or to recover from explantsurgery.
You don't need every singlesupplement out there.
(15:15):
Sometimes it just feels likeyou need to go on a shopping
spree to get everything that youneed Every type of zip up front
zip bra in all the colors andall the styles, and you need
every button down shirt becauseyou need like five different
outfits and trust me, girl, likeyou're not going to need all
the outfits, okay, you're justgoing to want to chill for the
(15:40):
most part, and I mean you canliterally get away with rotating
between two front zip bras theentire time.
One's in the wash, one you'rewearing, wash one you're wearing
.
Don't overdo it.
Focus on the basics goodnutrition, hydration and a
(16:09):
simple self-care plan, justreally focus on the basics.
That's not to say that you'rejust like, meh, okay, I don't
really need to do anything.
That's not what I'm saying.
You do need to show up foryourself and there is a way that
you need to do that to get thebest results and to really have
this explant surgery betransformative in your health
and in your life and your body.
You know consistently, takingmindful action over time is way
(16:36):
more effective and a lot cheaperthan buying all the fancy
things.
That's all I'm saying.
You don't need all the fancythings and you don't need to
spend all the money on stuffthat you just don't need or
won't use.
Trust that your body can healwith the essentials.
And for some people theessentials might look different.
(16:56):
Okay, for some people theessentials might be very simple
because they haven't had theirimplants long, they don't have a
lot of symptoms.
They maybe just got a simpleexplant.
They recovered very simple,like very quickly and easily.
And for others, you might bereally unwell and maybe the
essentials does mean you needmore right.
You might need more supplements.
Or you might need you might bereally unwell and maybe the
essentials does mean you needmore right.
You might need more supplementsor you might need, you know,
(17:19):
maybe you do some genetictesting to really get answers.
Maybe you do want to take somestem cell enhancing supplements
to help with your scarring andto really help your body be able
to heal, because you strugglewith healing.
(17:40):
There are things and theessentials can look different
for different people, like Isaid, but know yourself, know
what you really need, and Ithink that that's a part of how
this journey is unique foreverybody.
Number 10, you'll need a supportsystem.
You don't have to go throughthis alone.
(18:01):
You shouldn't go through thisalone.
Okay, having a solid supportsystem of family, friends, you
know, even if it's just oneperson back home that loves you
and is there for you and canlook after you after your
surgery and during recovery andall of that, it just helps to
(18:22):
not be alone.
Honestly, even during recovery,if you don't have anybody that
can be there to look out for youand care for you during that
time and help you out, I mean,there is nothing wrong with
paying for support as well, youknow.
Just remember that if you'vegot it, that is like there is
(18:44):
nothing wrong with paying tohave a carer come in and help
you.
Um another, you know, go to thechurch, go to the community that
you're a part of and see if youcan, you know, find somebody
that would be willing to helpyou out there.
There are so many good peoplein the world and, you know, also
(19:06):
, having a community of womenthat understand what you're
going through can make a hugedifference.
For example, the empoweredexplant Facebook group a great
place to come where you canshare very honestly how you're
feeling and what you're goingthrough.
You can say anything in thatgroup that is essentially from
(19:26):
your heart and what you'reexperiencing.
I encourage that, and we're allthere to support each other,
because everything that you feelon this journey is really real,
and there's a lot.
So, you know, don't be afraidto come in and get some support
when you need it and also be asupport to others.
(19:48):
I think that that's a reallynice way to also show up for
yourself and and to feel betteryourself as well.
And you know I'm here for youtoo, for what it's worth.
If you need guidance or justsomebody to talk to, I'm here.
You can hit me up, ask mequestions.
I am here for it.
(20:09):
So, yeah, just know that youare loved and you've got people
in the world that care about youand that it's okay to ask for
help.
I know a lot of us womenstruggle with the whole ask for
help part, but this is this is atime where, yeah, you probably
(20:31):
should.
You should probably havesomeone there in your corner
ready to help Because, um, Iknow that I I couldn't have gone
through it without my mom by myside.
Oh, my gosh, she was the besthelp ever.
And then I returned the favorfor her and I got to play nurse
(20:51):
for my mom, but, you know, foras long as she needed it and, um
, and it just made a bigdifference in both of our
experiences to to be there foreach other.
So I hope that you can findyour person as well.
Number 11, you will feel soempowered.
Heaven, you will feel soempowered.
(21:16):
One of the most amazing thingsabout explanting is how
empowered you feel after.
It's like a weight is liftedliterally, yes, but also
emotionally, and you'll juststart to finally feel more in
tune with your body Even beforeyour surgery.
You know your body Even beforeyour surgery.
(21:38):
Booking your surgery, gettingthat date on the calendar that
is a really empowering moment,right?
It's such a brave step towardsreclaiming your health and this
journey is so brave and I knowthat when you book that surgery
it's like, it's like a littlebit of a relief, right Cause
you've made your decision.
You've made that first likereally important decision, like
(21:59):
I am explanting and now I knowwhen I'm explanting.
Um, but this journey can betough, you know for sure.
Uh, but I don't know.
Even through the difficulttimes, it's so empowering and as
you overcome each challenge andas you move through every phase
(22:23):
of healing and this journey andgetting your health back and
noticing things as you movethrough, and even just like
moving through self-acceptance,you just get this sense of
ownership over yourself and yourlife and your health and just
this freedom that you feel andit's so worth it.
(22:46):
So you know you're making achoice that's going to lead to a
healthier, more vibrant you andthat's certainly something to
celebrate.
So, yeah, just know that, nomatter how you're feeling now,
if it feels overwhelming, ifanxiety is really heavy, if
(23:07):
there's tons of uncertainty, allof those things, that's all
just a part of this process, apart of this journey, I suppose.
But I want you to really leaninto those moments of when you
feel so empowered, like yeah,I'm making this decision for me,
I'm taking control right now ofwhat I can control right now,
(23:31):
of what I can, and just knowthat there is so much more of
that feeling, that empoweredfeeling, on the other side of
this, especially if you reallylean into it and go for that
transformation that this journeycan truly offer you,
(23:56):
transformation that this journeycan truly offer you.
So that's my 11 things that Ithink you need to know before
explant surgery.
If you're planning for yourexplant surgery or just starting
to think about it, I hope thesetips help you feel a little
more prepared and just kind ofget you in the mindset of, like,
what you need to know as you gointo this and there are so many
podcast episodes on EmpoweredExplant that dive into these
(24:18):
topics deeper and, like, reallyhelp you prepare more.
Just remember this is a process, but you've got the strength to
get through it.
Okay, you, you're here, you'realready here and for more
support as you move towards yoursurgery, don't forget to
download my 33-step explantplanning checklist at
(24:39):
checklistempoweredexplantcom.
I will link that here.
But that's going to help youget organized.
It's going to help you kind of.
It's more detailed right.
It's like an actual checklistof the tasks that you need to do
and the things that you need todo to get organized and feel
confident going into yoursurgery.
(25:00):
So I hope that's helpful foryou.
Thanks for being here with me,breasty.
If you found this episodehelpful, please share it with a
friend or not a friend, acomplete stranger who might need
to hear it.
And don't forget to rate thepodcast.
It really helps other womenfind this info too.
(25:20):
I'll see you here next week,breasty.
You.
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