What Happened During The First Month After I Explanted

Today I’m exactly five weeks post explant. It’s September 6, 2018.

AND I’M FEELING AH-MAY-ZING!

In November 2006 (at the age of 23) I had a breast augmentation, implanting 420 cc silicone implants under my muscle. But we’re not here to talk about that…

Today I want to share with you everything that has changed for me – physically, mentally and emotionally since I explanted 35 short days ago – and what is possibly possible for you too.

Before I get into it , I do want to say:

  • everyones healing journey is going to look and feel different
  • what happened to me post-explant may or may not happen to you
  • if you read something I took or I did, please check with your surgeon and doctor first to get cleared

 

Good. Now that that’s off my chest (haha, get it), I’m so excited to share with you what I’ve experienced so far.

Alright, where should I start 🤔…

Let me start off by saying that the morning of my explant surgery I was so calm. I was so excited and ready to turn the page of this final chapter and begin an entirely new chapter – one filled with an abundance of energy, clarity, confidence and most importantly h.e.a.l.t.h.

I completely trusted my surgeon Dr. Dev and was in the best hands money can buy. I trusted that this procedure absolutely had to be done, so no matter what happened, it’s out of my control and for the best. As much as I don’t want to die, my faith is so strong when it comes to times like this.

Leading up to my explant I was SO anxious. Not nervous or terrified, just anxious to get these things out of me. Every day that passed me by I swear I was getting worse. And like what I preach, “what you focus on you attract more of“.

On July 3rd, 2018 I originally scheduled my explant for November 26th with Dr. Devs’ partner, Dr Rankin, but did not want to wait four months. It’s such a crazy story what happened (I’ll write about it – it’s seriously so cool and nuts), but basically on Monday July 30th Aqua Plastic Surgery posted on their Instagram Story “Dr. Dev has a surgical opening this Thursday, August 2nd, if anyone wants it“.

I jumped on that ish!

 

I’m getting off topic (no, not me)… alright, here’s what I’ve experienced five weeks post-explant.

As soon as I woke up I felt relieved. “Oh my gosh, it’s over, I did it!”

My implants were sitting right in front of me on the counter in a container – something my surgeon does to 1. help you remember where you are and what happened to you as you come back to Earth, and 2. so that you can see they’re out. I like this touch.

I did not feel any pain (I did get Nerve Bloc), I was just super groggy/out of it.

But I could BREATHE. DEEP. This was the very first thing I noticed. I haven’t been able to take a full, deep breath like this in almost 12 years.

 

So at this point I’m groggy, not in pain, and I can breathe deep.

After waking up at home from a nap a few hours after surgery I had rashes in both of my knee creases, my left elbow crease and a huge one on my upper back thigh under my glute. They were warm, red and itchy. Those went away in two days, but what came after that was worse. On day three I developed extremely red, itchy rashes under my armpits (I shared photos on social media if you can find them and in my Breast Implant Illness Group ). I also had weird splotches on my neck and stomach too. To this day we still have no idea what caused this. It could’ve been from the anesthesia, antibiotics or my lymphatic system dumping toxins.

Honestly, the rashes drove me NUTS! I have never experienced such itchiness in my life.

The pain from my explant was nothing… the rashes hell.

 

Oh, and I also got my period the day of my surgery, so it was a triple whammy – grogginess from the anesthesia, rashes and my period. I was a bundle of joy for a few days, let me tell you 😂

 

I only took Extra Strength Tylenol on Thursday (my surgery day), Friday and Saturday night. That’s it. It honestly wasn’t bad.

 

The day of my surgery it’s like my pores were drowning in oil. My skin was so greasy and shiny… it was crazy. I felt like I was in High School again. My complexion also changed. My skin didn’t look so dull and colorless. It’s finally smooth looking, hydrated and pink.

 

Something else I noticed within the first few days was that my hip joint ache and stiffness, something that I’ve been dealing with daily since early 2017 was GONE. Not better… gone. And it’s been gone for five weeks now.

 

I also haven’t gasped for air or had any shortness of breath, something I also was experiencing almost daily since early 2017, since my explant.

 

My nipples were really sensitive for the first three weeks, but are completely back to normal 🙂

 

The amount of hair that I’m NOT losing in the shower anymore is what’s really exciting me. I started losing clumps of hair in late 2014. So much that I often wondered “seriously, how am I not bald?” I’ve been (weirdly) saving the hair I’ve been losing in the shower since my explant. What I’ve gathered is that the amount of hair in total that I’m losing in FOUR showers now is the same amount that I used to lose in ONE shower. I hope that makes sense. Basically, I’m losing substantially a lot LESS hair. The amount of hair I used to lose in one shower I’m now losing in a weeks worth of showers.

 

My energy is through the roof! It’s 9:56pm right now… and I’m writing this. What!? Just two months ago I would’ve already been in bed exhausted from the day. Today I went to the gym (literally got cleared today lol), home schooled my son and did stuff around the house… and I’m up writing. So crazy. This would’ve never been the case over the last seven years when my extreme fatigue began.

 

I feel more with it in the head. I don’t feel like I’m walking in a cloud, slow in the head or spacey. My brain fog has definitely lifted. I mean, again, I’m up writing this at 10pm – because I’m finally thinking clearly and alert.

 

My libido is back. I actually want to have sex again. And I am. 

 

The ringing in my ears is unnoticeable… especially at night time when it was loud, because things were quiet.

 

I have not been wearing my glasses nearly as much because my eyes don’t feel as dry or blurry. My vision started declining a lot over the last year (when my achy hip joint and shortness of breath/gasping started too).

 

And lastly, if you’ve been following me for a few years you’ll know that the lymphnode in my right armpit was a major issue (and scare) for me since October 2014. This was the first symptom, actually, that I knew something very wrong was going on in my body. Each month, two weeks before my period, it gets tender and swollen. So for two weeks it’ll pop up. I’ll get my period and then like two to three days into my period it goes away. It’ll be gone for about two weeks and then return again. Four years I’ve been dealing with this! Well guess what? Last month it never got tender or swollen. I swear to God, I hope this never returns. Come to find out, there was a ton of scar tissue wrapped around my lymphnode that was carefully released and removed. Time will tell, but I’m reeeeally hoping removing the scar tissue fixed this problem.

 

As far as my anxiety/depression bouts, whacked adrenals and whacked hormones, time will tell. But I do feel like things are definitely moving in the right direction. I talked about all my symptoms more in depth in another blog post. 

 

I was lucky (and feel very fortunate) to never have experienced heart palpitations, digestive issues/food intolerances, vertigo, numbness and tingling in my arms and breasts, weight gain, sensitive to light and sound, night sweats, fibromyalgia symptoms, headaches, candida/yeast infections, insomnia and reoccurring illness like so many others.

There is hope for you.

I know you’re probably worried that “what if it’s not from my implants, though?“, to that I’d say “regardless, implants are not supposed to be inside of you, sweetheart. They have to come out. Your immune system needs your help and this is the right thing to do.”

You’re going to be so amazed at how good you feel in just one month. I remember reading so many women’s stories up until my explant wishing and praying I would feel like them. And I do.

 

As of today, September 6th, 2018, I got cleared to exercise, swim, take a bath and go braless.

Life is good my friend.

All in all, I’m happy. I feel amazing. No regrets.

your breastie,

Christina

My Breast Implant Illness Education and Rejuvenation Facebook Group – lets stay connected!

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The Ugly Truth About Breast Implants

Today marks four weeks since I removed my silicone breast implants. I have so much that I want to update you on, but before I do…

 

let me start from the very beginning.

 

I was 23 in 2006. For four years I wanted to get breast implants. I honestly thought they’d make me happier, more confident and more attractive.

 

At this time in my life, from an outsider perspective, I was happy and confident. But inside I was insecure, scared, lost and unfulfilled in pretty much every area of my life.

 

  • I was waitressing, working late nights and going to college.
  • I was basically just making enough money to pay the bills and go on a Ross “shopping spree” once every six months.
  • My parents got divorced five years prior leaving my mom mentally ill and my relationship with my dad… well, there was barely a relationship with my dad.
  • I was dating guys, depending on them to make me happy and make me feel pretty. Two things I now realize are up to me to decide.
  • Around this time is when my binge-eating disorder started.

I was a mess. I hid it well, though.

So in November 2006 I decided to go ahead and have the procedure to get implants.

This is when everything changed.

But not right away… over the course of years.

Even with my implants, I was still:

  • insecure in my body
  • picking my body apart in the mirror
  • constantly comparing myself to other women
  • dieting, binging and over exercising to “fix” my body

They did nothing to make me feel whole or confident. Nothing.

In 2007 I was 25 and a newly certified Personal Trainer through NASM. I was heavily into fitness – obsessed really. I was also an aspiring fitness competitor. And do you know what 99% of fitness competitors have? You guessed it – implants.

Fast forward a few years, in March of 2010 I met John and in July of 2011 we had Connor… this is when things slowly started to go downhill.

I chalked up the extreme fatigue, moodiness/hormonal, low libido and brain fog to just having a baby, being a new stay at home mom and a bored house wife who’s copped up in an 800 sq. ft apartment all day with a newborn.

I can’t even tell you how many arguments John & I got into because I was too tired to go anywhere, I was too tired for sex, I was being a cranky b%*@# and I was forgetting everything. It’s a miracle we’re still together.

In September of 2014 I competed in a fitness competition – my second one in a year.

This is when things started to go downhill, FAST.

The next month, October 2014, I had a lymphnode in my right armpit get extremely tender and swollen. At first I thought I pulled something in the gym, but one night I noticed in the bathroom that it was in my armpit. When I stretched the skin, you could actually see what looked like a small olive in my armpit. Kinda between my armpit and right breast. I freaked!

I went to my gyno that week to show her. She felt it (ouch) and said something along the lines of “it feels like a lympnode, if it goes away and then comes back then go see a doctor“. She didn’t seem alarmed or concerned at all about it so I didn’t either.

About a week later it went away. Sigh of relief. But not for long.

The next month, December 2014, it returned. I really started to freak out.

This is when I began researching everything I could about lymphnodes and the lymphatic system. Something had to be reacting to my lymphnode. Lymphnodes don’t just flare up for no reason. 

This is also the time when my extreme anxiety/depression bouts and massive hair loss began, and all my other symptoms (extreme fatigue, hormonal/moodiness and brain fog) started accelerating. 

I was waking up with so much anxiety and a sick stomach every morning that I’d have to go for a walk around the block and sip on ginger tea as soon as I woke up to calm my body down. Something I’ve NEVER experienced before.

I remember my anxiety and depression was so bad that on December 31st 2014, as we were out celebrating the new year, I thought to myself “this is going to be the last time I celebrate a new year.”

I felt like I was literally dying. Like something was killing me.

I even thought I might have cancer – lymphoma &/or breast cancer because I found lumps in my right breast in January 2015 (that’s an entirely different story) and where my passion for detoxing, toxins and holistic health sparked.

I was losing sooooo much hair in the shower and in my brush that it startled the crap out of me. How am I not bald?

In 2015 I was given antibiotics, antiviral medicine and anxiety pills like it was candy. Nobody ever thought to ask me if I had foreign objects in my body. And I was told “they’re safe” back in 2006 so I never even thought to consider them.

The antibiotics and antiviral medication did absolutely nothing for my lympnode. Each month it returned. Some months it’d stay for two weeks, some months it’d stay for the entire month. I have been dealing with this issue since 2014 – for four years!

2015 was by far the worst year of my life.

  • *brain fog/memory/concentration issues
  • *extreme fatigue (even though I slept for 10 hours)
  • anxiety/depression bouts
  • *hair loss/dry thinning hair
  • *low/no libido
  • *tender lympnode in my armpit
  • *vision declining/blurry vision
  • *whacked hormones/moodiness
  • cancer scare
  • lumps found in my breast

*consistently dealing with this each day/every month

Over the course of  the following years I learned how to live with these symptoms. They became apart of me. I forgot what the old me, the real me, felt like or who she was.

In early 2017 a few more symptoms showed up:

  • shortness of breath/gasping for air
  • ringing in my ears
  • achy, stiff hip joint
  • hyperthyroid diagnosis 

12 symptoms now at this point.

Lucky for me, 2017 is the year I discovered BREAST IMPLANT ILLNESS.

What in the world? Tens of thousands of other women who have my EXACT same story and symptoms. Oh-Em-Gee.

This was both scary as crap and exciting!

I found the root cause.

So here we are, August 30th 2018 and I’m four weeks post EXPLANT.

I want to share with you what’s changed and also a message.

Since my explant:

  • my stiff, achy hip joint pain is 100% gone. I used to wake up so stiff – not anymore.
  • my shortness of breath is 100% gone. I have not gasped for air once!
  • my skin and hair are so oily and healthy looking (one of the first noticeable things to return).
  • I’m not losing much hair in the shower at all.
  • my lymphnode has not flared up. By this time of month it would have already. I had scar tissue wrapped around it – something my surgeons never seen before.
  • I have soooo much more energy and I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go.
  • my brain fog has lifted. I feel like I’m not walking in a cloud anymore.
  • my libido is baaaaaack.
  • I haven’t worn my glasses. My eyes feel less dry and blurry.
  • I don’t hear loud ringing in my ears at night anymore.

Being able to move without pain, inhale a deep satisfied breath, make it through the day without feeling tired, see and think more clearly, and watch my hair and skin produce oils again has been life changing. I’m 35. Everything I’ve gone through should not happen to a young 30-something.

You can not convince me that breast implants are 100% safe.

It’s not a coincidence that as soon as I get my implants removed 90% of my symptoms (symptoms I’ve dealt with for four years) are gone. Not kinda gone – 100% G.O.N.E.

  1. Will everyone experience Breast Implant Illness? No. It’s about 50/50. With this being said, everyone will have an immune response, though. From day one your body will start fighting them. Overtime this will become very taxing for your body – this is a fact.
  2. Is it worth taking the chance to see how your body will respond? No. Not only is it a possible waste of money, it’s not worth the risks.
  3. Will they make you happier and more confident? Who knows, but for me they did not.

Getting my implants removed was the bravest thing I’ve ever done. I’m at a place in my life where 1. I just want to feel healthy, 2. I love my body just as it is, and 3. my health comes first.

Who am I to teach others about health and self-love if I have breast implants? That did not feel aligned or authentic to me.

In March 2017, the FDA finally issued a warning that breast implants cause BIA-ALCL cancer, a cancer of the immune system.

It does not matter if you have silicone or saline implants, they’re both toxic.

  • Saline implants have a silicone shell and can harbor mold, bacteria and fungus due to faulty valves.
  • Silicone implants, specifically the cohesive gel, seem to be the worst because they contain more aggressive chemicals.

Both saline and silicone implants have over 40 known toxins, impair the immune system and release toxins because the shell deteriorates and breaks down over time.

Here’s my message to you,

Breasts do not make you “more womanly” – whatever that means.

You’re beautiful, just as you are.

You are enough, just as you are.

You are more than your breast size.

Having confidence has nothing to do with your looks or breast size.

You are deserving of love, respect and recognition, right now, as you are.

It’s time to put yourself first. Fall in love with your body. Respect your body. Embrace your body. Be patient with your body. Nobody is supposed to make you happy or tell you you’re beautiful – that’s something you give and tell yourself.

Resources to fill your mind and heal your body:

Breast Implant Illness Rejuvenation and Education with Christina (Private Facebook Group)

Size: Happy With Christina Instagram Page

here’s to self-love & vibrant health,

Christina Roulund