Beyond Beauty: The Shocking Truth About Breast Implants and Your Health

Ten years ago, like many women, I got breast implants to feel like my pre-baby self again. I didn’t do much research—figured as long as they didn’t rupture, I was good. Wrong. There are hidden dangers doctors and surgeons aren’t telling you, or if they are, it’s not enough to make you think twice.

I was an Army soldier—strong, competitive, and healthy. Never been sick or had surgery, so I thought, “What could go wrong?”

In March 2013, I got the surgery. A month later, I was hospitalized with a random kidney infection. The doctors were baffled, and I chalked it up to too much beer—totally not true if you know me! But that’s the story I told myself. By month two, I was back to camping and hiking, but that weird kidney thing lingered in my mind.

Fast forward to 2016. I hurt my leg while camping and figured it was just the old Army injuries—bursitis, nerve damage, the usual. But my health kept declining. Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue—doctors couldn’t explain it. I tried everything, but nothing worked. Eventually, they said it was all in my head. That crushed me. Friends stopped calling, I struggled to work, and I withdrew, feeling like I was dying with no answers.

By 2018, I gave up on doctors. I stopped working out, barely left the house, and lived in pain. I kept blaming my leg, but deep down, I knew something else was wrong.

In 2019, I tried yoga and healthy eating again, but new symptoms popped up—food allergies, electrical shocks, ringing in my ears. My skin wasn’t purging toxins, and I even started showing MS-like symptoms. By 2020, I was setting limits just to function, but I still felt off.

In 2021, it got worse. Breathing issues, brain fog and panic attacks—I thought I was dying. The allergist found nothing but a grass allergy and wanted to put me on acid reflux meds because she didn’t know what else to do. I wasn’t about to trade one issue for another, so I went full Paleo—gave up coffee and everything acidic. A year later, I felt better but still not right.

Then, in March 2022, after I decided to go back to my regular foods and drinks, my body gave me the biggest wake-up call. I woke up in the middle of the night in anaphylactic shock—face swollen, unable to breathe. I was terrified. Doctors had no answers. I was convinced it was all the military vaccines, especially Anthrax. Then, I stumbled on Gulf War Illness and saw a mention of breast implants. Lightbulb moment.

I remembered my cousin telling me about a TikTok she saw where a woman was sick from her implants and got better after having them removed. I ignored it at the time because, well, TikTok, but suddenly it all made sense. I looked up Breast Implant Illness, and there it was—everything I was going through. My implants were poisoning me.

Once I realized this, I immediately scheduled a consultation for explant surgery, but it was three months away. Well, my body wasn’t going to wait. Within a week of that phone call, I went into another anaphylactic shock. I called my surgeon and said, “I don’t have three months left.” Thankfully, he agreed. He knew the minute he saw me—I was dying.

Now, two years post-op, I’m alive again and I feel great! Minus that leg injury! My body is taking time to heal. The chemicals and metals wrecked my gut and body systems.

That near-death experience changed everything. I lost faith in traditional doctors and meds, but I learned so much about natural healing. I study homeopathy, functional nutrition, and natural remedies. I’ve become a bit of a detective—I can look at hair and skin and know what’s going on with a person's health.

I recognize that our healthcare system is broken, and people aren’t getting the help they need. It’s not just about breast implants anymore—this was just the catalyst!

How Breast Implants Wreak Havoc:

Let’s talk about leaching—it’s what happens when breast implants break down and start releasing their materials, like silicone, saline, or heavy metals, into your body over time. Sounds fun, right? Here’s how this mess goes down:

When you get implants, your immune system sees them as foreign invaders. It immediately builds a protective barrier, known as scar tissue (or a capsule), around them. This is your body’s way of isolating the implant to keep it from causing too much damage. But over time, as the implants degrade, they begin releasing chemicals, silicone particles, and other toxins into your system.

When this happens, your lymphatic system jumps into action, trying to pull these toxins out and transport them to your detox organs (like your liver and kidneys) for elimination. But as more toxins leach from the implants, the lymphatic system becomes overwhelmed. It dumps these toxins into your organs, which can’t keep up with the overload.

The result? Your organs become clogged and dysfunctional. Your liver, for example, gets backed up and can’t break down and eliminate the toxins fast enough. This creates a vicious cycle where toxins build up in your body, leading to chronic inflammation and immune system dysfunction.

If you smoke, drink alcohol, or eat processed foods loaded with seed oils, you're just pouring gasoline on the fire. These habits add more toxins, making it harder for your body to function properly. Now, not only are your implants leaching chemicals, but your lifestyle choices are contributing to the overload. It’s a recipe for disaster.

That’s exactly what happened to me. My immune system was so overwhelmed, my digestive system just gave up. My body couldn’t figure out what was harmful anymore, so it stopped accepting food altogether. That’s why after I came off my "cancer patient" diet, my body freaked out! It was already working overtime to purge toxins, so when I reintroduced my regular food, it completely overloaded my system.

I became malnourished and, honestly, a skeleton of my former self. This is what happens when your body can't keep up with purging toxins—it just starts shutting down. That’s why it’s so important to listen to your body, cut out the extra toxins, and recognize the warning signs before things spiral out of control.

The Lyme Disease Confusion:

My blood work also showed I had Lyme disease, but I didn’t treat it because I knew the symptoms were really from the chemicals in my implants. Turns out, the toxins from the implants can mimic Lyme disease in the body! One year after having my implants removed, I got another blood test and—shocker—no more Lyme disease. Proof that the implants were the real culprit all along.

The Bigger Picture:

Here’s what I’ve since learned: doctors use reference ranges when reading blood work—basically a scale of what’s considered “normal” based on averages across a large population. If your numbers fall within that range, they often dismiss any issues, even if you're barely scraping by. But here’s the problem: “normal” doesn’t mean optimal, and just because your results are in the range doesn’t mean you’re actually healthy. Doctors tend to treat the number, not the patient. That’s why so many women, myself included, are told everything looks fine when we’re far from it. I had no idea that my lab results, while technically "normal," were so close to dangerous levels. It’s wild to think that doctors overlook these nuances, especially when symptoms are screaming at us that something’s wrong.

In the end, it all comes down to trusting yourself and listening to your body. We’re taught to rely on doctors and dismiss our symptoms if lab work comes back "fine," but as I’ve learned, those numbers don’t always tell the full story. If something feels off, don’t let anyone—doctor or not—convince you it’s all in your head. Dig deeper, ask questions, and be your own advocate. Whether it’s breast implants, chronic fatigue, or that nagging feeling that something’s just not right, don’t settle for “normal.” Your health is worth fighting for, and sometimes it takes more than a blood test to get the answers you need. And remember, the doctor works for you. Ask questions, challenge their answers—don’t just settle for what they say because they have medical training! And always seek a natural option first! What’s being prescribed to you is only covering the symptoms, which can cause more symptoms, leading to more meds and more health problems.

Final Thoughts:

Looking back, I can see now that the kidney infection was from the toxins leaching from my implants. But not one doctor ever asked if I had breast implants. Whenever a woman tells me she’s not feeling well, my first question is, “Do you have implants?” That should’ve been one of the first things I was asked. Sure, I didn’t write it down on my medical forms because, at the time, I didn’t think breast implants could cause health problems—it felt like my private business and irrelevant. But after rattling off all my symptoms, you’d think a doctor might ask, “Hey, any chance you have breast implants?”

The truth is, not all doctors accept that Breast Implant Illness (BII) is real. That’s why I sought out a surgeon who actually gets it. He’s written award-winning papers on the dangers of implants, and he even talks women out of getting them. That’s a doctor who upholds his oath. He doesn’t just go along with the mainstream narrative; he listens, researches, and prioritizes his patients' health. It’s one of the many reasons I respect him so much.

That was just a brief description of the symptoms I experienced with Breast Implant Illness (BII)—I had a laundry list of problems! Pretty much had all of these symptoms listed in the graphic! Many of them I brushed off as just part of the aging process. But now, knowing what I do, I’m horrified that breast implants are still being pushed as safe. I can’t stop advocating about the dangers. Women are being misled, and the FDA and surgeons are in bed together—it’s all about the money.

If you’re on Facebook, I highly encourage you to check out the group that saved my life and the lives of my friends. Breast Implant Illness and Healing by Nicole.

It’s been a game-changer. Also, if you can, watch the documentary Explant on Paramount and listen to the podcast Killer Boobies. All my research led me to health, and now I’m determined to share it and educate women.

If it wasn’t for the women before me speaking out—despite doctors calling us crazy—I probably wouldn’t be here. And that makes me think of all the women who have died because their implants were killing them and no one realized it. This is why we have to keep talking about it.

And as I wrap up the longest blog of my life, I hope you see why I’m doing what I’m doing. I’m changing my career with the hope of helping people recognize the pitfalls of our healthcare system and the unrealistic expectations placed on women. We deserve better than being dismissed, misled, and left in the dark about our health. This isn’t just about me—it’s about empowering others to take control of their health and challenge the system that’s failing us.

  Can Chemicals in Breast Implants be the Source of Illness?

Breast implants, heavy metals & autoimmune disorders: What should be in FDA warnings? | National Center for Health Research