@laurenmayy_ ⁣ I’ve gone back and forth about whether or not to share this but I’m doing so because if it weren’t for the women before me speaking publicly about their own problems, I’d never have known how their stories related to mine. More than a decade of bullying focused on my appearance and subsequently feeling like I didn’t resemble a ‘real’ woman had me consumed by major depression, so at the age of 19 I had a breast augmentation. After only 4 years of having my implants I was living on painkillers and always in agony, after investigation it was suspected one of the implants had dropped because of complications. I went back in for revision to have my implants replaced and I came out of my second augmentation with an infection so severe a PICC line was inserted which stayed pumping heavy duty antibiotics 24/7 over several months. Since then I have lived with so many hectic symptoms, ✖️breast pain ✖️breast swelling ✖️fatigue/weakness/brain fog ✖️chronic inflammation/slow healing ✖️arthritic joint pain ✖️hair loss & alopecia ✖️weight gain ✖️limb numbness ✖️insomnia ✖️angioedema/allergic reactions ✖️heart irregularities ✖️swollen lymph nodes and lotss more. I always assumed these were related to my autoimmune diseases or it was normal due to having such invasive surgeries, It wasn’t until recently my GP informed me of the link between everything that’s been happening and all the emerging evidence of Breast Implant Illness. If I’m honest, I had heard this term thrown around before and was skeptical it was a legitimate thing. I didn’t want to acknowledge that my implants could be contributing to how awful I’ve felt all these years. Whilst I really love how natural my boobs look I’ll be saying goodbye and prioritising my health over aesthetics, if there’s even a slight chance to alleviate some of these health issues then removal is worth it. I was guaranteed mine were safe but they’ve since been recalled with links to multiple cancers. There’s also now a black box warning on all implants. The risks of keeping them in are just too great at this point. I don’t have the quality of life I should at 33. Cont in comments @laurenmayy_ page