Breast Implant Illness: Shelby’s Explant Journey and Why YOU Are Not Alone
Episode 13: Show Notes.
more info at www.momsweatsanity.com
If you haven’t heard of breast implant illness, that is because it’s a relatively new term for a condition that hasn’t been fully defined and isn’t yet medically recognized, at least not in an official capacity. Today, you hear from Shelby Kennedy. Yes, the same Shelby Kennedy you heard from a few weeks back, but this wife, mother, business owner, and fashion and lifestyle influencer is here to talk about a completely different topic – today, Shelby sheds some light on the world of breast implant illness, otherwise known as BII. In this episode, Shelby unpacks BII and shares a bit about her symptoms and her post-operative recovery. Learn about the full timeline of Shelby’s struggle with BII – from the first symptoms until her explant surgery – and find out what she learned along the way about advocating for her own health and trusting her gut. Most importantly, Shelby wants others suffering from this debilitating disease to know that they are not alone, and she urges women who suspect their implants are making them sick to do their research and reach out to her if they feel they need support. Tune in today to find out more.
Key Points From This Episode:
- How old Shelby was when she got breast implants and why she decided to get them.
- Making the connection between her symptoms and her implants took Shelby a long time.
- Her symptoms started after four months, including painful ovarian cysts and gut issues.
- Hear the full timeline of Shelby’s struggle with BII, up until she tried to have a baby and was diagnosed with endometriosis.
- Dealing with chronic pain and coping with loss after having both fallopian tubes removed.
- After being diagnosed with a late stage seroma, Shelby had two choices: Remove her implants or replace them.
- The dialogue (or lack of dialogue) around the risks associated with breast implants.
- Shelby talks about giving up her last chance to carry a child after having a full hysterectomy.
- One benefit of the hysterectomy was that Shelby could stop taking prescription painkillers.
- In early 2019, Shelby started to experience unexplained bruising and chronic fatigue.
- Come June 2019, Shelby started experiencing terrifying symptoms, and she lists all of them in case they resonate with anyone listening.
- A neurologist told Shelby she had functional neurological disorder, which means they couldn’t link her symptoms to any disease.
- Deciding to take another route, Shelby advocated for her own health and visited a naturopath.
- How, when a friend told Shelby that she believed her implants were making her sick, Shelby had a light bulb moment.
- Shelby explains why – even if she has no proof – she believes BII gave her endometriosis.
- How implants can cause autoimmune conditions from the body rejecting a foreign entity.
- Finally, Shelby had her implants removed in February 2020 and everything changed.
- Whether or not cosmetic surgeons recognize BII and the benefits of explants.
- How common BII is – Shelby discovered that a disturbing number of women are sick.
- Shelby urges women who suspect they have BII to do their research and to reach out to her.
- Shelby asks listeners what they would sacrifice for perfect breasts.
- Find out why Shelby chose to document her journey with BII and how she connected with Explant Liaison in the US.
- Recovery isn’t linear, and Shelby speaks candidly about the medications still needs.
Tweetables:
“[For] my own personal reasons and my own struggles and challenges, I had two choices. One would be to remove my breast implants and go without, and the second would be to replace them. I chose to replace them, unfortunately.” — Shelby Kennedy [0:15:37]
“You need to advocate for your own health because, right now, don’t let anyone tell you that there is a test that is going to tell you that it’s breast implant illness.” — Shelby Kennedy [0:30:04]
“How could my beloved breast implants – that cost me thousands of dollars and, I understood, made me feel great and sexy and all these amazing things – be making me sick for eight years? I was flabbergasted.” — Shelby Kennedy [0:31:58]
“No one is going to validate you. I think, at this point, the medical system has failed us. I know that there are a lot of people advocating, there are a lot of people trying to get the word out, and to get more tests done, and to get these women and question them, try to make connections.” — Shelby Kennedy [0:45:00]
“[Recovery is] a constant process of letting go and moving forward, a constant process of accepting and living for the now.” — Shelby Kennedy [0:56:37]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
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After years of bringing MOMS together by hosting evening get-togethers over glasses of wine, no kids or partners and a whole lot of common complaints, Brittany decided it was time to bring her female driven topics and #momdiscoveries to the podcasting platform. Here she talks all things life, health, fitness, kids, relationships – you name it, nothing is off the table! Diving deeper into all things motherhood & womanhood, she interviews some incredible guests finding tips and tricks, parenting hacks and longevity tips to make the most of our lives while keeping our sanity in check! It's time to get real, let go of the expectations we feel from the outside and begin to live a life of fulfillment. Show yourself some self love and take some selfcare time to listen in weekly!
show notes found at www.momsweatsanity.com