A WOMAN who only felt confident having sex “in the dark” due to her “sagging breasts” was horrified when her new size-E boobs began ‘poisoning’ her from the inside.
Danielle Watts forked out £5,000 for a boob job in 2020, after years of feeling insecure about their shape.
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The 32-year-old lost four-stone and said the weight loss had affected the pertness of her breasts, prompting her to go under the knife a year later.
Danielle, who works as a compliance officer, was initially pleased with the result of her implants.
But she soon began experiencing strange symptoms.
Danielle, who lives in Castleford, West Yorkshire, was suffering with constant colds, headaches, fatigue, unexplained rashes, sinus infections, and other mysterious illnesses.
After visiting the doctor more than 20 times across four years, Danielle was left baffled over the cause of her deteriorating health – until she stumbled upon a forum online about Breast Implant Illness (BII).
Although the condition isn’t formally recognised by the NHS, the term is used to describe a range of symptoms that some people with breast implants experience including: chronic fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, muscle aches and pains, joint pain, hair loss, dry eyes, mouth, hair, skin, and more.
Exasperated with her debilitating symptoms, Danielle opted to spend another £9,000 to undergo an ‘explant’ last month, hoping her health would finally improve after the removal of her “toxic” implants.
Since the removal op she has already felt like she has more energy and now feels like she can “start to live her life again”.
Danielle said: “I was always really self-conscious about my breasts.
“When I met my partner, I wouldn’t really let him see them because I felt that bad about them that I went and had the surgery done.
“I wasn’t confident, even though I was comfortable with him. It would depend on the environment – if it was dark I felt okay. He was very reassuring but I still felt adamant I wanted them done.
“They weren’t full at the top and I hated the way they looked. I wanted to do it for my confidence.
“When I lost four stone, I noticed they were really sagging and wanted to get them done.”
Danielle forked out £5,000 on the breast augmentation in 2020 – and went up two cup sizes from a C to an E after the surgery.
After years of suffering and being so sad I started to think, could it be my implants? As a foreign body, my body could be fighting against them constantly and this is why I am suffering
Danielle Watts
However, a year or so after going under the knife, Danielle began experiencing a number of unexplained health issues.
Danielle said: “I was just getting really bad sinus infections, nosebleeds, migraines, and headaches. I was then diagnosed with chronic rhinitis and sinusitis and suffering from persistent sinus infections.
“Every other week my body would feel like I had the flu even though I didn’t. The common cold would take me a lot longer to recover from than normal. I have had ringing in my ears and vision problems.
“I felt zapped of energy all the time. My immune system was so suppressed. I then developed an autoimmune rash which shows randomly on my face and chest then goes.
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“I have suffered from constant inflammation showing in my bloods but with no clarification of where this was coming from.
“After years of suffering and being so sad I started to think, could it be my implants? As a foreign body, my body could be fighting against them constantly and this is why I am suffering.”
‘Not worth it’
Danielle began researching her symptoms online when she stumbled upon websites and forums about BII, quickly realising her condition matched that of other women with breast implants.
This prompted Danielle to go under the knife again last month and pay £8,000 to have her breast implants removed.
Danielle said: “I just thought I need to be me again. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt like myself. I stopped going out with friends because I didn’t have any energy.
“I retracted myself from friends. I was getting poorly so much. I just thought it can’t be anything else.
Worrying symptoms to get after a boob job
As with any surgery, complications can occur after getting breast implants.
According to the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), complications occur in less than one in 100 operations.
These may include:
- Bleeding into the space around the implant, causing the breast to become swollen and tight
- Infection, causing redness, tenderness and discharge
- Asymmetry in the size, shape or position – though it’s important to understand that it’s never possible to make your breasts look exactly alike
- Stretch marks may develop after surgery, especially with larger implant sizes and veins may become more noticeable on the breast surface
- Scarring – after a boob job the body forms a scar, called a capsule around the implant that fixes it in place. In most people this is not obvious and the breast feels soft and looks natural, but for some the breast becomes very firm and round
- Rupture of the implant shell, causing a leak that may lead to a chance in size, shape or consistency of the breast
Signs of Breast Implant Illness (BII)
The number of people reporting symptoms of BII seems to be growing, but doctors and researchers are still trying to understand what causes BII and how best to treat it.
Some experts believe BII symptoms may be caused by an autoimmune or inflammatory reaction to breast implants.
Symptoms can include:
- Chronic fatigue
- Joint and muscle pain
- Memory and concentration problems
- Breathing problems
- Sleep disturbance
- Rashes and other skin problems
- Dry mouth and dry eyes
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Headaches
- Hair loss
- Gastrointestinal problems
Sources: Breastcancer.org, BAPRAS
“I regret ever getting them in. Since getting them out, I feel like I’ve got more energy already.
“I feel like I can start my life again and I haven’t physically got that weight on my chest anymore.
“It’s not worth it. I’m not bothered about what they look like, I just don’t want them inside me anymore.
“It’s everyone’s own choice to get their boobs done but people should bear this in mind. You never think you’ll end up with this.”
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