Staying Informed
- Real Housewives of Orange County alum Tamra Judge is bravely sharing her unfortunate breast implant illness journey with her followers.
- The melanoma survivor, 53, just had her implants removed, and is already showing health improvements because of it.
- Breast Implant Illness can occur directly after surgery or years down the road; One survivor shares her story about why she decided to “go flat.”
The melanoma survivor, 53, just had her implants removed, and although she has suffered some side effects, the reality star-turned-realtor reported that she is feeling better and remains hopeful that she will continue to improve over the coming weeks.
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Learning About Breast Implant Illness
According to breastcancer.org, “BII” is used to “refer to a wide range of symptoms that can develop after undergoing reconstruction or cosmetic augmentation with breast implants.” It can sometimes be an autoimmune type of response, and people can get BII with any type of breast implant.
For the most part, BII impacts people in a different way. Symptoms can include:
- joint and muscle pain
- chronic fatigue
- memory and concentration problems
- breathing problems
- sleep disturbance
- rashes and skin problems
- dry mouth and dry eyes
- anxiety
- depression
- headaches
- hair loss
- gastrointestinal problems
The symptoms may be present directly after surgery or years after surgery.
Implants After Surgery? You Have a Choice.
Many breast cancer survivors choose to get reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy, which is having their breast or breasts removed, but it’s also important to know that more and more women are choosing to go “flat,” and not get implants, which has been quite an empowering movement. Every woman’s breast cancer battle is uniquely their own, and the good news is it’s your decision what to do to your body, obviously with the guidance of your medical team.
Related: For Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy, Women May Choose 'Now,' 'Later,' or 'Never'
The women opting to "go flat" after surgery by choosing not to have breast reconstruction are doing so for a variety of reasons, including the desire to just be done with surgery. For many, it's a bold decision that flies in the face of convention.
"A lot of us women are sticking together and helping each other through this journey of being this new look," says an artist and survivor we spoke with, Marianne Cuozzo. "We're trying to make it so that it's not this stigma."
Cuozzo wasn’t quite ready for the impact that she would make by sharing her story. “I’ve helped a lot of women that I had no idea that I was helping,” she admits. “I do a lot of photo shoots showing my scars, and I didn’t realize the reaction. And then all of a sudden, I’m sharing this with other people and they’re seeing this and encouraging them to take another step of maybe don’t get reconstruction.”
“Just remove your breasts,” she says, “go flat, feel good about yourself.”
The Flat Movement Embracing Your Body After Treatment
Implant Reconstruction After a Mastectomy The Options
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