SIX STEPS TO FREEDOM FROM YOUR BREAST IMPLANTS
1) Breathe
This is a HUGE step to not only help get your health back but, more importantly, get YOU back. This process will be challenging, physically and emotionally, so take a deep breath and prepare for freedom. Freedom from being that person you thought you were supposed to be and get ready to rediscover the real you. You are brave, girl! Give yourself a big hug! And just think, soon you will be able to give yourself a bigger hug! Ha!
2) Decide
This is a big decision so research, research, and research some more! But don’t let that intimidate you. There are many resources. A book I found to be the most complete (and compassionate) step-by-step guide is Killer Breasts by Diane Kazer who, in addition to being an expert in functional medicine, experienced her own explant journey. It’s also important to talk with your family or friends about your decision so they are on board and ready to support you through to the new you!
3) Prepare
Can you imagine waking up and deciding you’re going to run a marathon that day? Without preparing? Or running the marathon without proper training? I can’t stress enough how important it is to be prepared for your explant. It can save you money from unnecessary labs, time from unnecessary appointments, pain from a lengthier healing process, and it will give you peace of mind before, during, and after your surgery! You need to prepare your body and your mind.
Body:
- It’s important to know if your detox pathways are open. Otherwise, you will not eliminate toxins from your body and they will get reabsorbed. Not pretty. A functional medicine practitioner will know how to check this, and whether your genes are ‘detox friendly’ like your MTHFR and HLA genes.
- What you put into your body is what you get out. This is the time to buckle down on your diet and eat clean. Aim for 80% whole foods, mostly plant-based. Depending on how much time you have prior to surgery, check into doing a 2 or 3-week cleanse. That can give your body an advantage by going into the surgery ‘cleaned-up.’
- If you exercise regularly, keep it up before your surgery. If you don’t exercise, try to at least get your body moving. Take walks, take the stairs, do some stretching. Anything to help prepare your body. Movement helps to keep the lymphatic system flowing which will be important for your healing.
- Sleep as much as you can. Don’t take this as an excuse to be lazy, LOL, but aim for 7-9 hours nightly. Being well-rested before surgery can really help.
- It’s important to know which supplements to avoid prior to a surgery, and which supplements can support you prior to surgery. The same goes for after your surgery.
Mind:
- It’s really important for your overall healing to address your ‘why.’
Why did you get your implants? Ya gotta dig deep on this one. My ‘why’ was to feel normal, to fit in, to feel sexy. But I realized I was doing it to satisfy other people, not myself. Truthfully, I felt ‘fake’ and vain with my implants. I lost so much of ME when I put those things into my body. What’s your why?
- Until past trauma is healed, or at least addressed or recognized, true healing will never happen. It’s possible you have trauma you don’t even know about or you may think it’s not a big deal. It is. Your healing depends on getting this figured out.
- Who will you be without your boobs?! Are you ready to be that person? I can tell you I do not know one person who explanted and regretted it. In fact, many women (myself included) were surprised at how emotionally free they felt after explant!
Support:
- Family — ideally, they will be by your side… literally. Be sure to have someone who can stay with you for at least a few days after surgery. Believe it or not, you will likely need help with tasks like opening water bottles or prescription pill bottles (I couldn’t open the push-down child protective caps, and even had trouble with pumping soap dispensers!)
- Friends — they are usually the person who will support you unconditionally and without judgment. Find at least one.
- Facebook — look for a breast implant illness group you resonate with. They can answer a lot of your questions (having been through surgery,) and alleviate many fears!
- FDN-P — Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner. They can help you with detox solutions, lab results, root causes, etc., that many surgeons or conventional doctors simply do not address. This one is non-negotiable in my opinion. Find a good one who can help you heal post-explant.
Celebrate:
- Have a Bye-Bye Booby party (I prefer that over Ta-Ta T*tty) LOL
- Some have had a light-hearted ‘funeral’ for their boobs. I.P!!
- Think of other fun ways to bid adieu to your boobs!
4) Detox
I mention some ideas above in Prepare/Body but take a deeper dive into detoxing not just your body but your environment. We are literally being bombarded with toxins from our food, air, water, products, and more. DAILY detox is becoming more and more essential.
Home:
- Do an inventory of products in your laundry room, bathroom, kitchen. Try to avoid all products with ‘fragrance’ including air purifiers, candles, lotions, hair products, perfume, laundry, etc. They’re everywhere!
- Do an inventory of your pantry and frig for processed foods – limit these as much as possible. Better yet, avoid buying in the first place!
- Find a filter for your tap water. A whole-house water purifier would be ideal to avoid showering in chlorine and other contaminants. Or, purchase individual filters for showerheads and your kitchen tap.
- Our indoor air is increasingly more toxic than outdoor air. Invest in a quality air purifier. My favorites are from Intellipure and AirDoctor.
- Most homes have mold in some form. And 1 in 4 people, due to a genetic predisposition, have the inability to process mycotoxins from mold. survivingmold.com for more info. www.mycometrics.com provides testing. Choose the vacuum test if your house is mostly carpet, the dust sample test if mostly wood/tile floors.
- Friends/Family. Yes, detox the toxic people in your life. When you are healing you need to be surrounded by people helping you, not hurting. And that goes for social media. Stop engaging with anyone/anything not on the same ‘vibe’ level as you. This healing process is raising your vibration – some will try to keep you at their low level so that may mean leaving some people behind!
5) Heal
Mind:
- Remember, healing is so much more than just the physical body. Learn to avoid triggers for old thought patterns. And if you can’t avoid them, be aware of them so you can shift your thinking. Sometimes it can be a person who triggers you or, it could be a situation. I would wake up every day thinking about what hurt in my body (which was often the pain in my left breast.) Once I decided to get the explant, in the weeks leading up to it, I would wake up and go to sleep thinking something positive by saying, “I am healed, I am happy, I am WHOLE.” Swear to God it worked, after a few days my pain all but went away. Shows you the power of the mind!
Body:
- Most of our immune system is in our gut. Work with a functional medicine practitioner or nutritionist to address any issues with your gut. Getting the right labs done ideally a couple of months post-explant, can provide valuable information. This is where working with someone very familiar with labs is super important (and one of the reasons I recommend Diane Kazer. She is a lab master. While she charges a lot for her services, she could potentially save you from hundreds of dollars in unnecessary labs or having your labs read incorrectly. Many surgeons, even Naturopathic Doctors, are not familiar with labs to best get to the root cause. Symptoms you attributed to your implants could very well be caused by dental work, parasites, mold exposure, or even Lyme disease. She can share more: dianekazer.com/call
- Again, exercise, sleep, and diet can make or break your healing. Choose wisely.
- Your scars will need attention.
My daily routine included……..
*Topically on the scars:
RLT (Red Light Therapy) — 10 minutes each scar, with a portable device. TrueLight Energy Scarlet Lux
ASEA Renu28 Revitalizing Redox Gel — a cellular-rejuvenating gel. Apply liberally at least twice a day.
High-quality arnica oil for pain (then switched to organic vitamin E oil)
Plant-Based, Certified Organic Aloe Vera Lotion with antioxidants, probiotics, and plant extracts.
DIY blend of any of these essential oils: frankincense, lavender, tea tree, helichrysum, and patchouli (all promote wound healing and decrease inflammation) Purehaven Comfort Oil w/helichrysum, frankincense, lavender.
I did not apply all at the same time but, instead, throughout the day as needed or recommended.
Consider massage when you get the all-clear by your surgeon. I looked for someone who specializes in lymph massage (some even do breastwork) also chiropractic care (great for your ANS), and acupuncture — I had needles put into my scars – not as bad as it seems!
*Supplements:
- ASEA Redox – a cell signaling liquid supplement that positively impacts the cellular health of every system of the body. I’d been regularly taking 2 oz twice a day but increased it to 3oz/2oz/3oz daily. (You’ll need to start with 2 oz daily if you’re new to ASEA)
- Arnica pain relief tablets I started 3 days prior then took 2 every 2-4 hours post-surgery, to manage pain. Less pain — 1 3x a day)
- Inflammatone — ingredients provide natural anti-inflammatory effects, support healthy lymphatic drainage and protect against oxidative stress.
- Oregano oil softgels (DoTerra) — strong antioxidant activity.
- A good probiotic — adds good gut bacteria, crucial when you’re taking antibiotics.
- Binders — Activated charcoal or other forms of binders will help remove toxins. GI Detox is my fav. MUST be taken separately from other medications/supplements!
- CBD — (only if you’re familiar with a trusted brand or have a history of using CBD products.) Ask your doctor about this.
- I continued my normal immune support with Liposomal Vitamin C and Vitamin D.
Get your practitioner’s advice on a protocol best suited for your needs.
Diane Kazer has a full protocol and comprehensive list of supplements to support explant healing. I highly recommend her book and/or online course, Killer Breasts. www.dianekazer.com
Spirit:
- Having a ‘higher power’ to support you can go a long way in your healing. Whether it’s God, the Universe, Buddha, or anything you connect with on a spiritual level, I found it incredibly comforting to pray (and have others pray for me.) Meditation also helps to calm the mind (if you can sit in stillness) You certainly don’t have to follow any ‘rules’ with praying or meditating — do what feels right for you!
6) Celebrate:
Yes!!!! You did it! Welcome to your new you! You deserve to celebrate! How?
- Have a party (after you’re feeling better, of course) Freedom theme? Or, to thank those who helped you?
- Go shopping to celebrate your new, healthy body!