Hi,

Thank you for your e mail.

I was trying to contact Christene purely for information purposes, however, perhaps you know of someone else who may be of help to me.

I currently live in Tenerife but am British. I have many health issues relating to ruptured silicone implants. I have joined an American Support Group who have been fabulous and a great source of information for me, however, I need to know certain laws which the American Ladies cannot really help me on as the American laws are obviously different to ours. I presume that my information I require will be governed by the EU laws though its a strange one being in Tenerife, we come under Spain for some things and not for others.

I had trilucent soja implants in April 1998 which were implanted by a plastic surgeon in Tenerife.

In 2000, a neighbour showed me an article in an english newspaper, recalling all women who had had the operation informing them to have them removed. I was then 5 months pregnant. I went to see the surgeon who said he knew nothing about it and that I was OK. After the birth of my Daughter, the right implant looked deformed and deflated. (Shortly after the implants I developed an itching in my arms that drove me crazy and I was under a skin specialist, who could draw no conclusions for the itching and burning feeling. I was put on anti hystamins for the duration). I went back to see the surgeon and he took one look at me and said they had to come out immediately and that I had to have Silicone Implants in. I said I did not want silicone but he said they were silicone gel and SAFE. I asked him about the itching and he said it wasnt connected to the implants.

In June 2001 i was explanted and implanted in one procedure. i received 5250.00 pounds in compensation from the Trilucent company.

After two days of implantation, the itching returned.

After six months, I returned to see the surgeon as my right breast looked slightly deflated and the left one was hard. He told me to massage them more.!!

Over the last six years my health has deteriorated. i have seen so many specialist, bone, skin etc. I was diagnosed with arthritis and nodule arthritis due to the fact that my fingers were deforming, the skin on my knuckles had gone thick and hard and my hands were ugly and looked like they belonged to a 60 year old woman - I am now 44. I also noticed that my arms were looking thinner, the muscles were wasting and the itching and bujrning was unbearable. The joint pains were terrible, hips, lower back, shoulders, knees and wrists. I was beginning to look ill and 10 years older.

6 months ago, I decided to go and talk to an English Doctor here in Tenerife. This was prompted by the fact that I had twice had to attend casualty as my foot gave way and the pain was excrutiating without any cause. The hospital was baffled and strapped it up and put me on crutches for 4 days. The same happened to my hand. Then I developed a very painful abcess on the top of my leg which eventually leaked poison. I felt like I was falling to pieces. I had no energy, could not concentrate and felt generally ill all the time. I asked her if the problems in my arms could be because i believed that the implants were leaking and had been for some time. She agreed with me, AT LAST someone was listening, and sent me for an Eco Scan.

My fears were confirmed. I then had to have an MRI Scan which also confirmed my fears. Leakage, gel bleed, rupture, deformed to mention but a few of the words written on the results.

I have seen a surgeon for explantation and had to beg him to remove the capsular and not just the implant. (Had it not been for my American friends, I would not have known anything about En Bloc procedure). I told him that I thought all my illnesses are linked to silicone poisoning but he says its RARE. I think he thinks I am a nutter.

He wants me to see a bone specialist again but I said I will not get better until these toxic bombs are out. I have an appointment on 12th April for a pre-op and my operation for explantation is scheduled for 24th April.

The surgeon who did my operation originally has been removed from the Island for not having the correct qualifications!!

I also feel that I have a further case against Trilucent Soja as I only had implants in the first place because these were considered SAFE as a pose to silicone but ended up with toxic bombs anyway.

Amanda.