Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 15:15:19 -0500

Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 22:08:38 -0800

Hi, I am Maddy and have been with this group for along time now, but for the past year I have not been much support or help to anyone. I feel bad about this, but it was beyond my control. I have had a terrible year starting with emerency angioplasty while on vacation in Florida then 2 months later my gallbladder removed followed by open heart surgery (3 way bypass) last March.

Just when I was beginning to think I was going to recover from open heart...I slipped into a coma this past August and was in the hospital 3 weeks in renal failure. While still in the coma my husband and oldest daughter were told to alert other family members as I was not expected to live.

I am mentioning these things because I firmly believe that implants and all the surgeries from complications caused by them and the TRAM-FLAP have weakened me, my immune system and destroyed my physical and a lot of my mental health!!

I understand that your age may make an impact on your decision. I was younger than you are by about 8 or 9 years when I lost my breast and had implants. My implants were a nightmare from the beginning and the TRAM was much worse.

I was 43 or 44 when the implants were finally removed and the tram was done and the tram was an enormous mistake!! I would never recommend it and God only knows how much I wish I could turn back time!

It was a 9 1/2 hour surgery and more painful than any I had ever had or have had since. Infection in the mesh that is put into the abdominal wall can be a dreadful thing to get rid of. I spent 2 straight months in the hospital for just that about 5 weeks after I had come home from having the tram.

It appeared to be going away, but within 2 months it appeared again and I was back in surgery having the mesh removed. Then soon after that the abdominal wall herniated and it had to be surgically repaired.

I met several women during just that time who had Trams and all of them had complications. One lady had herniated 6 times. I also have to tell you that most all the women I met did not have flat tummies! I did, but I was underweight going into the Tram.

My surgeon really should have told me that I did not have enough fat on me to make a decent size bump. So I went through all that to have less than 1/2 an A cup and damn near died.

No tummy in the world is worth the risk of all that can go wrong and to my knowledge, most often does...

God Bless,

Maddy

(Indiana)