Last year on a beach in France, Jamie suddenly collapsed. “My heart started to beat really hard and everything turned. I thought I was going to die”, Jamie tells EditieNL.
It didn’t stop at that one time. The attacks kept coming and getting worse. “Whether I was sitting on the couch, walking in the supermarket, or taking a shower, it happened over and over. People around me thought they were panic attacks, but I was not at all anxious. What it was, I didn’t know. There was nothing to be seen on scans in the hospital. “
Sent home
Her symptoms only got worse. “I had so many seizures that I couldn’t be alone anymore. I went to live with my parents, who made a schedule to relieve each other. I was picked up by an ambulance seven times, but each time I was sent home again. They couldn’t discover anything. “
–
–
Jamie herself had thought about the silicone in her breasts a few times. “All the doctors I spoke to dismissed it. They all said that the implants couldn’t be the problem. But what it was, that remained the big question.”
Research
Jamie decided to investigate herself. “It turned out that my type of silicone breast implant had already been taken off the market in America two years earlier and was recalled.” These were textured implants associated with the development of ALCL, a form of lymph node cancer.
“The strange thing is: you don’t hear much about it in the Netherlands. The prostheses are no longer placed here, but there is no recall action. Women are still unsuspectingly walking around with them. Incomprehensible.”
–
–
In addition, silicone breast implants appear to ‘sweat’ – also called gel bleed – after which toxic substances end up in the body. “Unfortunately, many women don’t know this,” says Jamie. To create awareness Jamie has started a platform: Calm your tits. In a mini-documentary she tells her own story and tries to point out the dangers of breast augmentation to young women. A petition is also published in which she advocates a mandatory recall for women with breast prostheses that have been removed from the market.
Warn
Henry Dijkman, scientific researcher at the HAN University of Applied Sciences, has been researching Breast Implant Illness (BII), or silicone toxicity, for twenty years. He emphasizes the importance of warning women in time. “If you have your implants removed in time, you can recover quickly. But if you get those toxins in your body for a long time, it can be very different. I know many women who have been unemployed at home for years and can no longer function,” he says. against EditieNL.
According to him, doctors are still playing down the problem. “It sometimes seems to be all about power, egos and money in this world. Millions are involved every year. Many people have an interest in it. It is difficult to uncover the truth.”
Finally change
That offends him. “I went on the barricade five years ago to make this clear. The subject is close to my heart and is a trigger for my conscience. I get a lot of emails from women who really suffer from this. They are the reason that I continue. with this mission. Fortunately I am finally starting to see change. We are on the right track. “
–
–
Dijkman hopes that Jamie’s platform will persuade young girls not to get breast implants. “Of course I understand that it really improves the quality of life for some people, for example after a breast removal. But then opt for autologous reconstruction, which uses your own tissue. There are fewer risks involved. And you can do beautiful things. helping to create breasts. “
compensation
The researcher also argues for the removal of the implants to be reimbursed if women have complaints that fit BII. Now this is only the case when there is strong capsular contracture (Baker IV), ie hard and painful pieces of connective tissue in the breasts that contract. “There are many women who do not have capsular contracture but do get sick. For them the surgery is not reimbursed. That is a problem, because the costs – between 3000 and 4000 euros – many women cannot afford out of pocket.”
–
–
As a result, many women continue to walk around with their complaints and ‘sweating’ implants. “That is not only bad for their own health, but it also puts a strain on our health system. They keep knocking unnecessarily from the GP and internist for years and do MRI scans. That is why awareness about this topic is so important.”
Implants removed
Fortunately, Jamie ended well. “I removed my implants in January and I’m doing fine again. I’m incredibly proud of my own body: it’s beautiful. Now when I look back at old photos I realize: those big breasts didn’t suit me at all. I hope that I can show other girls that too. “
–
–
/nginx/o/2020/09/25/13370263t1h92d6.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)