It’s impossible not to be inspired by Dee Hicks. The day she spoke with The Heal is Real, she had just accepted a position with a plastic surgeon’s office. The new job? Explant Liaison. Dee is ecstatic; not only was she unable to work for years due to breast implant illness symptoms, but she genuinely hopes her story can help others. She’s poised to do that even more than before.

Here is her story - in her own words.

My name is Dee Hicks, and I suffered from “Breast Implant Illness.”

I got breast implants in 2001 and was never given any information about the dangers or symptoms one could experience from having breast implants. I was told when I got them that they were "lifetime" devices. I know now that this is not the case.

In 2013, I started to really feel poorly. I had had skin rashes on my body pretty much since the beginning when I got the implants, as well as chronic sinus infections. I was clearly having a reaction and never connected the dots.

In 2014 and 2015, I spent close to $15,000 on doctor visits. This included specialists, extensive testing, blood work and biopsies. All my tests came back ‘normal,’ and Lord knows, I was far from normal. My health was rapidly declining, and I had zero answers.

My list of symptoms was the following:

• Brain fog/memory loss/forgetful

• Muscle Pain (legs, arms & shoulders)

• Stabbing pains throughout my body

• Blurry vision

• Insomnia

• Shortness of breath (unable to breathe)

• Numbness in head, arms, legs

• Lymph node swelling & pain in chest/breasts, neck, armpits abdomen groin.

• Trouble swallowing

• Heartburn/Acid Reflux

• Dark circles under eyes

• No concentration at all

• Weird tastes in mouth

• Pain in left breast 

• Numbness in left breast

• Irritability/mood swings

• Loss of libido 

• Weight gain

• Chronic fatigue

• Frequently urinating/bladder always irritated.

• No energy

• Nausea

• Dizzy

• Constant thirst

• Dry skin

• Rashes

• Neck pain

• Back pain

• Fever & chills

• Hot sweats

• Sensitivity to lights/sun

• Constant headaches

• Anxiety attacks

• Heart palpitations

• Swelling on right side of face for over 2 years

• Swollen hands & feet

• Tingling in arms & head/face

• Cuts that aren't healing

• Nose bleeds

• Can't taste most foods

• Enlarged tonsils

• Swollen tongue

• Static shocks

• Jolts of electricity through my body when I try to sleep at night

• Nervousness

• Sinus infections/sinus surgery

• Ear infections

• Low body Temp

• Severe depression (crying throughout the day with suicidal thoughts)

I removed my breast implants on 10/06/2016.

I took a huge leap of faith after finding information online and through a support group on Facebook that my breast implants were most likely the culprits as to why I was suffering so greatly.

When I woke up from my explant surgery, 90% of those symptoms were gone. Immediately, I felt like I had been given a second chance at life.

I had lost my career, which was something I worked so hard for my whole entire life.
My family of 7 also suffered tremendously. The loss of my career put us in financial ruins and took much-needed food off the table. I had to go to my local church twice a month in order to feed my children.

So much of this could've been avoided had I been given any type of informed consent on what the dangers could possibly have been.

Not one doctor or specialist ever mentioned that my breast implants could be the cause of all my health problems. My father, who is a chief medical officer at a hospital in NJ, was absolutely baffled by how rapidly my health was declining.

During the past three years, since I removed my breast implants, I have had the honor of educating and supporting thousands of women who have also become ill from their implants. I have watched over and over and over again as women remove their implants and regain their health.

I have also had the pleasure of educating close to a hundred surgeons about the dangers associated with breast implants & breast implant illness symptoms. These surgeons are desperate to learn and understand.

Women don’t fake being sick. Our long list of symptoms is also well documented by the manufacturers on their product brochures and pamphlets. The root cause of our health issues has undoubtedly been caused by our breast implants.

Proper removal of both the implants and the capsules will let help them regain their health and heal.

Thank you for allowing me to speak.

-Dee Hicks