Today marks 2 years since my breast explant surgery. To say I’ve come a long way is an understatement. It’s been a layer by layer healing journey as each uncovered imbalance presents itself.

Healing the right way takes time. It’s important to discover the root of illness. The root was my implants. They were removed two years ago today. Praise God! Thankfully my surgeon was skilled in proper removal and definitely was NOT the surgeon who performed my breast augmentation. My explant surgeon was Dr. Amy DeRosa of West Bloomfield, Michigan. I’m so thankful for her compassionate care and expertise. She removed my implants via en bloc complete capsulectomy. The entire scar capsule must be removed with the implants intact. Otherwise complete healing will not arrive.

One of my uncovered layers was MCAS. Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. My immune system had been fighting two foreign invaders for 18 years and was waging war against my implants. Through my functional medicine doctor, he suspected MCAS because I was experiencing random blood pressure spikes complete with an elevated heart rate, labored breathing and other scary symptoms. They performed the test at Henry Ford Allegiance Health. It’s a blood test that must be sent out to a specialty lab via dry ice. But it told the tale. I’m was thankful to discover I wasn’t dying, because these episodes can certainly feel like you are headed in that direction. They arrive suddenly and last approximately 20-30 minutes, then quickly depart. Now that I know what it is, it’s not so scary. These episodes are arriving with less frequency as my immune system heals. My mast cells are receiving the memo: THE IMPLANTS ARE GONE. But cell memory is a tricky thing. If my histamine bucket gets too full, an episode can arrive out of the blue. I’m eating a low-histamine diet, am using natural anti-histamines and remain cautious about toxic exposures. In the world we currently live in, it’s difficult to steer clear of toxins since everywhere you go they are spraying everything imaginable into the air, on table top surfaces, on key pads, countertops…you name it. A toxic overload for virtually everyone, but for those of us with MCAS and Histamine Intolerance these toxins can trigger us into an unpleasant episode.

Through my Naturopathic Doctor I have been having ZYTO Scans which reveal all the layers I still need to address. My recent scan dug deep into my digestion and microbiome. My body is stronger now and I’m able to start entering into some deeper layers of healing and detoxification. I have more work to do – especially due to the massive antibiotics funneled into me as the result of a staph infection that arrived three weeks after my explant. (The infection started in my left drain area – where the tube was inserted) I was hospitalized for four days. Thankfully I knew something was wrong because a fever arrived and continued to climb. Thank God for medication when it’s needed. It saved my life. But now the work is ongoing to re-balance my gut microbiome, which was completely wiped out due to the flood of antibiotics.

Emotionally it’s a roller coaster but I know as time moves forward and I’m more distal to the trauma, this too shall pass. Eighteen years of sickness will do that to a person. We become so acquainted with being sick, it starts to become a part of us. Thank God for the emotional healing properties of essential oils and bach flower remedies. They are my life line where it comes to emotional healing.

If you would like to know more about my healing journey, or talk about specific supplemental protocols and healing therapies that have helped me, feel free to reach out. I’m healing layers at a time. Learning and growing in wisdom.

I wish I would have known what I was signing up for when I chose to pen my signature on the dotted line and say yes to implants. Running quickly in a different direction would have been the proper response – but as my family continues to say “you didn’t know they were bad.” Rewinding isn’t an option. By God’s Grace I’m moving forward and I’m healing. Discovering the root of my ongoing mysterious illness was definitely a blessing from above. I’m choosing to trust my journey. ~ Sheila VanHemert

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