Breast implant illness (BII) isn’t easily categorized because symptoms can show up in nearly every system in the body and mimic other illnesses. Bodies react to implants in a variety of ways, and not all women with BII will have the same exact set of symptoms. These circumstances can lead doctors to make one wrong diagnosis after another, leaving women mired in years of discomfort, misery and confusion until the right answer results in the removal of implants. Locally, Maria Pitonzo, a hairstylist in Naples who specializes in organic hair treatments, and Kim Lemons, owner of Suncoast Thermal Imaging in Cape Coral, have several clients that have endured BII.

Toxins accumulate in the hair

“The hair never lies,” says Pitonzo, whose one client with unresolved health issues surrounding her BII was part of a gradual and frustrating process that eventually led to removal. “I had no problem lightening her hair over the years, until there was a buildup of toxins that leached into her body from the implants. After she had the 30-year-old implants removed and completed many heavy metal detoxes, there wasn’t a problem,” advises Pitonzo, whose studio is located inside Genesis Non-GMO Vitamins, operated by her husband and daughter.
 
Pitonzo recommended organic hair treatments and hair products, as well as vitamins and herbal supplements for Naples resident Lisa Lockemer, who had explant surgery for her saline implants when they were 10 years old. “It’s taken me two years and many, many detoxes to regain 85 percent of my health,” says Lockemer, whose symptoms began six years after implant surgery. “I was chronically tired, with brain fog, loss of memory, and I was falling asleep at work. I quit my job and spent most of my time in bed or on the couch. Doctors who diagnosed me with arthritis, Lupus, fibromyalgia and depression wanted to medicate me. One thought my symptoms were all in my head. Prior to implant surgery, I had been an energetic, active and outgoing social person. Now that I’m feeling so much better, I want to help other women who are made to believe that they are imagining their symptoms,” advises Lockemer.

Thermography finds clues

With the incidence of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) on the rise, women are educating themselves about the option of a thermogram in their annual checkup. The treatable T-cell lymphoma and BII are both found with silicone and saline implants. Thermography, an approved adjunct to mammography, is a tool for risk assessment that measures thermal emissions emanating from the body, a key indicator of health.

Thermography uses an infrared camera to take images of the breasts without radiation, compression, pain or side effects. Medical doctors trained in thermology analyze the images and report their findings. “The fact that there is no compression and no radiation of the breasts makes a thermogram particularly attractive to women with breast implants,” says Lemon, who notes that thermography is the only breast test that evaluates pathology physiologically. “This means that it measures the function of the breast and its blood vessels, as opposed to all other available tests which measure the anatomy, looking for tumors and cysts.”

A thermogram has a 95 percent detection rate when used as part of a multi-modal approach using breast examination and anatomical testing. It detects physiologic changes in the breast tissue that are known to correlate with cancerous or precancerous states. It is widely acknowledged that cancers need nutrients to maintain or accelerate their growth, even in their earliest stages. In order to facilitate this process, blood vessels remain open while inactive blood vessels are activated and new ones are formed, a process known as angiogenesis.

“We also look for ruptures. I found three ruptures in one implant when my client was experiencing joint issues and suspecting that they might be due to her implants. The next week, she had both removed. Even a slowly oozing rupture will show up on the thermogram image,” explains Lemons, who notes that low thyroid function, also associated with BII, show ups as shades of blue and dark green in the colorful thermogram image.

Multiple health complaint clue

“I am always concerned when a patient comes in with multiple health complaints and she tells me that she has breast implants. Not all people have a healthy detox system, so they may become ill with a variety of complaints. Another concern is the biofilm that surrounds the implant. These can also house bacterial infections, which increase the immune response and cause chronic inflammation, infection and illness,” says Dee Harris, owner of D-Signed Nutrition, in Bonita Springs

Women that suspect health issues related to implants can find important information and a list of explant surgeons at HealingBreastImplantIllness.com. Additionally, Facebook.com/groups/HealingBreastImplantIllness has become a sanctuary for more than 68,000 women that report a range of symptoms associated with BII.

Maria Bella Pitonzo, inside Genesis Non-GMO Vitamins, 877 91st Ave. N., Ste. 4, Naples. By appointment only at 315-569-6245.

Suncoast Thermal Imaging, 308 S.E. 43rd Lane, Cape Coral; 239-540-1002, [email protected], MediTherm.com.

D-Signed Nutrition, 3531 Bonita Bay Blvd., Ste. 300, Bonita Springs, 239-676-5249. D-SignedNutrition.com.

Southwest Medical Thermal Imaging and Ultrasound, Sunshine Plaza & Professional Center, 9148 Bonita Beach Rd., Ste. 202, Bonita Springs. 239-949-2011. ThermalClinic.com.