When Salmon Arm香蕉视频直播檚 Karissa Pukas decided to get breast implants in 2013, she had no inkling of what horrors the next five years would hold.

At 22, her thought was that bigger breasts would improve her looks 香蕉视频直播� give her more confidence.

At 28, her recent experience has changed that view: 香蕉视频直播淔rom no boobs, to big boobs, to no boobs. You think you will wear different clothes香蕉视频直播� I think everyone has a notion the grass is always greener. There are great things about small boobs, great things about big boobs. The biggest thing is about being happy about how you naturally are.香蕉视频直播�

In 2013, Pukas was already an Internet sensation, with hundreds of thousands of people tuning in to her YouTube channel, following her on Facebook and on Instagram.

Her fame had begun simply enough.

Living in Vancouver and taking a fashion merchandising program at the Blanche MacDonald Centre, she decided she wanted to meet people. And meet people she did. She began making fashion videos and soon expanded into makeup. But it was her style 香蕉视频直播� engaging, unpretentious, unassuming, that seemed to draw followers.

香蕉视频直播淚 think it香蕉视频直播檚 a combination of right time, right kind of things needed and being approachable,香蕉视频直播� she said in a 2015 interview with the Observer. 香蕉视频直播淚 think a lot of women doing what I do come across a little bit robotic or too proper香蕉视频直播� I am unapologetically myself.香蕉视频直播�

When her lease on her apartment ran out, she moved to Australia, a place she香蕉视频直播檇 always dreamed of living, to be with her boyfriend who she香蕉视频直播檇 met when they both worked at Silver Star Mountain. Life was good.

Pukas did her research before committing to surgery. Silicone had been discontinued for implants in the 香蕉视频直播�90s due to problems, and now 香蕉视频直播榞ummies香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播榞ummy bear香蕉视频直播� implants, textured rather than smooth, were said to be a good choice.

The surgery went well and she was pleased with her decision, despite having back pain as her body adjusted to its new proportions.

But about six months after the operation, she began feeling fatigued constantly.

Then came anxiety. Depression.

She delved into her life, trying to understand why the changes. A doctor said 香蕉视频直播榮tress,香蕉视频直播� but she couldn香蕉视频直播檛 see how her life was any more stressful than it had been a year earlier. Not to mention, health and fitness had always been a top priority for her. She stayed fit, ate well.

Then she developed 香蕉视频直播渘asty body odor. A metallic, acidic stink, predominantly on the left side.香蕉视频直播�

Even after a shower where she would scrub and scrub, she would come out and her boyfriend would notice that she would still 香蕉视频直播渟tink.香蕉视频直播�

She developed night sweats, where she would wake up drenched and shivering.

She went to a naturopath, but symptoms continued.

In 2016 she returned to Canada and things continued to get worse. She began suffering from chronic joint pain.

香蕉视频直播淢y hip would wake me up 香蕉视频直播� that香蕉视频直播檚 not normal for a 26-year-old.香蕉视频直播�

Then came problems with food intolerance, recurring diarrhea, daily. She began having menstrual periods multiple times per month. She had adult acne, heart palpitations, strange-smelling urine, brain fog and trouble concentrating.

Pukas saw several doctors and was given several tests. She was dismissed, told there was nothing wrong with her. She was never asked if she had a foreign object in her body, nor did she make the connection.

香蕉视频直播淚 think the biggest frustration for me, it was almost likened to me being a hypochondriac. I knew this was not right, it was not how I should be feeling.香蕉视频直播�

Still, she managed to maintain her presence online. Although she no longer wanted to go out of her house because of all her health problems, she kept up her Youtube channel. She would try to carry on as usual, but sometimes she was brutally honest. In response to a video talking about all her digestion problems, a couple of followers mentioned breast implant disease.

Pukas didn香蕉视频直播檛 pay much attention, at least not at first.

香蕉视频直播淗onestly, when I first heard that, I almost got offended. How would it be my implants?香蕉视频直播�

Although reluctant to consider the implants, the similarities with what other women were saying on the Internet was uncanny.

香蕉视频直播淚t was absolutely unbelievable, 香蕉视频直播� word for word.香蕉视频直播�

She eventually arrived at the decision to have her implants removed, and chose a California plastic surgeon, Dr. H. Jae Chun, who was recommended.

In September of this year, in a video in which Chun provides testimony to the FDA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, he explains he has been focused solely on breast explants over the past three years. He said the women who come to him, who have saline or silicone implants, usually have neurological or connective tissue disorder symptoms.

Such symptoms are well-documented in implant manufacturers香蕉视频直播� own documentation and brochures, yet 香蕉视频直播渢hese women are routinely told there香蕉视频直播檚 nothing wrong with them, they香蕉视频直播檙e perfectly fine and healthy, it香蕉视频直播檚 all in their minds香蕉视频直播�,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檙e often told breast implants are the most studied medical device ever and they have been definitely proven to be perfectly safe.香蕉视频直播�

That view has been expressed by various manufacturers, Chun said, so it disseminates down to plastic surgeons and other specialists and primary care physicians. He notes that the incidence of problems reported in core studies range anywhere from 1.4 to two per cent. However, manufacturers have offered a rebuttal, stating a panel of expert scientists has found the evidence linking neurological diseases to breast implants is insufficient or flawed.

Chun says that香蕉视频直播檚 because the scientists realize the study size required would be very large.

Related:

Pukas went ahead with her explant in April of this year 香蕉视频直播� which involved removing the scar capsule as well as the implant 香蕉视频直播� and describes the change as shockingly immediate. The whites of her eyes were suddenly white. The brain fog began to lift.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 been a night and day change with my health and how it香蕉视频直播檚 turned around.香蕉视频直播�

She explains that the symptoms came down to the fact her body was fighting itself, trying to get rid of the implant.

香蕉视频直播淚t has nothing to do with who put that implant in, it香蕉视频直播檚 how your body香蕉视频直播檚 immune system reacts to that implant.香蕉视频直播�

And she now feels great mentally.

香蕉视频直播淭he crazy thing is, after the explant, I feel so much better about myself, so much sexier, so much better than I did with the implants. My body is one that works, it香蕉视频直播檚 healthy.香蕉视频直播�

Her purpose in talking about her experience is not intended to incite panic or to point fingers. It香蕉视频直播檚 for information, she emphasizes, calling herself pro-information, not anti-plastic surgery.

香蕉视频直播淚 want women to be aware it is a possibility from implants香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 an important conversation. Often women香蕉视频直播檚 health gets pushed aside.香蕉视频直播�

Her story is spreading throughout the media, including Cosmopolitan, O (Oprah) Magazine, MSN.com and Yahoo.com. Her YouTube video, 香蕉视频直播淭he Truth about Breast Implants - Breast Implant Illness,香蕉视频直播� detailing her experience, has surpassed half a million views.

香蕉视频直播淚 think it香蕉视频直播檚 important people put their story out there, and the truth. A decision I made at 22 will affect me for the rest of my life. I see the value of what my body can do, not what it looks like. That香蕉视频直播檚 what it香蕉视频直播檚 for. It doesn香蕉视频直播檛 matter what you look like. It香蕉视频直播檚 a shell.香蕉视频直播�

marthawickett@saobserver.net
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