Kathy Richmond, 38, was initially delighted with her dramatic seven cup size boost, but says she fell seriously ill and spent £60,000 on remedies, ultimately blaming her health problems on the silicone implants
The mum-of-four went from an A to a G cup size following a £5,000 procedure.
Kathy, who had the implants fitted at a private clinic in done in 2007, said: “Initially, I loved my implants. I didn’t regret them at all.
Aesthetically, the fitness instructor was delighted with her inflated chest – even though she had never hated her natural bust.
She said: “I never hated my breasts. But they changed after I had my two oldest children. I decided to get implants. We had the money in the bank, so I thought, ‘Why not’?”
But she said she fell ill around two years later, developing anxiety and a fungus which formed on her fingernails.
“There were stains on my face that looked like tea, the asthma I’d not had since I was a child worsened, I developed anxiety and fungus formed on my nails. “It was terrible.”
Kathy said: “I experienced various issues from 2009, but became very sick from late 2014. I suffered from hives, brain fog, with weight gain, depression, vertigo, hair loss and more.
It was a homeopathic practitioner who, in 2014, suggested to Kathy her breasts could be the cause of her ongoing troubles.
“As soon as she said it, I wondered,” she said. “The dates added up.”
Kathy believes she was suffering from breast implant illness - a syndrome which is discussed anecdotally but is not well known in the medical profession. It is used to describe a variety of ailments reported by women after breast augmentation surgery, including tiredness and allergy-like symptoms.
So, around two years later – and despite liking the visual appearance of her breasts – she had the implants removed at the same surgery where they were originally inserted.
Kathy said: “In total I’ve spent around £60,000. I spent £5,000 on having the implants, then £6,000 on having them explanted and the rest on copious therapies.
“But, the good news is, I’m feeling better. As soon as they were removed, I felt a lightness in my chest.'
“That’s why I am speaking out – so other women don’t have to suffer like I did.” Forrás