It is with much happiness and a little bit
of pride that I write this 8-year update. I am happy because I
have had 8 great years with my original set of saline breast implants
and I still have no problems. I am proud because when I had this
surgery 8 years ago and began this website, women like me who were looking for
personal and positive information about breast augmentation had nowhere
to turn. Now they do and I am happy to be at the forefront of a
movement in which women can hear the good side about implants and not
just the class-action fed media hype that dominated the 90s and even
some of the past few years.
Since I started the website, I was
verbally attacked repeatedly by women who are against implants.
I've even had a face to face confrontation with Kim Gandy of the
National Organization of Women (NOW) who basically told me that "you
will get sick." I've been threatened with illness for 8
years now and every time I tell my detractors how long I have had my
implants, they tell me "just wait, you'll see." Well, I'm still
waiting and here is what I still look like after 8 years.
Before and After Breast Augmentation Photos - 8 Years
Side view of Nicole - before and after breast augmentation
Nicole before and after breast implants
Here are
some additional notes, now that an additional five years has passed
since I last updated my story. In eight years, I have not had a single
complication. When I wrote my 3-year update, I thought "I
couldn't care less" about what people think of my chest, my decision to
have surgery and my decision to run this website for 8 years. I
found that I could care less and I do. I honestly wear my results
and the success of this website as a badge of honor. I feel
privileged to be in a position where I have helped literally tens of
thousands of women to decide IF they want breast implants, and to feel
OK with their decision, either way. Whatever you decide, walk
proudly and feel good about your body. It's yours and you should
decide whether you should have a breast augmentation or not (not your
husband, your boyfriend, your neighbor or your nosy in-laws!)
Confession: I am considering an
additional surgery at some point in the future to exchange my implants
for the newer silicone gel implants. My results have always seemed
very natural to me but when my sister received silicone implants last
year, I could not believe the difference. I have testified before
the FDA on several occasions in favor of implants generally but in the
spring of 2005, I testified along with my sister in favor of the
benefits of silicone breast implants. All implants carry
risk but I believe that as long as you and I are informed of those
risks, WE should be the ones to make the decision along with advice from
a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon. Silicone has received
conditional approval from the FDA as of this writing and full approval
is expected shortly. When they are approved, watch for
updates. I may be telling you about my conversion to silicone. :)
UPDATE: 2006 - I just had my
revision surgery with
silicone gel breast implants. What a difference!
Read my new story at this link.
