In 2006, Elaine Fields Anthonsen underwent breast implant surgery in Kildare. Seven years later, she received a troubling letter: her PIP implants, produced by the French company Poly Implant Prothèse, had been recalled. “Anyone who received them at any stage was told to take them out,” she recalls. “I was advised to replace them with new, textured, FDA-approved Allergan implants. They were touted as the Rolls Royce of breast implants.”
However, a few months after receiving the Allergan implants, Fields Anthonsen began experiencing a series of concerning symptoms. “It started with an itch, and then this mad anxiety,” she describes. “My vision started to deteriorate. I was active and ran often, but suddenly, I had no energy and felt utterly incapable of doing anything.”
These symptoms are part of a growing recognition of breast implant illness (BII), a condition reported by numerous women who have undergone breast augmentation. Fields Anthonsen’s experience reflects a broader trend of women seeking answers and support online as they navigate chronic pain, fatigue, and cognitive issues they believe are linked to their implants.
