‘Always tired’: Aussie woman reveals horror diagnosis

Faith Hobson was a busy mother-of-two when she realised she had some symptoms that were worrying – and as she watched, things got worse.

Faith Hobson had her implants removed in 2018. Picture: Supplied

A woman has revealed how a strange series of symptoms led to her having life-changing surgery.

Faith Hobson decided to get breast implants in 2008 after breastfeeding her two children for 15 months each.

It would be a decision she would live to regret.

“I was left feeling a little bit worried about my body and there was lots in the media at the time about mummy makeovers,” Ms Hobson told news.com.au.

“I thought ‘let’s return my breasts to their former glory’.”

She got the implants and said at that time, there was no conversations about the medical devices expiring.

Faith Hobson had her implants removed in 2018. Picture: Supplied

The mother-of-two had the implants for a decade, which is when signs of deterioration start to show, and she began to notice a plethora of medical issues.

She was constantly tired. She had neck and shoulder pain as well as numbness and tingling in the arms and face, which were investigated by MRIs with no results.

Ms Hobson had similar symptoms to thyroid dysfunction, such as sensitivity to cold, as well as anxiety, memory issues and concentration problems.

“My GP was sending me off to see a neurologist for the possibility of developing multiple sclerosis, which was a little bit terrifying,” she said.

“I was experiencing numbness and tingling that would come and go on my arms and I had lots of neck pain and my inflammatory markers were elevated as well. It wasn’t enough to say it was MS outright but it wasn’t in normal range.”

She believed she was suffering from breast implant illness. Picture: Supplied

It wasn’t Ms Hobson’s first serious health scare.

Two years before the Queensland woman was climbing Mount Coolum and was convinced she was going to die.

“I was filled with shame and convinced I was going to have to get helicoptered off the mountain,” she said.

However she was eventually diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, which is when someone has irregular, often a rapid, heart rate that causes poor blood flow.

She now recognises this as the start of her health deteriorating. She happened to mention these experiences to a neighbour before seeing the neurologist.

“She asked if I had implants and I said I do and she told me to look at this website and see if it lands for me,” she said.

“Later, I was sitting on the couch with my husband and I typed in breast implant illness. It was a prolific list of symptoms and I realised I ticked so many boxes.”

She turned to her husband and said she was convinced she had it.

Breast implant illness is a term used by women who have breast implants and who self-identify and describe a variety of symptoms including chronic fatigue, pain and brain fog to the development of auto-immune diseases.

She had the implants for a decade. Picture: Supplied

BII is not currently recognised as an official medical diagnosis, but it is increasingly being acknowledged.

In recent months there have been a string of famous faces including Tori Spelling, Blac Chyna and Chrissy Teigen who have all removed their implants.

Ms Hobson consulted her GP and said she wanted her implants removed, and the GP revealed she had another patient who felt her array of symptoms were related to her implants.

“She was open to exploring that and writing that referral and supporting me with that,” Ms Hobson said, revealing when she eventually got the implants removed in 2018, gel was discovered outside of the implant.

After Ms Hobson’s implants were removed, her health improved dramatically. Her inflammatory markers returned to normal. But it was the moment her son turned to her and asked if she was no longer tired that it all clicked for her.

“I recall everyday saying I was so tired. I’d get 12 hours sleep and be going to bed before the kids and still wake up exhausted,” she said.

She now uses her voice to help others. Picture: Supplied

“I’d do one 45-minute dance class a week and be absolutely wrecked. The fatigue was crazy. I didn’t realise how much those words came out of my mouth until my son asked.”

Now, it’s been five years since her explant and Ms Hobson uses her voice and experience to share her story and help others learn about the possible health conditions associated with having implants.

She's had many women reach out to discuss their implants and even been put in touch through friends to help talk them through.

“As much as the surgeons say we’re getting informed consent, I don’t actually believe that,” she said.

“I wonder if I was a flat chested, 25-year-old and wanted to get breast implants if someone said to me, ‘you know, these things can make you really, really sick’ would that change my mind?

“I don’t know because I’m not experiencing that journey but I just don’t think that there is adequate information about that.”