The Cobalt Blues

The Cobalt Curse

We've all been down and had the "blues" at some point or another in our lives - some of us more than others. On top of depression, which I suffer from, I'm also suffering from something I've decided to coin, "The Cobalt Blues." For those who don't know, Cobalt is a chemical element found in the Earth's crust. It is primarily used in lithium-ion batteries and in the manufacture of magnetic, wear-resistant, and high-strength alloys. It can add a distinctive deep blue color to glass, ceramics, inks, paints, and varnishes. A cobalt bomb is a nuclear weapon designed to produce enhanced amounts of radioactive fallout intended to contaminate a large area with radioactive material.

However, did you know that this metal is found in our bodies in trace amounts? This is normal. However, in my case, I don't have trace amounts of it; I have highly toxic and poisonous levels in my body! "Why?" you ask.

In 2001, I was fitted with a Wright Medical Perfecta R.S. metal-on-metal hip implant which was supposed to last me my whole life. It was the latest and greatest in artificial hip technology at the time. But, that proved to be just a supposition on the part of the manufacturers. These implants began failing by the thousands and there are currently several class action lawsuits in the U.S. against various manufacturers. Mine has been leaching high levels of Cobalt and Chromium into my body since 2015 with disastrous effects on my health. The metal-on-metal components trigger a reaction that releases metal particles into the body through friction. The release of metal into the body can result in metallosis, which is essentially metal poisoning. I am working with a Montreal law firm that is willing to take on my case and sue the manufacturer for damages. 

To give you an idea of where my levels are at, see the data below:

My most recent blood test results:

My Cobalt = 160 - should be between 2.6 and 6.8!

My Chromium = 59 - should be between 7.0 and 19.0!

As you can see, these results are well outside of what is considered "normal." In 2015, I had already begun to experience some of the symptoms associated with Cobalt poisoning, such as; anxiety, auditory problems, cognitive impairment, poor memory and mental fogginess, peripheral neuropathy, depression, gastrointestinal issues, and heart issues. However, I did not know that the Cobalt was causing these issues!

I did not realize to what degree this toxicity was affecting my body and mind until a friend suggested I watch "The Bleeding Edge”, a Netflix documentary.

This film exposes the truth behind the medical device industry and the joke of an approval process that the FDA uses to give implants a "pass." It's disgusting. The film also talks about other types of implants, used to treat women with incontinence and to prevent pregnancies. They too turned out to be a disaster. After watching this documentary, one can see why a person like myself would want to take legal action against the manufacturer.

Surgeon gets a defective implant

The film interviews an orthopedic surgeon who underwent hip replacement surgery and received an implant similar to mine. The effects it had on his health, especially his mental health, were unbelievable. He literally went out of his mind - something I now realize happened to me. Post-surgery, the surgeon trashed an entire hotel room in a fit of uncontrolled rage! I, too, like the surgeon, suffered from erratic behaviour. I'm not a violent person; I'm a pacifist, so this was totally out of character for me.

This implant has ruined my life. People in my circle don't really get it when I try to explain just how sick I am - because I don't look sick. I hope this documentary will help shed light on this - you don't have to look sick to be sick.

Typing this article required great effort as my hand tremors make it difficult to type accurately. I struggle with severe fatigue, inability to concentrate, anxiety, fear, panic, etc. Cobalt is the prime suspect of all of my most recent syndromes and comorbidities. This has robbed me of precious years of my life. I can't work because of this. I'm living off of savings at the moment, which are running out fast.

Cobalt toxicity is likely the root cause of all of my most recent syndromes and comorbidities, such as:

• Anxiety
• Auditory impairment, deafness (Chronic Eustachian Tube Dysfunction)
• Basal septal hypertrophy (BSH) (heart problems), including heart failure
• Cognitive impairment
• Depression and other mental health conditions
• Nerve problems, such as peripheral neuropathy
• Gastrointestinal issues (I have IBS)
• Heart irregularities (palpitations)
• Irritability
• Kidney problems (I have stage 3a Kidney disease)
• Poor memory and mental fogginess
• Shortness of breath
• Skin rashes
• Thyroid problems
• Tinnitus
• Tremors
• Vertigo 

So, after seven years of monitoring my levels, my new surgeon and I decided it was high time the implant came out. I am scheduled to have the surgery done on January 17th. All of this has materialized almost overnight.

The toll this hip implant has taken on my health and my life is immeasurable. If you, or someone you know, has a metal-on-metal hip implant and experiencing the symptoms I have described, I urge you to consult with your surgeon to discuss your options. 

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Bionicman

Reconstructive eyelid surgery

On an unrelated note, I had reconstructive eyelid surgery done on October 24th - OMG! I cannot begin to describe the discomfort and pain I endured. It truly was one of the hardest recoveries I've been through, and I've been through several. This was done to help relieve dry eyes caused by Sjögren's Syndrome. My lower eyelids were too low (born that way), which affected how the lids touched each other while blinking. The blinking triggers secretions (who knew?). A graft of your palette is removed and inserted into a slit on the inside of the lid, acting like a spacer, thus raising the lower lid. In addition, two small stitches are sewn onto the outer corner of the eye. The pain in the mouth where the graft was taken was worse than in the eye and still has not completely healed! In fact, the palette still has not completely healed and it's been almost 3 months. Complete recovery is supposed to take 6 months I've been told! Had I known what was involved, I never would have proceeded with this.