FRANCES SCOTT:
The Cobalt Crisis That Changed Everything
For years, Frances Scott’s face was a fixture of evening
television. As a respected news anchor for ABC in Raleigh, North
Carolina, she represented professionalism, confidence, and trust—qualities
audiences counted on. But behind the bright studio lights, a storm was brewing
that would turn her life upside down, shatter her health, and ignite her
transformation into one of the most outspoken advocates against metal implant toxicity in America.
The Beginning of the
Breakdown
At 38, Frances was active,
athletic, and thriving. So when a doctor told her both hips needed replacement,
she was stunned. “I was a runner,” she recalled. “I thought—how could I
possibly need hip replacements at my age?” She did what most people in her
position would do: researched medical journals, consulted experts, and placed
her trust in modern medicine.
The surgeon she chose dismissed her concerns about the cobalt and chromium components used in her prosthetic joints. “He said, ‘Frances, how can anything measured in parts per billion have any effect on the human body?’” she remembered. “And I believed him. I deferred to his authority. That was my first mistake.”
What followed was not a smooth recovery—it was the collapse of a
life. Within months, Frances began experiencing severe neurological
and psychological symptoms: confusion, rage, memory loss, and emotional
instability.
Her skin erupted in
painful boils—what she later recognized as “chrome holes,” identical to the
lesions described in medical journals from the 1940s among workers exposed to
chromium plating. Her mental clarity vanished, her energy evaporated, and her
ability to perform as a journalist disintegrated. “I got lost on my way to work
one day,” she said. “That’s when I knew something was terribly wrong.”
The Diagnosis That No One
Wanted to Believe
Doctors were baffled—or dismissive. “Everywhere
I went, they acted as if I was crazy,” Frances said. “They prescribed
antidepressants and told me nothing was wrong.” But she persisted. Blood tests
eventually confirmed what she had suspected all along: toxic levels of cobalt and chromium ions in her system—leaching from the very
implants meant to restore her health.
“I saw twelve doctors,” she
recalled. “Eleven had said the same thing: have your hips replaced. The one I
chose told me cobalt couldn’t hurt me. It took six years of investigating and
suffering to prove otherwise.”
Her health deteriorated
rapidly. Cardiologists found thickening of her left ventricle wall and septum—early
signs of cobalt-induced
cardiomyopathy, a potentially fatal
heart condition. Neurological decline followed. “I had what we now believe was
encephalopathy,” she said, “but my insurance wouldn’t cover the PET scan to
prove it.”
Still, her cries for help met resistance. “My own relative, a
trauma surgeon, screamed at me that there was no way my hips could be causing
any of it. That’s how deeply physicians trust the products they use. They can’t
even entertain that something so ‘approved’ could be harming patients.”
The Collapse and the
Awakening
When she could no longer perform her duties
at Disney/ABC, Frances’s career abruptly ended. “I knew it was the end of
my news career,” she said quietly. “Everything I’d worked for was gone.” She
relocated to Texas, determined to uncover the truth about what had
happened to her—and to thousands of others.
Her search led her to
Dr. Stephen Tower, an orthopedic surgeon from Alaska who famously
exposed his own cobalt poisoning in the Netflix documentary The Bleeding Edge. Frances helped contribute to the
film and later testified before the FDA in 2019,
warning of the devastating effects of metal-on-metal hip implants and the industry’s failure to protect patients.
“I realized the FDA is funded more than 50% by user fees from device manufacturers,” she explained. “That means the very companies making these implants help fund their regulators. It’s a conflict of interest by design.”
In the same year, Frances lobbied Congress in support of the Medical Device Safety Act and the Medical Device Guardians Act. “We met with staffers all day,” she said. “But they weren’t shocked by what we told them. One advocate finally told me, ‘Ninety-five percent of them are funded by pharma or device companies.’ That was when I understood how deep this goes.”
A Journalist’s Mind Reborn
as an Advocate’s Heart
The same investigative instincts that once
fueled her journalism now power her activism. “I sat through federal trials in Dallas,”
she said. “I watched evidence being presented against the very product that was
in my body. It was clear the data had been manipulated to minimize risk.” She
was horrified to learn how the DePuy Pinnacle hip, made by Johnson & Johnson, entered the market through the FDA’s 510(k) loophole—a process that allows devices to skip human
trials if deemed “substantially equivalent” to a prior model.
“When the ASR hip was
recalled, the company told the device reps to tell surgeons they could
definitely keep using the Pinnacle—the ASR’s supposed ‘sister’ device,” Frances said.
“But then, after the company recalled the ASR, it claimed the two hips were
nothing alike. It was deception, plain and simple.”
Unable to afford
clinical chelation therapy, Frances devised what she calls a “poor
man’s detox”—a regimen of spirulina, psyllium husk, bentonite clay, niacin, and NAC
(N-acetylcysteine). “It was based on what
I’d learned about how 9/11 responders had tried to detox,” she said. “And it
worked. My metal levels dropped dramatically. I posted what I was doing online
so other hip patients could try it, too.”
Her recovery—partial but
profound—reignited her purpose. “My skin healed. My mind cleared. My heart
improved. I felt human again,” she said. “And as a journalist, I knew this
story had to be told.”
Taking on the System
Her disillusionment,
however, didn’t breed bitterness—it sparked a mission. She began writing a memoir and advocacy book about her experience. “Mainstream media
wouldn’t tell this story,” she said. “They’re heavily funded by pharma ads. So
I’ll tell it myself.”
Frances has since
connected with physicians like Dr. Stephen Tower and Dr. Scott Schroeder—doctors
who, like her, are determined to expose the dangers of metal hypersensitivity
and the neurological effects of cobalt encephalopathy. “No neurologist asks, ‘Do you have metal in your body?’” she
said. “And that’s terrifying. People are perhaps being misdiagnosed with
Parkinson’s, dementia, or psychiatric disorders when, actually, they could be
suffering from cobalt toxicity.”
Faith, Family, and the
Future
Today, Frances’s life is defined by
purpose more than pain. Her children are grown, her symptoms largely subsided,
and her resolve stronger than ever. “My husband once told me, ‘You don’t have
to keep doing this—you can put it down,’” she said. “But I can’t. Not while
people are still being harmed. Not while patients are being gaslit by the
system.”
She volunteers with
advocacy groups, collaborates on educational initiatives like DetoxScan.org, and continues to network with survivors,
scientists, and physicians. “Every week I hear from someone whose life was
destroyed by these implants,” she said. “If I can prevent even one more case,
it’s worth everything I lost.”
Frances Scott’s story is
not only about suffering—it’s about awakening. The journalist who once reported
the news now is the news: a living symbol of how
courage, curiosity, and compassion can rise from catastrophe.
“These toxins don’t just
change your body—they can change who you are,” she says. “But if you survive,
you can turn that pain into purpose. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
Understanding Cobalt
Toxicity and Neurological Symptoms
Cobalt poisoning—also called cobaltism—occurs when metal ions from implants such as cobalt-chrome hip
prostheses leach into the bloodstream. Once systemic, these ions can cross the blood–brain barrier, triggering inflammation, oxidative stress,
and mitochondrial dysfunction in neural tissue.
Neurological effects: Patients may experience memory loss,
mood swings, tremors, and cognitive decline resembling encephalopathy or early dementia. Many describe sudden emotional instability,
depression, anxiety, or rage—symptoms often misdiagnosed as psychiatric
disorders. Elevated cobalt levels can also disrupt neurotransmitter metabolism,
impair vision and hearing, and in severe cases cause cobalt-induced cardiomyopathy, seizures, or psychosis.
Early warning signs often include tinnitus, neuropathy,
chronic fatigue, and unusual skin lesions (“chrome holes”)—manifestations of
oxidative injury to the skin and peripheral nerves. Because standard lab tests
rarely screen for cobalt, diagnosis is frequently delayed until irreversible
organ damage has occurred.
Testing and
monitoring:
· Whole-blood cobalt levels (>7 ppb) suggest toxicity; >20
ppb indicates serious systemic involvement.
· Cardiac echocardiography and brain MRI/PET scans may reveal cardiomyopathy or
encephalopathy.
· Detoxification and implant revision (replacing cobalt-chrome components
with ceramic, poly and/or titanium) remain the most effective interventions.
Clinical takeaway: Persistent cognitive or cardiovascular symptoms in
patients with metal implants warrant toxicology screening. “You don’t need to
have visible failure of the implant to have failure of the patient,” notes Dr.
Stephen Tower, whose work helped expose this crisis.
Selected References
1. Tower SS. Arthroprosthetic cobalt encephalopathy: Neurological and neuropsychiatric toxicity of cobalt–chromium alloy orthopedic devices. BMJ Case Rep. 2010.
2. Bradberry SM, Wilkinson JM, Ferner RE. Systemic toxicity related to metal hip prostheses. Clin Toxicol. 2014;52(8):837-847.
3. Mao X et al. Cobalt-induced cardiomyopathy in metal-on-metal hip arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2017;99(3):e15.
4. Catalani S et al. Neurotoxicity of cobalt: molecular mechanisms and clinical aspects. Arch Toxicol. 2012;86(10):1655-1661.
5.
E P I L O G U E
In Support of Frances Scott’s Courage and the Call for Accountability By: Dr. Robert L. Bard, MD, DABR, FAIUM, FASLMS
Her decision to confront metal hypersensitivity and the neurotoxic aftermath of cobalt poisoning is not merely personal advocacy—it is investigative journalism at its most vital. She transformed her suffering into evidence, her confusion into inquiry, and her voice into a rallying point for thousands of patients ignored by a system that often prioritizes convenience over safety. Frances’s instinct to analyze medical literature, correlate symptoms, and pursue independent testing mirrors the rigor of any clinical investigator. Her discovery that the very devices marketed as “biocompatible” could produce encephalopathy, cardiomyopathy, and systemic toxicity exposes a profound flaw in the regulatory structure of modern medicine (Tower, 2010; Bradberry et al., 2014).
When I review her journey, I see what physicians call a sentinel case—one that signals a wider crisis. The medical community has witnessed multiple device recalls confirming her experience:
· DePuy ASR™ Hip System (Johnson & Johnson, 2010 Recall) – withdrawn for high metal ion release and tissue necrosis.
· Stryker Rejuvenate™ and ABG II Modular Neck Stems (2012 Recall) – linked to corrosion and systemic cobalt toxicity.
· Zimmer Durom Cup™ (2008 Recall) – associated with implant loosening and metallosis.
· Smith & Nephew R3 Metal Liner (2012 Recall) – removed after reports of metal debris and pain.
· Biomet M2a Magnum™ (2015 Recall) – cited for cobalt-chromium wear and cardiac complications (U.S. FDA, 2023).
Each recall represents a moment of institutional recognition—belated yet validating—that the standard of care materials once deemed inert can, under physiologic stress, become biochemical aggressors.
She reminds us that science is not static—it evolves through those brave enough to challenge outdated assumptions. Medicine’s integrity depends on open acknowledgment of harm, continual reassessment of materials, and vigilance against corporate interference in clinical truth. Frances’s voice joins a growing movement of patients and physicians demanding transparency, post-market surveillance, and truly biocompatible solutions.
Her story is not one of victimhood but of transformation—from patient to protector. Through her, we are reminded that accountability begins with awareness, and healing begins when knowledge replaces denial. As clinicians, researchers, and advocates, we owe Frances Scott our respect—and our action—to ensure her suffering was not in vain.
References
(1) Bradberry, S. M., Wilkinson, J. M., & Ferner, R. E. (2014). Systemic toxicity related to metal hip prostheses. Clinical Toxicology, 52(8), 837–847. https://doi.org/10.3109/15563650.2014.944977 (2) Tower, S. S. (2010). Arthroprosthetic cobalt encephalopathy: Neurological and neuropsychiatric toxicity of cobalt–chromium alloy orthopedic devices. BMJ Case Reports, 2010, bcr0220102780. https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr.02.2010.2780 (3) U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Information for patients with metal-on-metal hip implants. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices
