Cat Zingano didn’t want to believe that her breast implants could be the culprit behind her health issues.
The one-time UFC bantamweight title contender, who recently signed a deal with Bellator MMA, revealed on Thursday that she recently underwent surgery to have her breast implants removed due to her deteriorating health.
Zingano posted a photo following her surgery while also offering details about how she got sick and struggled to understand what exactly was happening to her.
“This is my first photo shoot since I had my big surgery,” Zingano wrote on Instagram. “I sensed and researched [breast implant illness] a couple years ago but I didn’t believe in the severity and didn’t want to risk the change in vanity until I was watching it start to really kick my ass. I got sick, so sick, without explanation.
“I went to Dr. Lu-Jean Feng and saw/met both men and women suffering from the same implant toxicity. Some had had implants for decades, some had had implants for months. Although I loved my curves, and I don’t regret the decision to fix my breasts after I had my son, if I knew then what I know now, I’d have made different choices.”
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Breast implant illness (BII) is a term that covers a wide variety of issues that stem from cosmetic surgery with breast implants. The range of problems include joint and muscle pain, chronic fatigue, breathing problems, rashes and skin problems as well as anxiety and depression.
In addition to those issues, a person suffering from BII can also deal with symptoms “associated with autoimmune and connective tissue disorders, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma. Some people who have BII also get diagnosed with a specific autoimmune or connective tissue disorder, but many do not.”
In her case, Zingano says after she had surgery to remove the breast implants, she saw immediate improvement in her overall health.
“I have felt so much better since the explant,” Zingano said. “I’ve seen first hand how much worse it can get and I was extremely supported by my friend and fellow patient Shurie Cremona who can inform you much more intelligently about it. I’m still rehabbing my lungs, ribs, endocrine system, muscles and some other related issues, however, my close people and I can all agree that I’m doing much better than they have seen in a long long time.
“My training has improved ten-fold (just watch my videos) and I feel so much improvement overall. I’m told there’s so much more recovery to come too!”
Zingano also issued a warning to anybody else with breast implants or considering the surgery after the health issues she faced in recent months.
“This photo shoot was about TRUE LOVE for my body and TRUE FREEDOM for my health,” Zingano wrote. “Thank you for being supportive. This was a big and intimidating decision and something that I encourage anyone with random, stubborn and undiagnosable symptoms to look up. It’s not just breast implants f*cking people up, it’s an immune system attack because of foreign objects being placed inside the body... look it up and see if and where it fits.
“Some people are completely fine with implants, some people end up dead. The FDA is now required to label implants with this caution of health risk. Do your research. Much love. Wear your scars.”
