Cat Zingano strips down, opens up on struggles with Breast Implant Illness

Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Cat Zingano has opened up on her struggles with Breast Implant Illness, a condition that can affect people who have undergone breast augmentation surgeries.

According to Surgery.org, BII is “a term used by women who have breast implants and who self-identify and describe a variety of symptoms including (but not limited to) fatigue, chest pain, hair loss, headaches, chills, photosensitivity, chronic pain, rash, body odor, anxiety, brain fog, sleep disturbance, depression, neurologic issues and hormonal issues that they feel are directly connected to their saline or silicone, textured or smooth breast implants.”

In an incredibly honest post to her personal Instagram account, Zingano revealed that she recently had her implants removed after enduring health issues she believed were caused by her implants. Zingano’s post also including a photograph of herself posing topless, with the scars of her surgery visible.

See this empowering post from Zingano, who recently signed with Bellator MMA, below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9CWm1mFJDn/

“This is my first photo shoot since I had my big surgery” Zingano began. “I sensed and researched #BII 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 @drlujeanfeng 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. I have felt so much better since the explant. I’ve seen first hand how much worse it can get and I was extremely supported by my friend and fellow patient @shuriecremona 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!

“This photo shoot was about TRUE LOVE for my body and TRUE FREEDOM for my health,” Zingano continued. “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 fucking 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. @ericcoleman.” 

With her health issues taken care of, Cat Zingano can now look ahead confidently to her Bellator debut, which has not been announced at this time.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 2/27/2020.