Former "Bachelorette" star Clare Crawley is removing her breast implants, which she says have caused her to suffer multiple health issues over the years.
The 40-year-old, who appeared as the lead in season 16 of "The Bachelorette," announced her decision in an Instagram video over the weekend.
"I’m sharing this in hopes that it might help others going through something similar feel not so alone," Crawley captioned the video. "I feel that this was important to share so I can be a resource for anyone going through this as well. I know how being your own health advocate is hard sometimes, and can feel like an uphill battle. This is the reality of life for so many people though! I’m just so incredibly thankful to all the people who are in my life that support me not only in my peaks but in the valleys as well."
In the video, Crawley explained that she had been dealing with unexplained hives, rashes, inflammation, and itchiness. She had undergone multiple tests to find the cause of her health issues, but it was only during a recent trip to the chiropractor that she learned why she was suffering such discomfort.
A mammogram revealed pockets of fluid behind one of her implants. Crawley also discovered that her white blood count had been elevated over the last five years, and doctors believed this was linked to her implants.
"My body is fighting [my implants]," she explained, adding that her body "can’t heal" because it is in "fight mode constantly."
Crawley shared that her partner, Dale Moss, supported her decision to have her breast implants removed.
"I was talking to Dale the other day and he said, 'Your boobs are not what makes you beautiful.' And it’s the truth," she said. "For so long I believed that’s what it would take. To me this is the ultimate love story. Is Loving body enough to know this is not what makes me beautiful. My health and happiness is what matters."
A day later, Crawley took to her Instagram Story to thank her fans for the support that had been pouring in after revealing her health struggles.
"I just wanted to come on and thank everybody for all the messages,” she said on Sunday, according to Us Weekly. "It’s unreal all the people that relate to what I’m going through. It means everything to me."
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