Slowly but surely. Tamra Judge is on the mend after having her breast implants removed by plastic surgeon Dr. Ambe earlier this week. 

“Implants & capsules removed. Feeling tired & a little sore as expected,” the 53-year-old Real Housewives of Orange County alum captioned a Tuesday, July 20, Instagram post. 

In the photo, the fresh-faced reality star got real about post-surgery attire, showing off the drains from her procedure. She wore a pink front-zip surgical bra and matching sweatpants. 

While skipping the gym will hand-down be the “hardest part” of her recovery, the Vena Beauty founder admits that she is feeling better overall. 

“I know it sounds crazy but I woke up today with rosy cheeks, no sinus congestion and happy thoughts,” Judge wrote. “I’m hoping I will continue to see health improvements as the weeks go on. I just got home from my check up with @dr_ambe and everything looks great.” 

The implant-free reality star, who has gone under the knife before, also cautioned her followers that her breasts are not as big as they appear in the photo.  

“Disclaimer – although I do have a good amount of breast tissue, what you’re seeing is swelling, two layer padded bra and gauze,” she added. 

Judge went onto explain that she plans to share more of her “BII journey” with fans come September. 

According to Dr. Brett Garber, a board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Garber Plastic Surgery, BII, which stands for Breast Implant Illness, “is a syndrome that women with silicone gel implants are being burdened with” and is likely an “allergic type reaction” to the implant. 

He explained that “symptoms can range from fatigue to rashes, including hives.” 

Dr. Garber noted that people “see dramatic changes and improvements” after removing the implants, capsule and surrounding scar tissue. “You can see changes that occur almost immediately, within weeks, or longer term improvements within months,” he said. 

These symptoms — along with people’s post-surgical results — are what influenced the beauty boss to remove her implants in the first place. 

Judge took to Instagram Stories earlier this month to ask her followers to share their experience with BII its connection to autoimmune issues. 

After explaining that she’s been struggling with symptoms like thyroid issues, gut inflammation and fatigue, she went on to say that she would be going ahead with the procedure. 

“Thank you to everyone that reached out, shared their story and confirmed my thoughts,” she wrote via Instagram Stories. “I made my appointment with @Dr_Ambe. #HEALTHOVERVANITY.” 

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Samantha Holender