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Breast Implant Illness? Explant? with Candice Barley

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Release Date: 03/07/2025

The Story Behind Magic Menopause: Reintroducing Dr. Anna

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Menopause isn’t the end of your vibrant life—it’s the beginning of a new chapter. In this inspiring episode of The Girlfriend Doctor, I’m sharing my personal journey through early menopause, the challenges I faced, and the discoveries that helped me reclaim my health, vitality, and joy. Too often, women are told to simply “endure” menopause, but I believe suffering is optional. With the right questions, symptom tracking, and intentional lifestyle changes, this transition can become a time of renewal. That’s why I created my Magic Menopause program—to help women...

Eye Health and Migraine Relief (Live Community Call)

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Did you know your eyes can actually tell the story of your overall health? My guest today, Dr. Rudrani (Rani) Banik, is a Board-Certified Neuro-Ophthalmologist and Functional Medicine Expert who blends the best of science with everyday lifestyle changes. She’s sharing how the food on your plate, the supplements you take, and even your daily routines can protect your vision as you age. And the best part is that it’s not complicated, just small steps that make a big difference. If you’ve ever dealt with dry eyes, struggled with screen fatigue, or worried about your eyesight getting...

Navigating Health in a Tech-Heavy World

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

We’re surrounded by technology every day, but few of us stop to think about how it might be impacting our bodies. From the phone at your bedside to the Wi-Fi running all night, EMFs (electromagnetic fields) could be quietly affecting your hormones, energy, sleep, and even fertility. That’s why I sat down with Dr. Stephanie McCarter, a physician who has spent years studying how our environment shapes our health. She makes this complex topic surprisingly relatable and gives us plenty of reasons to start paying closer attention. Dr. Stephanie shares some eye-opening stories and...

Toxicity to Vitality: Root Cause Healing

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Women’s health is complicated, isn’t it? Between stress, hormones, and all the changes that come with midlife, it can feel like we’re constantly trying to put puzzle pieces together without seeing the full picture. That’s why I loved sitting down with Dr. Margaret Christensen to talk about what’s really going on beneath the surface. She’s sharing a perspective on health, intimacy, and connection that every woman deserves to hear. Dr. Margaret walked this journey herself. After facing serious health challenges from toxic mold exposure, she shifted from being a traditional...

My 92 Hours Alone in Darkness

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

This might be the most personal story I’ve ever shared with you. I spent 92 hours in complete darkness, no phone, no light, no distractions, and what I came away with completely shifted how I see my life and make decisions. In this episode, I’m opening up about the surprising moments, the deep stillness, and the kind of clarity you can only find when everything else fades away. If you’ve ever felt pulled in a hundred directions, I think you’ll really connect with this one. When I finally stepped out into the first light of dawn, it was like the world was brand new. Every sound,...

Did You Say Over 100 Menopause Symptoms?

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Brain fog, itchy ears, and phantom smells? Yep, those are real menopause symptoms, and chances are no one warned you about them. That’s why I sat down with Andrea Donsky, a brilliant Menopause Researcher, Nutritionist, and Host of the Menopause Reimagined podcast. With nearly 350K TikTok followers and decades in the wellness space, Andrea’s on a mission to change the way we talk about this season of life, and trust me, you’ll feel so seen after hearing what she shares. We chatted about the 100+ symptoms women are dealing with (some that honestly blew my mind), how to support your body...

Empowering Women: Beyond the Estrogen Window

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Hormones can be wild, especially in perimenopause and menopause, and sometimes it feels like no one talks about just how much they mess with your mind, mood, and energy. But there’s a real science behind why things feel off, and it’s not all in your head. I sat down with my friend and hormone expert, Dr. Betty Murray, to talk about the gut-brain-hormone connection and why it’s such a big deal for women in this season of life. She’s not only a Functional Medicine Pioneer with over 20 years of experience, she’s also the Founder of The Menrva Project, a game-changing platform rethinking...

Unlocking the Power of Pelvic Light Therapy

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

You might not think of light as a healing tool, but red and near-infrared light can do some pretty amazing things, especially when it comes to pelvic health. From easing perimenopause struggles to helping your body bounce back after birth, this kind of light therapy is opening up a whole new world for women dealing with pain, discomfort, or intimacy issues. I had such a good conversation with Dr. Genevieve Newton (Fringe’s Scientific Director) and Elizabeth Frey (Pelvic Health Physiotherapist) about how this all works, and why more women need to know about it. If you’ve been dealing with...

Cracking the Code of Hormone Health

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Hormones are wild, especially when you realize they’re not just about how much you have, but how your body uses and processes them behind the scenes. That’s what hormone metabolite testing helps uncover, and honestly, it’s a game-changer. I’m sitting down with Dr. Liz Bartman, an incredible Naturopathic Doctor with a deep background in hormone science, to talk about how we can actually test our hormones in a meaningful way and what those results are really telling us. We chat about the different ways to test—blood, saliva, urine—and why each one tells a slightly different story....

Innovative Treatments for Incontinence and Sexual Health

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Bladder leaks, dryness, and low libido aren’t exactly dinner table topics… but maybe they should be. These issues are way more common than we think, especially during and after menopause, and they have a huge impact on how we feel day to day. That’s why I sit down with Dr. Rena Malik, a Board-Certified Urologist and Sexual Medicine Specialist who’s made it her mission to talk about the things most people won’t. We talk about everything from pelvic floor problems to how hormones like estrogen and testosterone affect our sexual health and bladder function. Dr. Rena shares why stress...

More Episodes

It’s wild how something that’s supposed to make you feel more confident can actually be the thing making you sick. Candice Barley learned this the hard way after struggling with years of unexplained symptoms—fatigue, gut issues, even liver problems—before realizing her breast implants were the culprit. Now, as a leading advocate for women with Breast Implant Illness (BII), she’s on a mission to educate and support others through their own healing journeys. She’s here to share what she wishes she knew sooner, from the hidden health risks to the life-changing decision to explant.

Candice has helped countless women through the explant process, from finding the right surgeons to navigating the emotional ups and downs. She’s the author of The Explant Book, a step-by-step guide to healing from BII, and the creator of the photo documentary Not As Advertised, which sheds light on the real impact of implants. We talk about the symptoms no one warns you about, why proper explant surgery matters, and how to reclaim your confidence—scars and all. Plus, she shares stories from women who’ve gone through it and come out feeling better than ever. If you’ve ever questioned whether your implants could be affecting your health, this conversation is one you won’t want to miss.

Speaking of feeling better, I have to mention Mighty Maca Plus—it’s been a total game-changer for so many women struggling with low energy, mood swings, and hormone imbalances. It’s packed with over 30 superfoods and makes such a difference in how you feel every day. If you haven’t tried it yet, check it out at dranna.com/drinkmaca—because taking care of yourself should always come first.

Key Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Introduction.

[00:05:48] Breast implant illness journey.

[00:10:05] Implant-induced hormonal changes.

[00:12:44] Breast implant illness recovery.

[00:16:45] Explant journey and body image.

[00:22:18] Inner work after explant surgery.

[00:25:15] Partners' reactions to explant surgery.

[00:29:47] Breast implant inflammation symptoms.

[00:38:06] Breast implant capsules and its implications.

[00:40:26] Breast implants and detoxification.

[00:42:36] Implant removal considerations.

[00:46:12] Bacteria in breast implant capsules.

[00:49:52] Explant surgery techniques and safety.

[00:52:18] Deflation and Breast Implant Associated ALCL risks.

[00:56:39] Preparing for surgery.

[01:01:06] Recovery tips after surgery.

[01:06:00] Restoring gut to intuition after explant surgery.

[01:07:51] The Explant Book

Memorable Quotes:

"That's when I had profound changes in my health—to the point that I feel better now at almost 48 years old than I did even in my twenties because now I understand my genetics." [00:14:29] – Candice Barley

"Once I removed my breast implants, I became so in tune with my body. And this is the feedback I get from so many women is that gut to intuition that we naturally have is heightened or restored back to what it was meant to be." [01:06:22] – Candice Barley

Links Mentioned:

Mighty Maca Plus: http://dranna.com/drinkmaca

The Explant Book: https://www.amazon.com/Explant-Book-Personal-Advocacy-Handbook/dp/B0DK7DTXRG

Auro Wellness: https://aurowellness.com/

The DNA Company: https://thednacompany.com/

Connect with Candice Barley:

Website: https://www.olisticolife.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olisticolife/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@olisticolife

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@olisticolife

Connect with Dr. Anna Cabeca:

Website: https://drannacabeca.com/pages/show