Llandudno woman with 40K bra size begs for breast reduction but NHS refuse

A woman from North Wales is desperate to raise £7,500 to have her 40K breasts reduced. Anji Chalk claims she has been ‘repeatedly dismissed’ by the NHS and told to lose weight instead of surgery.

Anji, who works as an actress says she suffers back pain so severe she is forced to use a walking stick. She fears without the surgery she may be ‘permanently disabled’ because of her breasts.

The 22-year-old says she has been repeatedly turned away by her GP, and they wont consider her for a reduction through the NHS due to her 20 stone weight. After implementing lifestyle changes she lost two stone but is struggling to lose anything more.

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Angit, from Llandudno is unable to work due to her back pain. Adding that because of her breasts she suffers with painful sweat rashes and is regularly covered in bruises caused by people bumping into her breasts in the street.

Doctors have diagnosed Angi with a condition called gigantomastia – an exponential growth of excessive breast tissue, as reported by Lancs Live.

She said: “The doctors have said they want me to lose half my body weight and be around 10 or 11 stone, which of course I’d love to be. The thing is my breasts weigh about a stone each at least. I wear a size 40K and have to change my bras every couple of months because the underwires break.

“I have to spend so much money on ‘granny’ bras that I get commissioned from Poland – they cost about £80 for the cheapest. I don’t leave the house unless I go shopping but whenever I do I bring my walking stick with me.

“I get sores and sweat rashes under my breasts, it’s just agony and sometimes they itch to the point there is bruising. The straps cut into my skin and I have bruises and scars on my shoulders and indents from my bras.

“One of the big issues with my current bra is that the underwire digs into the skin on my sides because the cup size is one size too small and I have bruising on the side of my breasts too. People bump into me all the time, a number of times I’ve come home with bruises on my breasts because someone has accidentally knocked into me because they protrude out so much.

“I’m not able to wear a bra lying down as the whole weight of them concentrated on my chest means I can’t breathe. I’m very worried that I’m now getting to a point where I will be permanently disabled because of it.”

Anji approached doctors in Llandudno, from the age 13-years-old and since relocating for university has approached doctors in Preston. But Anji has a long history of suffering with breast-related issues starting at the very young age of seven when she went through precocious puberty.

After going back and forth to her doctors ‘weekly’ begging for a breast reduction, Anji says she was repeatedly told to simply lose weight, something she struggled with due to the size of her chest.

Anji said: “About five years ago I started a contraception that caused me to put on an extreme amount of weight that I’ve never actually been able to get off.

“I’ve done so many diets, I’ve gone to the doctors, they’ve had me go to dietitians but nothing’s working. A good reason for that is because now I’ve gotten to a point where my mobility is compromised.

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“It’s definitely been difficult being a performer as we have to do a lot of dancing and physical movement. My back is at a point now where I cant even go to work [some days] as I can’t move out of my bed and I have two walking aids.

“The doctors have said this isn’t just a situation with my joints, it’s clearly a result of the breasts. I’ve gone to the doctors to see if there’s a hormonal reason why my breasts have grown so large.

“The main one they’ve come to the conclusion to is gigantomastia, which is exponential growth of excessive breast tissue and it’s usually caused by hormonal spikes. My back is at a point now where I can’t even go to work [some days] as I can’t move out of my bed and I have two walking aids.

“The doctors have said this isn’t just a situation with the joints, it’s clearly a result of the breasts.” After being ‘dismissed’ numerous times by GPs Anji, who is forced to squeeze into size 20-22 top, has decided to take matters into her own hands and is fundraising to get surgery done privately.

Anji said: “This year I’ve been at an all-time low with my back pain, I do fear that it’s just going to get worse and worse.

“Breast reductions are seen as cosmetic no matter how hard you try to tell doctors, they will always see them as a cosmetic procedure first before being a necessity. Friends said if I set up a GoFundMe page they’d donate and I’ve had so much support already, which is absolutely amazing.

“If I got the surgery it would be life-changing, I don’t know a life without having excessively large breasts. If I was going to get this surgery it would quite literally be a weight lifted off my shoulders.

“The idea of not having to use a walking stick, being able to exercise, not having to take painkillers everyday would be weird, but a wonderful weird.” Anji’s GP surgery were contacted for comment but failed to respond.

NHS Greater Preston CCG is unable to provide comment on individual patient cases. You can donate to Anji’s page here.

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