HEALTH – A young mother-of-two who underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction when she discovered she had the cancer gene says she has been left with a breast ‘the size of a watermelon’ after contracting sepsis.
Her Situation now
Chloe Hughes had both her breasts removed after finding out she had the breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2), which means she is more at risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
However, the 27-year-old from Barnsley, England, says she contracted sepsis in her left breast after the surgery which led to her suffering a seizure and her left breast swelling.
Victim Impact Statement
Chloe says ‘I have ended up looking deformed’ and has opened up about her terrifying experience.
She claims that she is having the fluid aspirated from her breast and is going under the knife again next week to have the implant removed, clear out the remaining infection and have a new implant put back in.
‘Having this surgery done in my twenties was a difficult enough decision on its own because I was afraid it would affect my confidence, but I have my two boys to think about and I want to be there when they grow up, so it was a no brainier,’ Chloe told.
‘However, I have ended up looking deformed. A week after the surgery, I had a seizure through the night and my partner rushed me to the hospital where they told me I had sepsis. My left boob then started to swell to the size of a watermelon. I thought it was going to burst.’
She has a family history of cancer
With a family history of cancer, Chloe underwent testing in 2022 and it was revealed that she had the BRCA2 gene.
She says that she pushed to be added to the list to have a double mastectomy because she was terrified of leaving her sons without their mother.
However, she was nervous to undergo the surgery as she says she was worried about body image and not feeling attractive.
At the end of 2023, Chloe had a double mastectomy with reconstruction breasts where two implants were added to each side.
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Post-operation
A week after the operation while recovering at home, Chloe says she suffered a seizure through the night and had been suffering other symptoms such as being wrapped up but still cold, and unable to get her words out.
Her partner, Kurtis, 27, carried her to the car and rushed her to hospital.
Chloe says that when she arrived at the hospital, her entire body was shaking and her teeth were chattering uncontrollably.
She says that, after undergoing tests, she was told that she had sepsis. She stayed in the hospital for a week on IV antibiotics and morphine.
The Swell-up
Chloe recalls that she was in so much pain that all of her days merged into one and that her left breast swelled to the size of a watermelon.
She says that she has so far had the septic fluid aspirated from her breast four times, yet it continues to swell.
Further Surgery Awaits
Chloe is now waiting for further surgery next week when she will have her left implant removed and a new one inserted.
She added: ‘I honestly didn’t realise how serious sepsis was until I got it myself.
‘I was in and out of hospital over Christmas, and I have been in so much pain.
‘I really hope that they remove the implants. I just want to start fresh. I am in pain every single day, I can’t wear the clothes I’d like to wear, it’s ruined my confidence and I suffer from body dysmorphia now.’
She continued: ‘Having a double mastectomy in my twenties has been really tough. Especially because a lot of my friends have had boob jobs which look amazing, and they get to wear all the gorgeous clothes they want.’
