Going for surgery is a really nerve-wracking experience. Even if you're only going under the knife for a few minutes, you still have to entrust your life and health to a complete stranger. You feel helpless, and at the back of your mind is the fear that the operation could go horribly wrong. One person who has had the misfortune of suffering this very real experience is estate agent Ferrell Johnson, whose botched breast-reduction surgery led to her ending up with a "third breast” under her armpit.
65-year-old Ferrell, who hails from California, decided to have her E-cup breasts reduced to a B, as a result of her sore back. The operation was covered by her insurance, and she wasn't worried about it. However, it took about two weeks for Ferrell to see the results of her surgery since her scars were covered by bandages. When those bandages came off, Ferrell discovered to her horror that she'd been left with fat necrosis - a lump of dead and damaged tissue under her arm which was leaking pus.
Commenting on her condition, Ferrell stated:
"I’ve been left in a mess. I have a fat necrosis in my right breast, and a third breast- made up of fat and tissue – under my arm. The first time I saw the lump in the mirror, I cried and cried. I’ve always been a go-getter, so it isn’t in my nature to feel this way. This has caused so many emotional issues. I’m constantly so conscious of what I wear and how I move, as the breast can fall out of the side of my top. I’m horrified at the thought of being seen in public like that"
She added:
"I went under general anaesthetic for the procedure in March 2017, so by the time I woke up, the damage was already done ... The first time I properly saw myself, I was home alone and caught sight of a lump in the mirror. I took a proper look and just burst into tears. It looked literally like a third breast."
Unfortunately for Ferrell, the lump is extremely painful, and she's now embarrassed to leave her home without being attended:
"I was excreting lumps out of my nipple. At first, they looked like long, thin worms, and I thought, ‘Oh my god, what is that?’ Then one day, a marble-sized piece of tissue fell away ... I was put on antibiotics, but I have been left with some fatty lumps that need removing. There’s one piece of dead tissue, measuring two centimetres by three centimetres, that causes severe pain."
Ferrell will now need reconstructive surgery to repair the damage to her body, and has even written to reality show Botched to ask their producers for help. However, she hopes that, in sharing her story, she's encouraged others to be more careful about which surgeons they consult.
