A woman who underwent breast reconstruction surgery after childhood medication for autism left her chest deformed has told how one of her implants has ruptured -but she’s been refused a replacement on the NHS because she ‘doesn’t have cancer’.
Zoe Winchester, 29, of Deal, Kent, told how she noticed her right breast had become droopy, painful and lumpy in September 2017.
Scans showed her saline implant had ruptured, but doctors told her they could only remove it on the NHS, not replace it – despite the fact her original operation was not for cosmetic reasons.
Zoe, who was born on the Isle of Man and is unable to work due to her disability, cannot afford to pay £8,000 to go private and has set up a GoFundMe page.
Zoe Winchester, 29, of Deal, Kent, underwent breast reconstruction surgery after childhood medication for autism left her chest deformed
She admitted she currently can’t even look at herself in a mirror and says her love life is non-existent due to her confidence hitting rock-bottom.
Zoe told FEMAIL: ‘I haven’t had any more relationships because I hate the way I look. I never look at myself in mirrors as it just upsets me.’
Zoe has Asperger syndrome, an autistic spectrum disorder, and was prescribed the medication risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic, when she was 11.
Serious side effects of the drug include enlarged breast tissue, obesity, heart problems and diabetes.
Zoe told how she noticed her right breast had become droopy, painful and lumpy in September 2017
Zoe said both her breasts (pictured recently) used to be much more central on her chest, and she fears both implants need replacing as the left one has hardened
‘Because of my autism I had anger issues and the doctors decided to put me on three risperidone tablets daily, which was a very high dose,’ Zoe explained.
While the drug was meant to make her ‘more calm’, she told how she experienced sudden weight gain and extremely heavy and irregular periods, to the point where she had to change her sanitary towel every hour and couldn’t go to school.
‘I ended up having a period for nine months non-stop, so I went on birth control just to stop it,’ Zoe said. ‘Risperidone also stopped my breasts developing properly.’
Zoe came off risperidone when she was 16 and shared her concerns that she hadn’t physically developed properly with her doctors.
While the drug risperidone, which she was administered when she was 11, was meant to make her ‘more calm’, she told how she experienced sudden weight gain and extremely heavy and irregular periods. Zoe pictured left age eight and right age 12 after her weight gain
Pictured at age 15, Zoe came off risperidone when she was 16 and shared her concerns that she hadn’t physically developed properly with her doctors
‘I was told it was the medication and that I would need surgery to correct the deformities,’ she said. ‘I had full breast reconstruction and augmentation surgery when I was 18.’
Unlike silicone implants, which use shells filled with a plastic gel, Zoe had saline implants which use silicone shells filled with a sterile saline solution.
When she woke up following the operation, Zoe said she was shocked to discover surgeons had removed the nipple and areola on her right breast and reattached it elsewhere.
‘They never told me they were going to do this so I was very distressed,’ she recalled. ‘As a result I lost all the nerves in that part of my breast and it was completely numb.
‘I was told I probably wouldn’t get any feeling back in it – I still haven’t.’
Three months later Zoe returned to hospital to have a saline port removed from her left breast when doctors discovered her implant had ruptured and needed replacing, so they performed an emergency procedure.
‘They told me I would need both implants replaced in 10 years, or sooner if there were any issues,’ she added.
Zoe told how it took several months before her scars stopped hurting and she struggled to move or lift her arms above her head during her recovery.
Rather than improve her confidence, Zoe said surgery made her look and feel worse.
‘It made me very self-conscious and I had to have a lot of time off school – a special needs boarding school – because I needed help to look after myself,’ she recalled.
‘I had a boyfriend at the time who broke up with me after my surgery because he thought I looked gross.’
Zoe told how it took several months before her scars stopped hurting and she struggled to move or lift her arms above her head during her recovery
In September 2017, Zoe told how her right breast became lumpy, painful and droopy. After several trips to her GP a scan revealed her implant had ruptured.
She claims she then requested to have them replaced, but was told she could only have them removed.
Zoe said: ‘Although it would leave me disfigured, they had no interest in putting new implants in, which i thought was unfair – if they can operate to remove them, why can’t they replace them at the same time?
‘I was really upset and explained that I never had this done for cosmetic purposes, I had needed them done, but I wasn’t listened to.
In September 2017, Zoe told how her right breast became lumpy, painful and droopy. After several trips to her GP a scan revealed her implant had ruptured
‘I was told unless I had cancer they weren’t interested in replacing them. It made me feel guilty for wanting to get help.
‘When I asked how much it would cost to go private they quoted around £8,000. I’m disabled and on disability benefits, which just cover my rent and everything else. I live with my mum and she’s my carer.
‘When I told them this and they shrugged and said they can’t help – which is why I started a GoFundMe campaign.’
Zoe said the way her breasts look have destroyed her confidence and she struggles to find a bra that fits and will only wear baggy clothes.
Zoe said the way her breasts look have destroyed her confidence and she struggles to find a bra that fits and will only wear baggy clothes. She also refuses to have full length photos
‘I’m too ashamed to go to the gym so I go swimming at the quiet times, and I get my mum to check there is no one near me when I get in,’ she said.
‘I have no relationships and I don’t have any confidence at all.’
Feeling unable to carry on with the way her breasts are, Zoe is fundraising to afford the operation privately.
Zoe is asking for £6,000 – the rest she is trying to save up herself, putting aside £20 to £30 per month.
She said she is ‘so grateful’ to everyone who has donated to her campaign so far, which has raised £60, adding: ‘Every little helps.’
To donate, click here.