Woman reveals rare condition made her breasts grow five cup sizes suddenly
Michelle Sekwena had a petite, 32A-size chest and was comfortable in her body before the shocking change, which took place over several months.
It began with the 25-year-old noticing that her breasts were feeling painful, becoming itchy when she wore bras, and turned a 'reddish' color.
They shot up to a size 34G, leaving her struggling to walk more than short distances due to severe back and knee pain thanks to the extra weight.
In addition, it completely shattered her confidence since people would 'stare at her all the time' when she went out in public - with some even questioning if she was expecting.
'People would think I'm pregnant, and I would get weird stares everywhere I went,' the salesperson told NeedToKnow recently.
'I lost my confidence. My back and knees were sore, and I had headaches, so I couldn't rest or sleep properly.
'It was very depressing. People were making fun of me and staring all the time.
'I would wear baggy clothes and hoodies to hide my breasts. My confidence was down to zero.'
Michelle was eventually referred to a consultant at a hospital in her native Pretoria, South Africa, to get checked, where she was diagnosed with gigantomastia – a rare condition that causes excessive and rapid growth of breast tissue.
According to Cleveland Clinic, it can happen 'during puberty, pregnancy or from taking medication. In some cases, it occurs spontaneously and for no reason.'
It is extremely uncommon, with only about 300 documented cases in the world.
The cost of a breast reduction would set Michelle back more than $8,000, which the young woman couldn't afford.
She started documenting her experience with the condition on TikTok, where her videos have garnered up to 22 million views, and she decided to start an online fundraiser.
Incredibly, followers flocked to support her efforts, and with the help of their donations, she was finally able to fund the surgery, having her breasts reduced to a 34D – the smallest size possible.
Michelle underwent the surgery in February this year, and is now thrilled with her results, saying she has her 'life back.'
Michelle was eventually diagnosed with gigantomastia – a rare condition that causes excessive and rapid growth of breast tissue. She' seen before (left) and after (right) her breasts grew
In February she had her breasts reduced to a 34D – the smallest size possible - through surgery and she has now gotten her confidence back. She's seen after the surgery
While she doesn't know if the condition may reappear, Michelle is remaining optimistic that she won't have to suffer the same fate again – and is busy embracing her newfound confidence and freedom.
She concluded: 'It feels so amazing.'
Thaynara Marcondes, 22, from Brazil, suffered from the same condition as Michelle last year.
She said she feared she had cancer when her breasts grew 26lbs in a few months, and she was eventually diagnosed with gigantomastia.
She too endured constant back, shoulder, and neck pain and, at times, needing a wheelchair to get around.
In late October, she was referred for a $7,200 10-hour reduction surgery where doctors removed a whopping 22lbs from her breasts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Why does my tongue keep tingling? It could be harmless. But it could also be lethal. Doctors reveal the subtle symptom differences
Feeling a buzzing sensation or a little numbness on your tongue? Unexplained tingling, known to doctors as paresthesia, is often only temporary and harmless.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Why I would NEVER eat this common breakfast as a health and fitness coach
Two eggs on toast theoretically sounds like a wholesome, rounded breakfast. But according to a health and fitness coach, this meal could inadvertently be setting you up for failure if you're aiming to be in the best shape possible. Lewis Welsh, a London-based health coach from Team Superhuman, explained why the optimal breakfast meal for great health 'results' isn't necessarily what you might think. 'If you're a woman aiming to optimise your hormones and reach your best shape, here's exactly what you should be eating for breakfast,' Lewis stated in the second of a two-part Instagram video. Placing a typical breakfast of fried eggs on two pieces of toasted white bread down on a kitchen counter, Lewis declared that this common meal was hormonally and nutritionally setting your body up for failure. 'If you eat toast and two fried eggs for breakfast, you'll be hungry in an hour,' Lewis explained in the first of the two-part Instagram video. 'The bread will spike your blood sugars. Two eggs just isn't enough protein. You're starting your day underfed,' he said. So, how to improve it? Lewis suggested ditching the bread, increasing the egg count and adding a portion of fruit. 'Instead, if you eat six [scrambled] eggs with some fruit, you'll stay full, your blood sugars will stay stable, you have proteins, healthy fats and nutrients,' Lewis explained. 'You'll actually feel energised for the day.' Eggs on toast wasn't the only seemingly healthy breakfast that Lewis took issue with in his viral Instagram video, which has been viewed over three million times. Holding a very nutritious-looking bowl of oats and fruit, Lewis explained that this too was setting you up for nutritional failure. 'If you just eat oats and fruit, you're loading up on carbohydrates, you'll crash in the afternoon,' he explained. 'There's no real protein. It's a blood sugar rollercoaster.' Lewis offered the suggestion of still having a bowl of fruit, but alternatively pairing it with Greek yoghurt. 'Instead, if you have some Greek yoghurt with some fruit – and some sardines on the side, you have a brain-boosting breakfast,' he suggested. Lewis explained that this particular meal is 'going to help towards your muscle building goals, help with recovery and help you feel energised for the day.' The well-meaning health advice videos have received reams of likes and over a thousand replies. But the most-liked response was a hilariously astounded reaction to the feasibility of eating six eggs on a daily basis. '6 eggs? With the price of eggs these days I'd need to lay my own to have 6 in one go lol,' read the top-liked reply. 'Who can actually eat 6 eggs at once? I can barely eat 2 and I love eggs,' chimed in another person. But many commenters also appreciated the nutrient re-think of what constitutes a typical breakfast. 'Love your egg and fruit combination,' read one reply. However, Lewis' second controversial breakfast recommendation was a little less well received among video viewers. Protein-rich sardines are naturally divisive on account of their strong flavour - and the health expert's recommendation of them as a 'side' with fruit and yoghurt baffled commenters. Viewers of health coach Lewis Welsh's video were stunned at his suggestion of adding sardines as a breakfast 'side' 'Greek yogurt with sardines on the side is wild,' read a much-liked comment. 'I'm sorry but who is eating Greek yogurt with a side of sardines for breakfast,' chimed in another. 'Nothing like sardine breath to start the workday,' a third person remarked.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
VA hospitals are finding it harder to fill jobs, watchdog says
Government-run medical centers serving the nation's veterans have reported an increase in severe staffing shortages, with many hospitals having trouble filling jobs for doctors, nurses and psychologists, according to an independent watchdog for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Tuesday's report from the VA's Office of Inspector General is based on surveys from late March and early April that were taken at 139 Veterans Health Administration facilities. Severe staffing shortages are not necessarily an indication of vacancies but refer to particular occupations that are difficult to fill. The surveys were taken just weeks after it was reported in early March that the VA had planned to cut 80,000 jobs — out of 484,000 — through the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. The VA later reduced the figure to nearly 30,000 jobs to be cut by this fiscal year's end on Sept. 30. President Donald Trump 's administration said Tuesday that the surveys are unreliable because they do not reflect actual vacancies, which VA officials said were in line with historical averages. But Democratic lawmakers warned that veterans won't get the health care they need as VA positions become harder to fill. The surveys reflected a 50% increase in the reporting of severe staffing shortages for specific jobs, both for clinical occupations that include doctors and psychologists and for non-clinical jobs that include police and custodial workers. Nearly all of the facilities — 94% — reported a shortage for medical officer occupations that include doctors, while 79% reported shortages for nurses. The report noted that severe shortages for medical officers and nurses have been identified every year in the report since 2014. Pete Kasperowicz, the VA's press secretary, stressed in an email that the report is not based on vacancies and is therefore 'not a reliable indicator of staffing shortages.' 'The report simply lists occupations facilities feel are difficult for which to recruit and retain, so the results are completely subjective, not standardized and unreliable,' Kasperowicz wrote. He said that vacancy rates for doctors and nurses are 14% and 10%, respectively, which he said are lower than most other health care systems and in line with 'normal VA historical averages.' But Jacqueline Simon, policy director for the American Federation of Government Employees, said the surveys reflect the Trump administration's profound hostility toward the federal workforce and what she said are its plans to ultimately privatize the VA. 'This is a deliberate effort to incapacitate and to undermine veterans' support for and approval of the care they receive in VA hospitals and clinics,' Simon said. 'They'll have to wait much longer for appointments. There won't be specialists available. They'll have no choice but to go to the private sector.' Simon also noted the VA's announcement last week that it was terminating collective bargaining agreements for most VA bargaining-unit employees, which could further hurt recruitment. The VA said in a news release that the move will 'make it easier for VA leaders to promote high-performing employees, hold poor performers accountable, and improve benefits and services to America's Veterans.' But U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said in a news release Tuesday that the Trump administration has made it harder for public servants to do their jobs 'and ultimately harder for veterans to get the care they've earned.' 'We also know from recent jobs reports that applications to work at the VA are plummeting," said Warner, a Democrat who represents the veteran-dense state of Virginia. 'How do skyrocketing staffing shortages and declining applicant pools make it more 'efficient' for veterans to access the care and services they deserve? The answer is: they don't.'
