First let me start by introducing myself. My name is Charlotte Innes, I am 24 years old and have a 3 year old little boy called Chester.

I am writing this letter to explain my situation and to see if you can help. I suffer from excruciating back pain, kyphosis (curvature of the spine) bulging disks x2, nerve compression and mental health issues. This is due to the size of my breast which are a 32HH (measured in June 2025. They weigh roughly 5kg in total. I am petite in build and wear size 8-10 clothes.

regardless of writing this exact letter, and 5 others, all from surgeons, professional physios, GP’s, chiropractors and thankfully so many more that’s been on my side, the NHS EXCEPTIONAL FUNDING TEAM has still declined a breast reduction.

Around year 6 of Primary School my breast began to grow, over the years of Secondary School they began to increase rapidly and the last 2 years of my school life I spent at home, being homeschooled. This was due to only managing 1-2 hours in school as I could not sit for long periods of time due to immense back pain. This also had a huge impact on my mental health and I suffered from anxiety and depression. I was later diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.

No 23 year old should wake up in distress every single day worrying what her physical health is gong to be like in 5 years time. Let alone a 23 year old mother. Im terrified. As the default parent and housewife, if my health diteriates much more, I wont be able to for-fill these rolls to my full potential.

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In the last 2 years I have calculated i have spent over £1500 on massages, at home massage equipment, posture straps, heat patches, and pain killers to try and make my situation slightly more liveable. 

Having always had extremely large breasts my back has finally had enough and causing me so much pain everyday, this is a Insite of how this massively my impacts my day to day life: 

Going back to my school years, the last 2 years of secondary school I was homeschooled due to my mental health being at a critical stage, I could only manage 1-2 hours of education a day due to not being able to sit up straight for long periods of time. Fortunately, I had the flexabilty to choose my own hours.

before having my son in 2022 I decided to put my savings into setting up a beauty room to do hair extensions and nails from. Once the room was complete after a year of working in my other job at the time to afford it, I was unable to stand for long periods of time and bend over to offer nails. I was never able to grow my business to my full potential and had to watch my dream job and workspace be taken away from me. I have retained my skills by keeping my kit to use on family/friends hoping that maybe one day I can start again.

Whilst being pregnant, I couldn't wait to breastfeed my son and experience the "bond" that everyone tells you about. After giving birth and my breast milk coming in, they were bigger than I could have ever imagined any natural breast could get. They were absolutely excrutiatng. Knowing that they would stay this size while I continued to breastfeed was daunting and i knew how much of a strain it already had on my back, i couldnt take it anymore so switched to formula. 

After stopping they didnt get and lighter they just dropped. 

After recovering from my c-section and was given the all clear to exercise, I thought loosing weight might help reduce the size of them. i lost alot of weight and got back to my pre child size, but nothing came off my breasts. I found myself in quite a dark place with eating properly due to being scared putting on weight would just go straight to my chest. 

Being at my wits end with having a newborn and being in such unbareable pain physiclly and mentally I booked to go private for a breast reduction (2023). decided to go ahead with booking in a surgery date and had my pre op. My operation date was booked in but finantially I couldnt go ahead with surgery. Despite having cancelled surgery I still had to cover the costs of blood tests, appointments ect which still out me into dept. DR SW at spire health care private hospital examined me on my consultation and explained he was shocked at the size and drop in my breast at my age (21 at the time.)

Also noticing my Right breast is slightly larger.

Now my sons getting older im finding it extremely difficult to be the parent I want to be with him. i want to be the young mum doing into the park with him, getting in and playing in soft play, running round the field playing football. Instead im counting down the seconds until we can go home and I can lie down on a hot water bottle. i cant run round with him playing as running is unbearable unless im holding them tight to my chest which is so embarrassing. Sitting on the floor with him playing games I can only do for a very short period of time as i have no support on my back. What young mum cant do all these things?! It breaks my heart I cant play like my mum used to with me. 

This then doesn't help my depression.

The severe anxiety I've suffered with my whole life is finally at a very stable point, to which I would really love to come off of my antidepressants ive been taking for almost 11 years. However I dont feel comfortable with coming off of them completely as i know i would get myself into a spiral, feeling not good enough for my son and being mentally destructive. Chester started preschool in february this year, which I feel so guilty for because I am able to stay home with him 7 days a week. i have recently had to up him to 3 days a week to give me time to lie completely flat for couple of hours while hes there and catch up on sleep as thats dramatically decreased due to being awake for hours a night in so much pain.

I feel like the whole experience of being a mum with a child this age has been ripped away from me as even if i do get a reducton now, by the time im fully recovered, he will be staring school. And thats if its within the following year. 

Going anywhere male dominated I’m extremely nervous about going to and avoid if possible. I have been heckled and shouted at made to feel humiliated at a car garage before after months of finally trying to push myself to do things like that on my own which resulted to a formal complaint. I was wearing a large oversized hoodie at the time so they weren’t even on show. This has still effected me and no longer can push myself to put myself into these situations anymore.

I no longer exercise due to being in excruciating pain during and after workouts. Being extremely nervous to train when other people are in the gym so now seeing my PT for back pain exercises and stretches. Having Asthma also, I really find any type of exercise difficult anyway as I always feel like I have a weighted vest on!!

In regards to wearing a bra, I have tried them all. No normal, nice bras fit me. I have tried high street bras, high end bras, sports bras, surgery bras, non wired bras and I did once get a custom fit bra made which was so expensive. They have to have a large shoulder strap for support but they dig in and cause red and purple marks across my shoulders if worn for too long. When at home or even in my pyjamas I still have to wear some supportive bras or bralettes as if I don’t get sores and rashes under my boobs across my belly. (Sadly they do hang that low)

I feel like everywhere I look there’s another issue.

I’m anxious as tramadol is the only medication out of the amounts I’ve tried that remotely touches the pain. This is a highly addictive drug and being on a strong dose I’m worried how this is going to affect me also. Doctors have also prescribed me amitriptyline but was unsure how that drug would effect the antidepressants that I take daily.

I know just going through reduction surgery isn’t going to help, as I’m fully aware I need to strengthen my back and correct my posture which I’m attending multiple personal training sessions a week learning techniques to also do at home.

My GP has also referred me to MSK spinal team for physio/spinal assessment.

This is going to be a long journey to recovery I know but if I can just get a normal girl my ages life back as soon as I can my family and I would be beyond appreciative.

Mentally and phyisically, I need this procedure. Not just for me but for my son too. He needs his Mummy. This should not be considered cosmetic but purely medial purposes only! Thankyou for reading