Its probably safe to assume that most of us never even realized bras came in sizes like 36NNN; but apparently they do – even if they have to be custom made. Just ask Dr. Franklin Rose, a plastic surgeon who was recently in charge of performing a breast reduction for a woman who carried this measurement.
Kerisha Mark, a school social worker, suffered from a medical condition that made her breasts so incredibly large that she suffered pain, embarrassment, and physical hardships because of it.
But on her 40th birthday, Mark decided she had to treat herself to something truly special; and she allowed Eyewitness News cameras into the operating room for her life-altering surgery, where more than 15 pounds of tissue was removed from her breasts.
“I was like, happy birthday to me!”
“My first time at boot camp, I did a jumping jack and my bra snapped,” Mark said.
Dr. Rose, one of Houston’s top plastic surgeons, said he had never seen anyone like Mark in his 30 years of practice. She suffers from a condition called Gigantomastia – which can affect women as young as 14 years old. And as one can imagine, the effects of the condition causes emotional and physical pain.
“I started to have really bad headaches. Women and men want to touch them to see if they are real. It’s real intimidating,” Mark said.
“She is among the largest, if not the largest patients for breast reduction,” Rose said. “This indention she has from constant dragging and pulling.”
According to Dr. Rose, “Nobody could support this additional weight. She would have ended up almost a hunchback given 30 more years.”
“The first time my best friend saw me, she cried,” Mark said. “When I stood up for the first time I felt so light.”
She also experienced emotions she didn’t anticipate.
“After I got home I did cry. It was like I mourned the death of them, it was like a divorce,” Mark said.
Mark is experiencing a whole different existence now; shopping for a new wardrobe, and next summer, she’ll wear a swimsuit for the first time.
“My first thing on the agenda is to purchase a beautiful bra and second is to buy a strapless dress,” Mark said, and adds, “Live my life to the fullest, without restrictions.”
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(Photo/Video Source: ABC 7]
