A mother-of-three from Kent almost died after a cosmetic surgery trip to Spain turned into a horrific medical ordeal, leaving her with a gaping wound and a life-threatening blood clot.
A Quest for a 'Safer' Surgery Abroad
Josephina Finch, a 38-year-old makeup artist from Canterbury, paid approximately £6,000 for a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) with implants in Spain. She chose the destination after hearing horror stories about procedures in Turkey, believing it to be a safer alternative.
"I had it in my head that that's what I wanted to do," Josephina said. "I thought they could be really dangerous but this looked like it was safer than Turkey. I just wanted to have a bit of a rounder bum."
The Operation and a Terrifying Awakening
The procedure itself was traumatic. "It was a really hard surgery, I felt like I had been hit by a bus," she recalled. Most chillingly, she regained consciousness during the operation. "I woke up screaming at some point in the operating theatre," Josephina revealed.
Problems escalated a week later when she returned to the clinic feeling extremely unwell. A nurse pressed her buttocks together, causing litres of fluid to 'gush' out of an unhealed incision. "It was a good inch and a half," Josephina described of the hole. She was told her implants were infected, but the surgeon was on holiday and wouldn't be back for eight days.
"I thought I was going to die," she said. "It was a nightmare, it was actual hell. I was in pain, you have to lay down, you can't stand up."
Life-Threatening Consequences and Lasting Regret
After finally having the implants removed, Josephina flew home to the UK, only to develop severe nerve pain. Suspecting a blood clot, she insisted on blood thinners. An ultrasound four days later confirmed a large clot in her leg. A day after starting medication, sharp chest pains sent her to hospital, where doctors warned the clot could have moved to her lung.
"They said if I had not asked for the blood thinners, I could have died," Josephina stated. The experience has left her with significant health anxiety and guilt as a mother. "I'll never be the same again," she confessed. "I have that guilt forever now for taking that risk."
Her perspective on body image has changed profoundly. She now advocates for exercise over surgery, having achieved her desired results through gym work with a personal trainer. "I tried to take the easy way out and instantly look perfect but actually risked everything," she reflected. "It's not worth it if I'm honest. All just to have a slightly bigger bum."
