Testimonial from Ms. K
Through Ms. K's testimony, share the journey of a patient:
from diagnosis to complete surgical treatment of her lipedema, affecting her lower limbs.
Introduce yourself
I am a 28-year-old dentist who has suffered from lipedema in my legs since adolescence. Despite being diagnosed with mild stage 1-2 lipedema by an angiologist andDr. Zwillinger (which has only gotten worse in recent years, especially since I started working), the functional and aesthetic impairments were omnipresent, and relief began when we were ableto diagnosethis disease.
Could you share with us your experience of discovering you
, through this article: Mrs. K's testimonial?
It was by chance on YouTube while watching Emmy's video, like many French speakers I think, because unfortunately France is lagging behind in awareness, prevention, and treatment of this condition.
What were your daily symptoms?
Already, there was an imbalance in my figure between the upper and lower body, daily bruising for no apparent reason, pain when simply touching my legs that worsened at the end of the day, and very noticeable cellulite on my legs from the age of 14, with very unsightly knees.
Great difficulty finding clothes that fit, as the disproportion between the upper and lower body is so great.
How did you hear about Dr. Zwillinger?
I searched the internet at random to see if there were any surgeons in France qualified to perform this operation, as I didn't want to have it done abroad.
From the very first consultation, we hit it off, I got answers to my questions, and I didn't feel the need to seek a second opinion—I felt confident. I don't regret this choice because, thanks to him, I can now say that I am free from great suffering.
How did your first procedure go? On the day itself? And afterward?
The operation took place atthe Étoile clinic, which I highly recommend. The team was excellent, from the nurses to the nursing assistants, and the anesthesiologist was very available and provided tremendous support during the post-operative period.
So, D-day is the big day. I'm very apprehensive, but I know why I'm here. I've decided to have the operation under general anesthesia, but there is the option of spinal anesthesia. I woke up feeling great, with no nausea or unbearable pain, so I confirmed my desire to have the operation on an outpatient basis and decided to go home after my vital signs and hemoglobin levels were checked.
That's my only regret, because the night was very difficult, with burning sensations in my calf, dizziness, pain that didn't go away with painkillers, etc. A night at the clinic wouldn't have been too much to ask.
Thanks to the availability of doctors and my loved ones (because yes, you need to have good support before taking the plunge; it's far from a trivial operation and, depending on the case, recovery can be really difficult) I was able to sleep soundly again after a week and regain my mobility after two weeks. It's really after the first DLM that you feel a real sense of relief.
After one month, we could already see a big change; defined calves were something unthinkable a few years ago.
The days related to my professional activity can be very tiring, so I resumed my activity after a month, and I didn't feel 100% recovered, but despite everything, the pain and heavy leg sensations disappeared very quickly.
The only thing that remains is swelling at the end of the day. This can last for up to a year after surgery, and I'm only six months in, so I'm just being patient.
The second procedure has just been performed. How do you feel? How are you feeling?
I am delighted because this is the last one for me. I was able to learn from my mistakes during the first operation, such as spending the first night at the clinic, avoiding the appearance of tourniquets with poorly positioned compression stockings, and starting LMD (lymphatic drainage massage) as soon as possible.
Don't wait until the pain sets in before taking painkillers. Eat a balanced diet and stay hydrated to regain your strength as quickly as possible and avoid bloating/constipation.
This second operation is different. The pain is less severe, and there is no burning sensation, but I feel extremely tired and dizzy, probably due to the larger amount of fat removed and blood lost.
I am currently on day 3 and I can already see the beginnings of results. I can't wait to see the final results in 6 months/a year.
If you could give advice to people with lipedema or who think they might have it, what would it be?
Starting with a diagnosis doesn't commit you to anything and allows you to truly reconcile with yourself, to stop beating yourself up and feeling guilty about something that isn't your fault.
Then adapt your lifestyle to suit this condition.
Unfortunately, there is no conservative treatment as effective as surgery, so based on my experience, I can only encourage these women to go for it, while keeping in mind that it is far from trivial and that you need to be well prepared both psychologically and physically, and allow yourself time to recover properly.