At the age of 47, our patient gives an emotional account of her battle against lipedema, a little-known condition that has a profound impact on the daily lives of women who suffer from it. After two operations, she is about to undergo a third at La Clinique du Lipoedème. Here is her story.
Unexplained weight gain and increasing pain
“It all started when I noticed a progressive weight gain. Despite dieting and exercise, nothing helped: I continued to gain weight, slowly but surely, particularly in my legs. »
Our patient soon began to experience disabling symptoms such as restless legs syndrome:
“Every evening, I had to stretch, get up, walk around the house… Even at night, my sleep was interrupted by this irrepressible need to move my legs. »
Her legs begin to swell and change shape. The discomfort became physical, but also social and emotional. “People thought I had lower back pain, but in reality, I couldn’t bend down any more because of the lack of flexibility in my legs. »
A late diagnosis of lipedema
Referred to an angiologist, she discovered that she was suffering from more than just edema:
“I thought it was water retention… but I was told it was lipedema fat – a different kind of fat that doesn’t go away with diet or exercise. »
This fat, she explains, generally evolves at different hormonal stages of life: puberty, pregnancy, premenopause. And for this patient, the progression was rapid, in the space of a year: ankles, calves, thighs, arms… all these areas swelled disproportionately.
Lipedema surgery as the only recourse
“To date, there is no drug treatment for lipedema. So I decided to undergo surgery to regain my figure and, above all, my quality of life. »
After two procedures, she has already seen very positive results:
- Complete disappearance of restless legs syndrome
- Improved flexibility
- Greater comfort in your clothes
- Restoring the natural shape of her legs
Today, she is about to undergo another operation to treat her arms:
“For the arms, it’s more a question of aesthetics, but I hope to regain a more harmonious silhouette. »
A message of hope to all women concerned
Our patient’s story highlights the invisible difficulties of lipedema, but also the effectiveness of surgery when properly managed.
“What I feel most of all is relief. I’m alive again. »
Through her journey, she hopes to encourage other women to seek help, to put their pain into words, and to consider truly life-changing solutions.
📍 Find out more, if you think you may be affected by lipedema, or if you would like to know more about the surgical solutions offered at the Lipoedema Clinic or about research into the condition . https://www.francelipoedeme.org/our team is at your service.
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