Élodie’s story: second lipedema operation by Dr Nicolas Zwillinger
We’re here with Mrs. Élodie G. Who underwent her second thigh operation today with Dr. Zwillinger: would you please introduce yourself and tell us about your history with lipedema?
My name is Mrs. Elodie G., I’m a 25-year-old nurse. My lipedema was diagnosed in February 2020. It took a long time to be diagnosed… We thought I was overweight.
My GP ruled out every possibility. Endocrino, depression… She ruled out so many possibilities. I discovered the disease on a report on TF1: it was Emmy talking about her illness and everyone said to me “Look at the report! Those are your legs on TV!”, and when I went to see my GP one day, I told him “I saw a report, and it’s very similar to what I’ve got. I feel like I’ve seen my own legs on the Internet.”
I went to see a specialist in Tours, as I was living there at the time, and the first time he saw me he said, “I don’t even need to do the tests, but we’re going to do them anyway, so I can diagnose you straight away.
I broke down in the consulting room because I was both happy to finally find some words but at the same time I told myself that the ordeal had only just begun. I was just thinking about my legs when I got into my underwear, but the specialist said, “We’re going to look at my arms too,” and I said, “What do you mean, my arms? I’ve just put on a bit of weight!” and he said “No, it’s not weight, it’s lipedema! It’s rare in the arms, but it happens.”
I waited a bit, I waited because they told me I had to have an operation, I waited… And then I had a peak: it accelerated. The trigger was when I had to put on rubber boots because we were doing some work at home and I couldn’t put them on. There… I said there, that was radical, I’ll make an appointment right away!
I made an appointment the very next day with Dr. Nicolas Zwillinger and I don’t regret it at all!
Patient testimonial: Elodie’s legs a few days after surgery.
So after you had an appointment, the doctor confirmed the diagnosis.
Yes, he confirmed the diagnosis and scheduled three operations. The first: ankles, calves, knees. The second: knees, thighs and the last: arms.
I’ve already had my calves done, it’s not the easiest one, at least I think so, because I don’t have the hindsight for the others, so afterwards… You don’t move very well. It’s like “Quasimodo” moving around or “Culbuto” moving around! For me, it wasn’t necessarily the pain that was a problem, it was the swollen legs, the sensation of swollen legs. Sometimes I had the sensation of having discharges in my tendons, but otherwise, with good ice packs and doliprane, I was relieved.
But frankly, it was mainly the first 15 days: at night it wasn’t very painful, but you had to get up 3-4 times to go to the toilet, so afterwards you had to rest. I’m starting to get the hang of it!
Did walking after surgery help?
Yes. I didn’t walk the very first week, I started walking the second week and saw the difference.
In fact, I walked a little the first week, but on the very first day I was discharged, the Tuesday after the first operation, I forced myself to walk to the doctor’s. I said to my mother, “It’s okay, we’ll walk, no problem!” and… I was called to order! I wasn’t feeling well at all, so I tried every painkiller I could think of and none of them worked except for doliprane.
In the beginning, you can’t force yourself too much, you have to listen to yourself. In the beginning, you even have to do the bare minimum. The first day was fine for me, but by the evening my legs must have said “Oulala! You have to go slowly but surely.
[img] Elodie’s legs a fortnight after surgery
And in terms of results, when did it start to take shape in the ankles?
Quite quickly because in the operating room I had already done an analysis, the doctor had shown me the before/after photos and “Whaou”!
And the next day, when we had to do the dressings and put the stockings on for the first time… Frankly, we could already see the difference. Now I’m two and a half months along: I find they’re a little more swollen than when I started, than when I left the operating room, but they don’t hurt. There are just insensitive areas. It’s very particular, but it’s not painful.
For me, as long as it’s not painful, even if it’s a little swollen, it doesn’t bother me as much. It’s just an edema.
Exactly: edema and sensations are things that evolve gradually.
Exactly. Some areas come back, then become insensitive again… They swell up again… But afterwards, as long as I don’t have any pain, I tell myself that’s the main thing.
If there had been pain, it would have been more complicated for me.
After the first operation, did you have any doubts about continuing with the second?
I had my doubts because I received pre-op prescriptions for the second operation on the Wednesday after the first operation, but the more the days go by, the more you think that 15 days is nothing after all.
That’s also why I programmed all the interventions. I told myself if I didn’t program them, I’d know myself and I’d get out of it.
I’m not sorry I scheduled the work. I know the next one’s in September, so I have no choice but to go ahead with it. At least it’ll be over. And after my lipedema, we won’t talk about it anymore!
What advice would you give to people with lipedema or who are unsure whether or not they have lipedema?
Try talking about it. At first, I was more or less thin in the stomach area, but my legs were really swollen in comparison. You need to talk to your GP and ask if he or she knows anything about lipedema. If your doctor isn’t familiar with it, I’d advise you to look it up on the Internet and compare. It’s still an atypical pain and it’s well described on the Internet.
I found myself in the articles, in the reports and in the testimonials. What they say is exactly that, I found myself in people’s opinions.
If I have any advice, it’s not to wait too long, because I think I waited a little too long and ended up with astronomical amounts to remove. I waited to have the operation because I didn’t want to have it for nothing, and I’m sorry I waited too long because it’s hard on the body. Much more is removed.
That’s the only thing I regret: waiting.
Yes, lipedema has had time to progress in areas already affected.
Yes, that’s right. Originally I had said to myself that I wanted to have pregnancies beforehand and then have surgery afterwards, but I soon regretted it because I thought that if I’d got pregnant I wouldn’t have been able to move around on my own because in the end it would have become a handicap.
At work I couldn’t get around as I wanted, my legs ached. And as someone who loves walking, I began to dread going for a walk, even for 100 metres.
It had become an ordeal, and I thought it was about time it happened.
A final word for this article entitled “Élodie’s testimony?”
If I can give you just one piece of advice: if you’re diagnosed, don’t wait. Don’t wait for it to get worse.
Thank you very much Élodie for your testimonial.
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