My life with lipedema

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I was always thin as a child and preteen but I never had pretty legs. Once I hit puberty I started to get a bit heavier but my legs really got stocky. I married young and had 3 kids and kept gaining weight in spite of constant dieting and exercising. I had a hysterectomy at 42 and got heavier. Then at 50 I had a severe case of pancreatitis and my arms started getting larger too. I searched the internet for why my legs were so fat but couldn’t find anything other than exercises and diets that didn’t help. A few years later I fell and badly damaged my right knee, resulting in several years of treatments and therapy, and a surgery to try to repair it that was not successful. 3 years later I had my knee replaced. While I was in PT I was in a workout room with a full length mirror and was devastated at how bad my legs looked. I started having a problem with a varicose vein in my other leg and was sent to a vein clinic. That’s where a doctor finally asked me if anyone had ever told me what was going on with my legs, and told me I had lipedema. I was stunned, relieved to know why my legs were like that, and devastated to learn there was little treatment available. But the words “it’s not your fault” were so important to hear. I learned of the Facebook support group and joined, then learned of the conference in Washington DC in a few months. I went to that and learned so much, met many women who looked like me and, most importantly, learned of Dr. Herbst and the doctors who do liposuction for us. 2 years later I flew to Arizona to be officially diagnosed and began wearing compression leggings and using pumps. Since then I’ve had my other knee replaced and ended a disastrous second marriage, and am preparing to retire soon. My legs, arms, and abdomen have continued to grow in spite of my attempts and I starting the process to see if Dr. Byrd can help me. I’m a stage 3 or 4 and weigh over 300 lbs, a number that I never dreamed I would be. I have lost some mobility and am terrified of losing any more.