You make the world so much more colorful with all the colors you have

The story of an encourager and lipedema patient (Instagram account: s._sommer152)

When I first heard the word "lipedema," I really had no idea what our good friend was talking about.
I was never really slim, but during puberty I noticed that the numbers on the scale kept going up and the circumference of my legs kept getting bigger. I was convinced that I just needed to pull myself together and pay more attention to my diet. But no matter what I tried, my thighs wouldn't go down.

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Before liposuction

I didn't know what the problem was until that day.

When I first heard the word "lipedema," I really had no idea what our good friend was talking about.
I was never really thin, but during puberty I noticed that the numbers on the scale kept going up and the circumference of my legs kept getting bigger. I was convinced that I just needed to pull myself together and pay more attention to my diet. But no matter what I tried, my thighs wouldn't go down.

I should be sick? The pain and constant pressure I felt couldn't be due to illness. I just had too much on the ribs, right?

Well, those were my first thoughts on the matter. Looking back, I could kick myself for that, but at the time I just didn't know any better. The idea that all I had to do was lose a few pounds and my life would be perfect was just too deeply ingrained in me. Finally, I was persuaded to go to a specialist and get the whole thing checked out. Going into the appointment, I was convinced that I had nothing to worry about and that I would leave the office with nothing to worry about. I was wrong. The doctor told me quite bluntly that I had advanced stage 2 lipedema in my thighs and that my arms were also prone to it. Ouch. That hit home. I listened to the doctor and her advice and left the office after the appointment.

I had barely closed the car door in the parking lot when the first tears fell. I just couldn't believe it. The reactions of my relatives didn't make it any easier. My parents and friends were unconditionally behind me, but some of my relatives didn't understand what I was talking about and thought that I should just eat less. Then it would be fine. An additional burden in an already difficult situation for me.

From that point on, I started to do a lot of research on my own and also made an appointment with a specialist to get more advice. He also showed me the way to surgical therapy, but I decided to go for conservative therapy first. So in the following weeks I got my first compression and went for lymphatic drainage once a week. Unfortunately, I couldn't handle the compression at all. The pantyhose somehow never fit right and that's why I had more pain after wearing them. No matter how well I pulled them up and put them in place, they always slipped back down to the back of my knee after about 10 steps. Only the lymphatic drainage showed me how light my legs could feel. This only lasted for a short time, but I became more and more aware that a lot of it was due to my lipedema, which I had been treating for years.

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I accepted the disease slowly but surely and tried my best to find my way.

Unfortunately, I had a flare-up at the beginning of 2023, the cause of which I still haven't been able to determine to this day. After that, my symptoms got progressively worse and I could hardly do many things without pain. Concerts, which I always loved so much, bothered me days before because I always wanted to be at the front. But that also meant standing for hours. After that, I couldn't even put my legs down for at least a week. When it became more and more difficult even to squat or kneel, I decided to see the specialist again, who had already advised me to have the operation. After that, everything actually went relatively quickly. I decided on liposuction, took care of the financing and set the date for myself.

The hardest part was that only my parents and closest friends knew. Since most of my family had reacted so negatively to my diagnosis, I was sure they wouldn't understand my decision and it would look like I was just choosing the "lazy option". In particular, no one would understand that I was going into debt to pay for it. As the weeks went by, my nervousness increased, and it was only a few days before the surgery that I shared this information with other family members. The feedback was mixed, but I didn't care at the time.

I have made my decision for myself, because after all, it was MY life.

The following week, I finally had my first liposuction. I was really afraid of the whole procedure, but the practice made my stay as comfortable as possible. In total, 9 liters of fatty tissue were removed from both outer thighs during my first liposuction. Immediately after the surgery, I noticed the first improvements. Visually, the result was overwhelming and my legs felt much lighter. Every day it got better and now I'm sitting here. It's been about 4 weeks since my first liposuction and I'm just happy. In February I will have my second liposuction and as strange as it may sound, I can't wait!

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after liposuction

One more thing I want to leave you with:

GO YOUR OWN WAY!! Each and every one of us has our own unique story and none of them should go unheard! Be loud! Be brave! And above all, be yourself! As one of my favorite songs says: “You make the world so much more colorful with all the colors you have!”

Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your experience with others!