Meet Jade, a 28-year-old patient from the Gold Coast, Queensland. For 13 years, Jade struggled with symptoms of Lipoedema that went undiagnosed, despite noticing that her legs were growing disproportionately during her early teenage years. Reflecting on her symptoms, Jade recalls, “I thought it wasn’t normal to bruise so easily, have sensitivity, cankles, or feel heaviness in my legs. My legs would swell after hockey games, and it took me longer to recover.”
Despite these clear signs, Jade’s doctor dismissed the possibility of Lipoedema. She sought medical advice multiple times, hoping for answers, but her concerns were often attributed to general weight gain. Her doctor advised conventional approaches like diet and exercise, implying that weight loss would resolve her symptoms. Frustrated and uncertain, Jade found no relief as her symptoms persisted despite her efforts.
It wasn’t until she came across a blog post by an American woman with similar legs that Jade felt determined to seek another opinion from a different doctor.
When Jade was finally diagnosed with Lipoedema, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief. “After 13 years of dieting, exercising, and cutting out different foods without any results, it was a relief to know what was going on and that it wasn’t my fault,” she shares.
The impact of going so long without a diagnosis weighed heavily on Jade’s mental health. The frustration of not understanding what was happening to her body at such a young age took a toll on her confidence and self-esteem. Struggling to manage her condition through diet and exercise led to anxiety and lethargy. However, since her diagnosis, she has found a healthier balance in her life, reintroducing various foods back into her diet and gaining a better understanding of her body.
In preparation for surgery, Jade followed a conservative management plan that included wearing flat knit compression garments, which significantly reduced inflammation, along with a keto diet and weekly massages.
In January 2022, Dr. Lekich performed Jade’s first surgery using the Lymph-Sparing technique, removing 1.5 litres of Lipoedema fat from her lower legs. In December 2022, a further 2.5 litres were removed from her upper thighs, and in a final surgery by Dr. Teo, 1.5 litres of Lipoedema fat was removed.
Jade is passionate about raising awareness of Lipoedema. She hopes that by sharing her story, others might recognise the signs in themselves and seek help before the condition progresses. “Since my diagnosis and sharing my story, people have been much more understanding. I feel less embarrassed and more validated,” she says.
Looking ahead, Jade is determined to continue spreading the word about Lipoedema. “I just feel so sorry for people, especially the older people who have missed out on having the surgery because they haven’t had the awareness early on, and their skin isn’t as capable of healing and their mobility could have been less affected if it had been treated early on.”