LEAH, 23, NEEDED THREE OPERATIONS ON HER ‘TREE TRUNK LEGS’
Now she wants to help other people suffering from rare condition Bethan
‘TREE trunk legs’ and ‘elephant legs’ were two of the cruel taunts aimed at Leah Paton before she was diagnosed with a chronic progressive disorder she’d never heard of.
The 23-year-old had gone through high school embarrassed by her weight and the size of her legs.
Leah, from Biddulph Moor, said: “I’ve always had big legs, and it’s always run in the family, but when I was 15 they seemed to get a lot bigger. I’d also put three stone on, so I’d just put it down to weight gain.
“I was out shopping with my mum and she said that even though I was exercising, my legs were still quite big.
“I got really defensive and upset, but I knew there was something not quite right. I was a size 10 up top, but nearly a 20 on my bottom.
“I got home and googled ‘small top, bigger legs’ and lipedema showed up and the pictures looked just like my legs.”
Leah booked in for a doctor’s appointment and took print-outs of her own research, but even the GP had never heard of the condition.
The progressive chronic disorder is an accumulation of fat cells and has no cure, but can be treated with compression, lymphatic massages or liposuction.
Leah travelled to London to see experts, where she received a formal diagnosis.
She said: “To get a diagnosis was such a relief because I finally knew what was causing my legs to be big. But I was gutted to be part of the 11 per cent of women affected by the condition.
“I had it in my thighs, buttocks and lower back, and was told I’d need three operations to remove it.
“I had to travel to Germany for treatment as the liposuction isn’t offered on the NHS often as it’s classed as cosmetic. I know the NHS can’t do everything, but it had a real effect on my mental health.
“I hated my legs and was called some vile names like tree trunk legs and elephant legs, which stopped me wearing bikinis. It was a real mental battle.”
Leah and her family self-funded three visits to a German clinic, with her first operation in May 2017. Each visit cost between £3,000 to £5,000.
The 23-year-old added: “I had my inner thighs done first and the operation took five hours. My recovery was quite slow and I was really dizzy.
“My bandages needed changing twice a day and I needed to wear compression 24 hours a day for two weeks.”
Leah had her second operation in April 2018, followed by a third in July the same year, which she described as ‘life changing’.
She said: “Those operations really changed my life. I really struggled throughout high school as people just thought I was fat.”
Now, Leah is so much happier and and is undertaking a personal training and nutritionist diploma with the aim of supporting other women with the condition.
She said: “Having the condition has really shaped my career. I was drinking because I was miserable, and the next day I’d eat loads due to the hangover.
“Since getting into fitness I really want to help others and, if I can, specialise in helping those with lipedema to help women who need guidance on what to eat and how to manage their condition and raise awareness of it.”