Mum, With Abnormally Large Legs Due To Chronic Illness Refused Liposuction By NHS

 

A mum-of-two says she is raising awareness about her chronic illness so other people don't end up with legs like her.

Zoe Pearce, 29, is living with lipoedema, an abnormal build-up of fat cells which can affect various parts of the body.

The condition causes inflammation, pain and discomfort, reports Teesside Live.

Zoe, from Billingham, County Durham, was diagnosed in 2015 and applied for liposuction in the NHS in 2019 - but was turned down.

She is now trying to share information about lipoedema through charity work and her Instagram page to help others.

Zoe said: "It can’t be changed with diet or exercise, it can only be removed from your body through a special kind of liposuction.

"It can feel heavy, tingly, fizzy, not very nice, it can be painful as well."

But she said there are things you can do to manage the condition, such as being active.

Dry brushing, breathing exercises and managing food and drink that can cause inflammation.

Pasta causes Zoe's legs to get painful, and she no longer drinks alcohol because it causes her legs to fizz and ache afterwards.

She has also cut out caffeine and tries to avoid sugar and processed foods

You still have to live your life, but there’s some foods I know will affect me," Zoe said.

"Your period can affect it, your hormones, if you’re ovulating, some women don’t get diagnosed until their menopause."

June is Lipoedema Awareness Month, which is why Zoe is speaking out now.

She was diagnosed by Teesside Hospice in 2015 after a referral from her GP.

"I go in and out of diets constantly and I’d lost three stone but I noticed my legs had got bigger," she said

"I went to my doctor and she thought I might have lymphedema so she referred me to the hospice."