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Woman, 33, called 'obese' by doctors is fundraising for liposuction

26/11/2021

Size 14 woman, 33, reveals she was branded ‘obese’ by doctors because of her ‘huge’ legs that ballooned due to a rare incurable condition that causes fat cells to build up

Danielle Thornton, 33, Coventry, is trying to fundraise £6,000 for liposuction
She was labelled as obese by medics but later was diagnosed with Lipoedema
Incurable disease caused by abnormal build up of fat cells in various body parts

A woman who was classed ‘obese’ by doctors is fundraising for liposuction after being diagnosed with rare incurable illness.

Danielle Thornton, 33, from Coventry, had tried dozens of diets, would walk 20,000 steps per day and went to the gym daily in a bid to shrink her legs, but nothing worked.

She first noticed her legs ballooning when she was 14 and despite being an athletic, fit and active teenager, soon found herself being bullied because of her unusual appearance.

Danielle, who says she has visited her doctor ‘constantly’ over the last 20 years, was later was diagnosed with lipoedema – an incurable disease caused by an abnormal build up of fat cells.

Danielle Thornton, 33, from Coventry,was labelled ‘obese’ by doctors is fundraising for liposuction after being diagnosed with a rare incurable illness caused by an abnormal build up of fat cells

Danielle has recently set up a GoFundMe page and hopes to raise £6,000 so that she can travel to Poland for specialist treatment to remove the fat

Despite her healthy and active lifestyle,Danielle’s thighs and calves have increased by 4cm in just a few months and are continuing to grow

Danni, who has a size 14 waist but has to wear size 18 trousers in order to get them over her legs, said: ‘I hate the way I look but it’s not just about that, the pain is unbearable. It’s horrific at times.

‘I find myself dragging my feet and legs across the floor because they just feel too heavy for me to move.

‘I’ve been in constant agony since I was a teenager and it’s only getting worse.

‘I went to an all girls secondary school and became aware of a difference between me and the other girls almost instantly.

Danielle now suffers excruciating pain every day and is unable to get out of bed and simply walk across the room without being in agony as her condition has progressed

Danni has recently set up a GoFundMe page and hopes to raise £6,000 so that she can travel to Poland for specialist treatment – which involves removing 10 litres of Lipoedema fat from her legs in a single operation

Despite her healthy and active lifestyle, her thighs and calves have increased by 4cm in just eight months and are continuing to grow.

‘I was very athletic and into dance and drama, I started to get an hourglass waist but my legs were huge. I looked like I had been sewn together completely wrong.

How does lipoedema change your body: Danni’s measurements taken just eight months apart

March:

Weight: 17st 6lbs

Arm: Left 35cm, right 37cm

Hips: 126cm

Thigh: Left 77cm, right 75cm

Calf: Left 47cm, right 49cm

November:

Weight: 18st, 2lbs

Arm: Left 41cm, right 39cm

Hips: 135cm

Thigh: Left 81cm, right 79cm

Calf: Left 54cm, right 53cm

‘I’ve never been able to wear boots because they won’t fit around my calves and I live in baggy trousers because nothing else fits.

Not only does Danni struggle with her appearance, she now suffers excruciating pain every day and is unable to get out of bed and simply walk across the room without being in agony as her condition has progressed.

‘Treatment won’t cure it but it will make the condition easier to live with and without sounding dramatic that would honestly change my life’, sh said.

Her condition affects her legs, bottom, stomach and arms, but as her legs cause her the most pain she is desperate for help with those.

She added: ‘Despite the fact that I was exercising and eating a healthy diet, I couldn’t figure out why my legs were getting bigger.

‘I had constant doctor visits where I was told that I simply needed to go on a diet, that I was obese, that I should try water tablets, and that I should move more but I had a feeling there was something wrong with my health.

‘I would not have recognised the symptoms if it hadn’t been for the other ladies speaking out about Lipoedema on Facebook and Instagram.

‘I’m not normally the type to ask for help and I am continuing to save as much money as I can but the costs involved are extortionate.

‘I just want to reduce the pain so that I can enjoy my life and help make others aware of the condition.’

The incurable condition that causes pain and far build up: What is lipoedema?

Lipoedema is an abnormal build-up of fat in your legs and sometimes arms. The condition is more common in women and usually affects both sides of the body equally.

You may also have pain, tenderness or heaviness in the affected limbs, and you may bruise easily.

Lipoedema can also cause knock knees – a condition in which the knees tilt inward while the ankles remain spaced apart-, flat feet and joint problems, which can make walking difficult.

It can be a difficult condition to live with and you may feel anxious or depressed.

Treatments for lipoedema

There’s currently no cure for the condition, but the below can alleviate symptoms:
Eating healthily, doing more exercise and trying to maintain a healthy weight
wearing compression stockings or bandages to reduce pain and discomfort, and make it easier for you to walk
Looking after your skin – for example, by regularly using moisturising cream (emollients) to stop your skin drying out
Counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) if you’re finding it difficult to cope with your symptoms and you feel depressed
A procedure to get rid of the fat (liposuction) if your symptoms are particularly severe – you may need more than one operation and it may not be available on the NHS

Source: NHS

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