A WOMAN who assumed she was just "curvy" had more than 6.5litres of fluid drained from her legs after discovering she had a rare condition.
Alisa Vandercruyssen, 28, started to get bigger legs, arms and abdomen as a teenager - despite living an active lifestyle.
She made multiple trips to the doctors but they assumed she had a weight issue and gave her leaflets for diet and exercise.
Alisa said she ate healthy, regularly worked out and even tried drugs like Ozempic, but her limbs continued to grow.
She thinks her condition caused her to gain around 3.5stone.
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Desperate for answers, Alisa began watching YouTube videos and started to suspect she might have lipoedema - a chronic condition of fat and connective tissue that builds up in your legs and sometimes arms.
She was eventually given an official diagnosis in November 2022.
Doctors told Alisa she would need six surgeries to remove the lipoedema nodules - of which she's so far had one.
Alisa, an aesthetician from Royal Oak, Michigan, US, said: "I'd always been active and pretty trim and then without any lifestyle changes I started to get bigger and bigger.
"Then I was on the highest dose of Ozempic for six months and I did not lose weight.
"It looks just like fat so you get diagnosed with obesity all the time.
"I came across lipoedema on YouTube and brought it up to the doctor after watching a vlog about it.
"I questioned why I was relating to everything she was saying.
"I realised I had to have six to seven surgeries and I've had one so far where they removed 6.5 litres of nodules from my upper thighs.
"It's already made a difference in my energy and I feel better whilst I'm healing post op - it's crazy how much it affects your life."
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Prior to her diagnosis, Alisa's unknown condition left her in constant pain.
She struggled with everyday activities, such as going to work, as it felt like she was "in a suit".
Alisa said: "I thought I just had thicker legs and cellulite.
It's crazy how much it affects your life.
Alisa Vandercruyssen
"It feels lumpy as it's nodules forming. It's like tumours forming under your skin. All the places that were fatty felt like that.
"It's harmful as it's a progressive disease. It's constantly growing.
"Even normal everyday things are painful to do as you're sitting on the nodules.
"It was a lot of pressure on my knees - I had so much bulk."
Alisa maintained a healthy lifestyle and started to embrace her looks after seeing no changes.
She said she was adhering to a strict diet and following her personal trainer's workout plan, but nothing was working.
"I looked at my before pictures and then looked at myself after six months and I looked worse," she added.
"I started to embrace it and thought, 'I guess I'm this curvy girl, that's how I am going to be.'
"It was a huge relief when I was diagnosed but at the same time it was sad as I just thought I could have had way more fun as I was way too focused on looks."
'SAD AND LONELY'
Once she discovered what was really going on, Alisa travelled to a specialised centre, Lipedema Surgery Centre in Roswell, Georgia, for surgery to have the nodules removed.
Alisa had to fork out $8,000 (£6,430) for the first procedure, but the rest of her operations are covered by insurance.
She said: "I was told I could be referred to a plastic surgeon and the only option of getting rid of it is through surgery.
"It's called water assisted lipo-suction and they take a water hose and break down the nodules and then suck it out.
"It sits directly under the skin and it's very easy to get to so they don't have to go very deep and it took two to three hours."
Relieved the first op is over, Alisa said she is now trying to focus on how she feels more than how she looks.
"I know how sad and lonely it was to be in my body," she added.
"It will be nice to have an easier time finding my size in stores, but also to feel more energy and walk without pain.
"I'm excited to see the muscle I've built working out all these years.
