Hello ! Thank you for accepting to share your experience!
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
So I’m a 36-year-old mother of two, married and a medical secretary by trade.
How did you hear about lipoedema?
I did a lot of research on the internet, on forums, I read a lot of testimonies and, above all, the report on the TV show Sept à huit with Emmy was a revelation for me. I discovered Dr. Nicolas Zwillinger on the internet by reading the testimony of one of his patients, Chloé.
There were 6 months between the discovery of my diagnosis of lipedema and my research on Dr Nicolas Zwillinger.
What impact did your lipedema have on your life?
A lot of pain and physical impotence. I couldn’t dress the way I wanted to, I couldn’t find boots that my calves would fit into, it was difficult to get shoes on. I didn’t like to see myself in skirts, I always wore very long skirts or dresses. I always bought trousers that flared… now I wear slims!
Tell us about your operation
At the second operation I was more serene, at the first I was much more stressed! I had a difficult day after my second operation, I was supposed to go out at 9am but finally I went out at 6pm because I was very tired.
The two operations were very different, in addition to the stress of the first operation, the stress of the unknown, the post-operative period was very painful, especially putting my foot on the ground. Fortunately I had quick results and I saw my leg take shape at the end of the first month after the first operation.
Three months later I had my second operation, I was not stressed, I did not ask myself any questions. I didn’t have any post-operative pain, but I did have some discomfort and anaemia. I had a lot of bleeding in my thighs for the first few days and then it calmed down.
I did both procedures under general anaesthesia and it went well.
(Doctor’s note: this patient chose to have her two operations close together which may result in more fatigue and anemia than two operations further apart).
We came back by train after the two operations, which went very well. I could stand up on the train to stretch my legs. We thought about taking the car but in the end we took the train and we didn’t regret it. I even saved an hour compared to the car!
Did you experience any post-operative pain?
Yes, there was some pain in the first 15 days (especially for the first operation: the one on the lower legs). I am slowly recovering my sensations in my thighs, sometimes I feel like “shocks” of electricity which show me that sensitivity is returning.
What do you think of the outcome of your two operations?
You can quickly see the result! Even if I paid a lot of money, it’s worth it. My colleagues keep telling me “How you’ve changed”. They’ve all said that to me! It changes your daily life. You rediscover yourself differently. You feel like you have a different life. I rediscover my daily life differently. It’s a detail, but I walk up the stairs three times faster now! I don’t think at all about how much I spent.
Have you taken up sport again?
It’s on hold now, but I’ve been trying to get back into it a bit… I’ve been struggling to get back into some sports. I used to do crossfit with my partner, after the operation I tried it and I saw that I couldn’t do it. Now I can’t do the sports I want to do, I’m still doing brisk walking three months after my last operation.
Do you have any advice for people who want to have an operation?
So my advice: take the plunge! We live again! I find myself taking photos of myself in the fitting rooms. After the operation, Doctor Nicolas Zwillinger and his team respond well and quickly, if I have the slightest problem I can send an e-mail and they reply immediately. It was quite hard for me at first to accept my new image of my legs, I had a certain psychological impact at first but it’s all positive…
Now that this article “Testimony of Delphine” is finished, any plans for this afternoon?
Now that I’m in Paris, I’m going to take the opportunity to go to the aquarium with my family! And tomorrow we’re going to the zoo in Vincennes! Goodbye to you
