Lipoedema campaigner has three stone removed in life-changing surgery
Treatment isn't offered on the NHS because it's classed as cosmetic
The chair of a Lipoedema charity had 1.5 stone removed from each leg in life-changing surgery to help her mobility after being diagnosed.
Isobel MacEwan found out she had the condition when she was 51 after being away on a girls holiday and noticing her legs were sore when she came back.
She helped set up Talk Lipoedema in 2013.
She's been sharing her story with us:
"I googled on the internet, painful, sore legs and up came some images of some legs which looked like mine and they called it lipoedema, which is the first time I'd heard of it.
"I had always been aware my legs were large compared to my peer group.
"I decided to go to the doctor, and initially the doctor told me to put cream on my legs and I'll be fine.
"But, the wonderful thing is the internet has given us this huge resource.
"I found a Manual Lymphatic Drainage therapist who sometimes treats people with lipoedema.
"She told me I had lipoedema and that was the start of trying to get a formal diagnosis through the NHS.
"Initially, I was sent to a vascular surgeon who told me I had lymphedema.
"Luckily at that time, Dr Alex Munnoch who is a plastic surgeon, had start operating on a few people with lipoedema.
"We are subject to fat shaming"
"My GP referred me to him for a diagnosis, and he did diagnose me with lipoedema.
"That was about two years later by then.
"He offered me liposuction on my legs, but I wasn't sure at that time, so I said "could I go away and think about it?".
"The average time for women to get diagnosis is 30 to 40 years.
"A lot of us self blame because we believe our legs and our bodies are because of what we put into our bodies.
"We are subject to fat shaming.
"From the age of 24, I never wore jeans or trousers again in my life, I've hidden my body.
"As the condition progresses, it can spread throughout your body, not everyone's but mine has, certainly when I've gone through menopause.
"I'm a chair of Talk Lipoedema which is a charity, when I was diagnosed I met some other women and we set it up in 2013.
"When we set up there were probably 35 of us, we now support more than 2,500 women across the UK.
"I met Mr Munnoch and 9 months later I went back.
"I had a stone and a half removed from each of my legs.
"When I go to pilates I can just about cross my legs, I have better mobility than I had."