My post wasn’t emotional enough because I used the wrong tool for the translation and somehow that was the peak focus for some of you. So I translated by hand. And don’t you dare say it’s still chatgpt because of the way I write, I'm trying to tell you how I feel and explain what lipedema is.  Also showing more of the cost estimates with only my address blacked out.

Some people may look at me and think “You’re just a little overweight.” – but that’s exactly the problem with lipedema: it often doesn’t look like an illness but it still is one.

I look at my body in the mirror and know “that’s not me”. I shouldn’t look like this and it doesn’t feel like me. This body is full of tension, pain and pressure. And still I’m doing my best to stay dignified. For years I thought “Well I’m just out of shape. I moved wrong. Moven too little… too much… sore muscles. Tension.” Just to ignore the pain in the end since it’s still bearable.

I don’t write this to get your sympathy but for you to see and understand lipedema. And understand ME.

Hi I’m Kim and I live with a chronic disease called lipedema. It affects my arms and legs – and with that my whole life. After years of doubt, withdrawal, unexplained pain and mysteriously appearing bruises I finally got the diagnosis of lipedema – a progressive fat distribution disorder that cannot be cured except with an operation.

For years I tried everything I could think of – healthy eating, exercising, discipline. My face and forearms got smaller but legs and arms upper arms stayed swollen and got wider. People and family kept telling me to stop losing weight – but they don’t see what I do. I see legs that feel foreign. Arms I want to hide. Every time I leave the house I’m asking myself if my clothes are long enough so no one looks at me. How I want to avoid sitting down because I am ashamed of how my legs look.

I love winter. I love snow. But due to lipedema my blood circulation is so bad that I legit thought I might have an allergy against the cold because my legs turn red and hurt.

The only thing that really helps – and helps long-term is a liposuction. That means a medical surgery that removes the diseased fat cells. I have the chance to receive two surgeries, the first as early as fall 2025. Each surgery would take about 4–5 hours. Unfortunately, health insurance does not cover lipedema surgeries.

That means I have to pay for the operations, post-op care, compression garments, travel, and potential downtime all on my own. It’s a financial burden I simply cannot carry alone.

The illness keeps getting worse and my skin is starting to change. I need to act. The skin on my arms is still good and should be able to heal without additional surgery but my legs are affected the worst and my skin quality has already decreased – it’s not sure if there are additional surgeries needed. My doctor told me he can’t tell until the liposuction because he needs to see how my skin “behaves”.

It’s incredibly difficult for me to write so openly about my body – and even harder to ask for money.

But I want to give myself, and my body, the chance to look into the mirror and say "Yes. That's me."

Every contribution – no matter how small – brings me closer to this goal.

If you can support me, or share my story, I thank you with all my heart.

And if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. I’ll do my best to be open and transparent with everything.

[GoFundMe](https://gofund.me/b80dfa89)

Help Fund My Lipedema Surgeries