A mother has spoken candidly about her life-long ordeal dealing with a rare condition that causes her body to continually grow.
Shannon Ashley Nelson, from Minnesota, revealed that as a child she was constantly “yelled at” for being “too fat.”
The now 40-year-old woman became increasingly self-conscious about her body and gave up everything she loved, including sports, theater and seeing her friends.
But at age 33, after giving birth to her daughter, she investigated “tree trunk legs” and came across a condition known as lipedema, which she was later diagnosed with.
A mother has spoken candidly about her lifelong ordeal dealing with a rare condition that causes her body to continually grow (pictured, Shannon before her treatment).
Shannon Ashley Nelson, from Minnesota, revealed that she was constantly “yelled at” as a child for being “too fat.”
The now 40-year-old became increasingly self-conscious about her body and gave up everything she loved, including sports, theater and seeing her friends (Shannon pictured as a teenager).
Shannon first realized something was wrong during her teenage years.
His calves and thighs became “too big” for his body and he stopped wearing jeans or shorts because they no longer fit.
At age 14, Shannon had a free consultation with a plastic surgeon.
The medical professional said liposuction was an option, but advised her to lose up to 40 pounds before she could move forward, which turned out to be impossible.
‘I thought I was doing something wrong and that I was solely responsible.
‘I kept trying diets and eating healthy, but when the scale never went down, I blamed it on not having willpower.
‘I held back in life and made most decisions out of fear.
‘I apologized for my body and dated men who took advantage of that insecurity. “As my legs grew, my life shrank because I was so embarrassed.”
But at age 33, after giving birth to her daughter, she investigated ‘tree trunk legs’ and came across a condition known as lipedema which she was later diagnosed with.
Lipedema is a chronic condition that causes the buildup of fat and connective tissue in the legs, hips, and buttocks.
Shannon said that after giving birth his body became “completely round” and he weighed 397 pounds at his peak.
But it was at that time that she was diagnosed with lipedema, a chronic condition that causes the buildup of fat and connective tissue in the legs, hips and buttocks.
In 2020, his condition worsened and stopped his life completely.
The mother said: ‘I had sharp, stabbing pains, as well as dull, aching pains.
‘My skin felt sunburned or painfully cold, which still disrupts my sleep.
‘My limbs are so big and swollen that I also have ulcers, infections, itching and general discomfort.
‘I can no longer stand and my general mobility has been affected; even lying face down puts too much pressure on my thighs.
‘I even have a hard time standing up long enough to shower.
‘I was planning a trip to Disney with my daughter before things got worse. That’s just a distant dream.
Since there is no natural cure, surgical intervention is the only option, but it costs $20,000 per surgery.
Since there is no natural cure, surgical intervention is the only option, but it costs $20,000 per surgery (her legs are pictured after treatment).
The process involves removing all fibrotic fat and lipedema tissue from the legs to stop the progression of the disease (pictured, Shannon after undergoing treatment).
The process involves removing all fibrotic fat and lipedema tissue from the legs to stop the progression of the disease.
To date, he has had five resections between January 2022 and April 2023, and more than 25 liters of fibrotic tissue has been removed.
While this has relieved an “enormous” amount of pain, Shannon still faces complications daily and requires additional procedures, such as a lymphatic bypass, which aims to redirect fluid into the veins in her arms and legs.
She now hopes to raise awareness with her story after waiting more than 30 years for an answer, but says the entire ordeal has “destroyed” any chance of living “normally.”
“I’m doing myself a disservice by not admitting that it’s ruining my life,” the housewife said.
‘I feel miserable and it drains my energy.
‘I can’t keep up with the housework or spend precious time with my daughter.
‘I hate that my little girl doesn’t have many photos of me because of my insecurities and the pain I’m suffering.
‘I’m missing (and have missed) a lot of things because of this. It made me feel like a monster.
To date, she has had five removals between January 2022 and April 2023, and more than 25 liters of fibrotic tissue has been removed (Shannon pictured after undergoing treatment).
While this has relieved an “enormous” amount of pain, Shannon still faces complications daily and requires additional procedures, such as a lymphatic bypass.
Shannon shared: ‘I’m still fighting to get back to a better place. I just want to be the mom my little girl deserves and I can’t do it if my legs keep growing.’
For now, he hopes that his story will be heard to raise awareness and raise funds to receive this operation that will “change lives”, with $182,221 raised out of a total of $220,000.
And he added: ‘It is a fight to be taken seriously.
‘I can’t keep up anymore and it’s not life for me or my daughter.
‘I still have a long way to go, but I am proud of my courage to speak and act.
‘My goal is to walk long distances again and lose weight, which is an uphill battle (my condition).
‘Right now, my biggest challenge is simply keeping up with all my medical needs to manage my overall health while I try to recover.
‘I’m still fighting to get back to a better place.
“I just want to be the mom my little girl deserves, and I can’t do that if my legs keep growing.”