This isn’t cosmetic. It’s chronic. It’s painful. And right now, in Australia? It’s wildly unaffordable.
What Is Lipedema?
If you’ve got heavy, painful legs that don’t respond to diet or exercise—and everyone keeps brushing it off as ‘just your body type’—you might have lipedema. It’s a chronic, progressive fat disorder that mainly affects women and is often misdiagnosed as obesity or laziness.
Symptoms include:
- Disproportionate fat in the legs, thighs, and buttocks (often column-like)
- Pain, sensitivity to touch, and easy bruising
- Fatigue and limited mobility, especially during hormonal shifts
And here’s the kicker: it’s often seen in neurodivergent women—those with ADHD, have discovered they are Autistic,with hypermobility, or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
The below photos are after surgery #1 – which was done by Dr Somia in February 2025 – 9L removed from lower legs only.
Treatment Options
There’s no cure, but management includes:
- Compression garments
- Manual lymphatic drainage
- Pool walking / strength training
- Anti-inflammatory diet
- Liposuction surgery (the only method that may halt progression)
Let’s Talk About Surgery — The Hard Truth
In Australia, lipedema isn’t recognised by Medicare or private health as a legitimate medical condition. That means no rebates. No funding. No public pathways.
So women (like me) have to:
- Use superannuation (if we’re lucky enough to have it)
- Pay $20,000–$40,000 out of pocket per operation (it could be one, it could be four or more)
- Fly interstate or overseas for a chance at mobility
Breakdown of approximate costs:
- Surgeon consultation & surgery fees: $8k–15k per op
- Hospital stay (if private): $5k–8k
- Compression garments (several pairs): $500–3k
- Travel, accommodation, meds, wound care: $2k+
- Time off work: varies per person
Surgery Options in Australia
| Surgeon | Location | Notes |
| Dr Somnia | Sydney | Does full legs over two ops, high demand, long waitlist |
| Dr Ramin | Melbourne | Does one leg at a time, includes skin reduction |
| Dr Lekish | Gold Coast | Day procedure clinic |
There are more options available – I just mention these surgeons specifically in the podcast episode.
You only get four hours under anaesthesia, so if you’ve got significant lipedema, you’ll need multiple surgeries. I had 9L removed from each half of my legs—18L total.
Why This Isn’t Just a ‘Leg Thing’
It’s not about vanity. It’s about pain. I walked around daily with 5/10 pain in my calves and ankles—just existing hurt. Post-surgery? It’s not perfect, but it’s lighter. Bearable.
We’re told to try harder, love our bodies, stop complaining. But we’re bleeding out time, money, and energy just trying to walk around.
Let’s call it what it is:
Lipedema is a women’s health issue.
Lipedema is a neurodivergent health issue.
Lipedema is a systemic funding failure.
Listen to Part 1: What Happens When You Lose the Meds That Helped You Survive
If this sounds like you, start with:
- Check your symptoms here – Lipedema Foundation
Resources & References
SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia)
- Heart Foundation – Heart Arrhythmia & SVT — Evidence-based info on symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment for heart rhythm conditions including SVT.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
- Ehlers-Danlos Society Australia — Advocacy, support, and medical resources for people with EDS.
- Episode 41: ADHD + EDS and POTS – Spotify | Apple Podcast
- How these conditions overlap, with expert and lived-experience insight.
- Episode 62: Burnout, Pain & Weird Symptoms? The ADHD Link No One Told Us About – Spotify | Apple Podcast
- The hidden ADHD links to chronic pain, fatigue, and “mystery” symptoms.
RYR2 rare heart gene
- MedlinePlus – RYR2 Gene Information — Plain-language explanation of this rare genetic variant linked to heart rhythm issues.
