Doctors Shamed Me for Years — Until a Complete Stranger Finally Revealed the Real Problem

For most of her life, 39-year-old Theresa Fredenburg-Hinds battled painfully swollen legs, with doctors repeatedly insisting that her weight was to blame. It wasn’t until a chance encounter with a shop assistant who recognized her symptoms that Theresa finally uncovered the real condition behind her years of suffering.

Doctors repeatedly told Theresa that her swollen legs were “just fat,” dismissing her pain as a simple weight issue.

Ever since she was young, Theresa sensed that something more than weight gain was causing her legs to swell. She visited numerous doctors, but none could give her a clear diagnosis. “Lipoedema is often misdiagnosed or overlooked due to fatphobia in the medical community,” Theresa explained.

The medical condition she believed she had, lipoedema, results in an abnormal buildup of fat in legs and arms, and is mostly common in women. Although Theresa suffered from large legs since the age of 8, it only got more painful as she hit puberty and grew. Her doctors told her she merely suffered from obesity and instructed her to buy compression stockings instead.

A stranger helped her uncover the truth about her condition.

Theresa finally received validation for her concerns during a visit to buy compression stockings. The store assistant immediately recognized the signs and told her she might have lipoedema or lymphedema. “I went to a specialty store and the woman working there took one look at my legs and told me I had a condition called lipoedema or lymphedema and gave me a pamphlet to give to my doctor,” said Theresa.

“I’d heard of lipoedema and done my own research online, but to have it validated by this kind woman in the store I began to cry tears of joy.” After the encounter, Theresa went back to her doctor but was told once again that she was “just obese.” This time though, she didn’t give up and consulted with a specialist instead, who gave her an official diagnosis of lipo-lymphedema, a combination of lipoedema and lymphedema.

Now, Theresa is dedicated to spreading awareness about lipedema.

Theresa is now raising awareness online about lipoedema and promoting body positivity. “Society has moved to a love of more curvy bodies, which does make living with lipoedema a little bit easier for me at least,” she shared.

Though she still faces daily challenges, such as stares from strangers and ableism, she feels that people are gradually becoming more understanding. Today, Theresa is focused on sharing her story to help others who may be struggling with the same condition find answers and confidence.

Be sure to check out our other article about the model who can’t smile yet turned her unique look into success — proving that beauty truly has no rules.