Mother has 128 PINTS of fat drained from her body after her legs ballooned to 36 inches in circumference
- Claire Tickle, 42, has a condition called lipoedema, which causes fat build-up
- She first noticed it on her ankles more than 20 years ago, but got treated in 2016
- Liposuction and dieting have helped her lose 12 stone in two-and-a-half years
- She says he new body confidence has given her a new lease on life
A woman whose legs ballooned to eight sizes larger than the rest of her body had to have £50,000 liposuction to remove nearly 128 pints (72 litres) of fat.
Claire Tickle, a 42-year-old teaching assistant, has a condition called lipoedema, which causes an abnormal build-up of fat cells in her legs.
First noticing fat around her ankles when she was 16, by her late 30s Ms Tickle’s thighs measured 36 inches (91cm) around and she weighed 28 stone (178kg).
The painful condition made her ‘extremely insecure’ about her body but, after nine operations, she can now wear size 14 jeans and has started dating again.
The liposuction was so successful Ms Tickle has shed almost half her body weight since April 2016, dropping from 28 stone to 16 (101kg).
Claire Tickle, 42, suffers from lipoedema, a condition which cause excess fat to build up in the legs and the condition made her thighs balloon to 36 inches around (pictured at her heaviest weight of 28 stone)
Ms Tickle has had nine liposuction operations to remove 128 pints of fat from her legs – the procedures cost her £50,000 and were spread between April 2016 and November 2017 (pictured recently)
Ms Tickle, from Eastleigh in Hampshire, said: ‘People were always staring at me every time I went out and I hated them thinking that I was fat.
‘I wanted to tell them it wasn’t my fault my legs were so big but I couldn’t. It looked like someone had tied elastic bands around my ankles.
‘After the final operation I felt extremely relieved. Suddenly I felt I had the best body confidence in the world.
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‘I was finally able to do things which I would just dream of, including playing with my ten-year-old son and going out with friends.’
At her heaviest, Ms Tickle tipped the scales at 28 stone (178kg), struggling to fit into size 28 trousers and size 20 tops, so she decided to go on a diet.
She lost an impressive eight stone but her debilitating condition meant her legs were still chunky while her top half slimmed down.
So the mother-of-one spent £50,000 on nine operations to suck out 72.6 litres of lipoedema fat – nearly 128 pints – from her legs and body.
After being diagnosed with lipoedema in 2008, Ms Tickle discovered in 2015 that private liposuction would be her best option for treatment.
Thanks to a huge donation of £49,000 from her father, and £1,000 from crowdfunding, she had three lots of three operations in 2016 and 2017.
Lipoedema can be painful and is far more common in women than in men – the cause is unknown but it often starts in puberty or pregnancy and may run in the family
Ms Tickle, pictured before her surgery, managed to lose eight stone by going to Slimming World but it mostly came off her upper body, while her legs remained like ‘tree trunks’
Ms Tickle says he new figure means she has been able to get back to life as normal, going out with her son Alfie, 10 (pictured), seeing her friends and even dating
Ms Tickle was aged 16 and a size 14 when she first noticed large bulges around her ankles.
‘Doctors were not sure what to do as fat continued to build up around my legs so initially, they gave me tablets for water retention,’ she said.
But, around 10 years ago, they realised she had lipoedema, which sees sufferers left with an abnormal build-up of fat cells – typically in the legs, thighs, and buttocks.
The condition is far more common in women than in men, and is thought to affect up to 11 per cent of women.
WHAT IS LIPOEDEMA?
Lipoedema is the abnormal build-up of fat cells in the legs, thighs and buttocks.
It causes the legs to become enlarged from the hips to the ankles but the feet are unaffected.
The fat often creates a ring of fatty tissue overlapping the top the feet.
The skin often feels cold and bruises easily.
It can be very painful and can cause pain in the knees.
Lipoedema occurs almost exclusively in women – it is thought to affect up to 11 per cent of women – and tends to start during puberty or pregnancy.
The accumulation of fat tends to be worse in people who are obese but also affects people who are a healthy weight and dieting does not help.
The cause of the condition in unknown but there is often a family history in patients.
The only treatment known to work is called tumescent liposuction but this is not available on the NHS.
It involves numbing the legs before removing the excess fat.
This treatment has been shown to be highly effective and has good long-term results.
Source: NHS Choices
The feet and hands aren’t affected, which creates a ‘bracelet’ effect or ‘band-like’ appearance just above the ankles and wrists.
Ms Tickle said: ‘After the diagnosis, my legs continued to balloon to 36 inches (91cm) around my thighs by January 2014.
‘It was at this time that I weighed in at 28 stone (178kg) and struggled into size 28 trousers and size 20 top. I decided to go on a diet to try and shed the pounds.
‘I joined Slimming World with a typical diet of scrambled eggs for breakfast, a ham salad for lunch and rice and vegetables for dinner.
‘Over the next 18 months, I lost 4lbs (1.8kg) a month on the upper half of my body and I could clearly see the difference.’
But at 19st and 11lb (126kg), she said her size 22 legs were still like ‘tree trunks’ compared to her size 16 top half.
Ms Tickle added: ‘It made me extremely insecure about my body.’
Medics said the incurable condition could have left her permanently wheelchair-bound, but found private liposuction was an option in June 2015.
Her father John, a 70-year-old retired surveyor, gave her £49,000 of the £50,000 bill while £1,000 came from crowdfunding.
Ms Tickle said: ‘My dad amazingly offered to pay the other £49,000 to help fund the treatment out of his life-savings and pension. I simply couldn’t believe it.
She then travelled down to the Spire Parkway Hospital in Solihull, the location for all of her operations.
‘I walked into the operating theatre ahead of the first op and was extremely nervous,’ Ms Tickle said.
The first three operations took place in April, July, and October 2016 and saw 56 pints (32l) of fat removed from Ms Tickle’s lower thighs, knees and lower back.
Ms Tickle said: ‘I couldn’t have everything at once, so I had to split the operations with a four to six week recovery period between each.’
Three more operations happened in January, March and May 2017, when surgeons removed a further 62 pints (35l) from her bum, upper chest, and abdomen.
Ms Tickle also had a breast reduction to even out her body shape in proportion to her 5ft 9in stature.
Ms Tickle added: ‘After each operation, I was slowly feeling significantly much better about myself and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Ms Tickle had three operations in July, August and November 2017 when around 10 pints (6l) of fat was removed from her upper legs, and she had surgery to improve scars caused by the ops.
Ms Tickle needed nine rounds of liposuction which cost £50,000, most of which was paid for by her retired father, while £1,000 of it was raised from crowdfunding
Lipoedema does not typically affect the hands and feet, meaning it can give the appearance of a band being wrapped around the ankles (pictured, Ms Tickle’s legs) or wrists
Ms Tickle’s liposuction was successful and she now weighs nearly half of what she did at her heaviest – dropping from 28 stone to 16 stone in the space of two-and-a-half years
She had a total of 127.5 pints (72.6l) of lipoedema fat removed.
She also had a tummy tuck to get raid of excess skin which got rid of 1.5 stone (9.45kg) of excess skin.
She now fits into size 14 clothes and weighs 16 stone (101kg).
It gave her the confidence to meet her partner in April 2018 through a dating website.
Ms Tickle added: ‘My condition meant that I was just simply closed off and wouldn’t talk to any men at all.
‘This lasted for more than ten years but I met my first partner in May and feel much happier. I can not thank my dad enough.
‘I am pain-free and able to walk around much more comfortably and my mobility is back 100 per cent.
‘The treatment can transform a woman’s life so I would certainly encourage them to have it if they can afford the cost.’
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