I’m Not Cinderella: My Slipper Wasn’t Glass
- Kitty Collins
- Sep 4
- 10 min read
Updated: Sep 5
By Kitty Collins
When a Hidden Diagnosis is the Villain
My story doesn’t begin with a fairytale ending or a perfect glass slipper. It begins with confusion and frustration — thick heavy legs shaped like columns, a lower body that never matched my upper, and a size that grew more disproportionate with every hormonal shift. What I wouldn’t know for decades is these outward changes were early signs of an underlying medical condition.
For years I did what many women do: I fought back. I assumed my shape was just genetics and my metabolism was a code to be cracked. I became my own experiment — one diet after another, new supplements, fitness routines, and food rules that promised transformation.
Each attempt felt hopeful at first, but the results were never what I saw in others. While friends and family dropped pounds with the latest trend, I would see little change — or worse, gains that made no sense. At the time, I blamed myself for not having enough discipline. What I didn’t realize was that my body wasn’t just overreacting to hormonal changes and certain foods — it was responding with inflammation, a classic but hidden hallmark of a loose connective tissue disease: lipedema.
My trial-and-error years were exhausting, but they were also the beginning of a constant conversation with my body as I learned to listen closely. I didn’t know it then, but each failed diet was actually a clue. My body was showing me that its needs were different, and I was slowly learning to adapt.
Not Just Chores
Baffling to me at the time, each of my three pregnancies resulted in more than double the recommended weight gain despite close attention to nutrition. I gradually stripped things down to the simplest, cleanest foods, cutting out dairy, sugar and processed carbs, eventually settling into an anti-inflammatory dietary approach paired with intermittent fasting. It wasn’t part of a grand plan or a doctor’s prescription — it was simply what made my body feel and function its best. What I wouldn’t know until decades later is this is the very lifestyle now recommended for lipedema patients.
Earlier successes were followed by years of what felt like a sick game of whack a mole. Not only did the most extreme regimens that once moved the needle no longer work, I started experiencing pain and nerve issues. Looking back, what I thought were unrelated metabolism and medical symptoms were actually all classic signs of progressing lipedema.
Like so many women with lipedema, the shifts of menopause intensified my symptoms to the point they became impossible to ignore.
Hidden Thorns
In my mid 30’s, I began developing lower back pain, numbness and tingling affecting my hands. My 40’s brought to my legs: random unexplained bruises, pain, swelling and numbness and tingling in toes. Test after test included imaging, nerve conduction studies, rounds of physical therapy, even nerve blocks and trigger point injections to alleviate pain. Every doctor searched for answers in their corner of expertise, but nothing explained the full picture. The dots themselves — back pain, numbness, weakness, swelling, bruises — weren’t unusual. Taken separately, they looked like ordinary orthopedic, mild neurological or typical aging problems. Not once did I imagine they were connected, let alone linked to an underlying progressive disease I’ve had my entire life.
I even threw myself into runDisney races with Team Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) several years ago. Part of my motivation was to raise funds and support a cure for my middle son Drew and millions of others living with type 1 diabetes, but I also hoped the regular training would improve my health and help me reverse what I thought was rapid menopausal weight gain. Prior to my diagnosis, over the last 4 years I’ve completed at least fifteen 5k’s, twelve 10k’s, and seven half marathon races. Running never got easier, no matter how consistently I trained. Now I understand why — I wasn’t just lifting tired legs, I was trying to run with legs filled with cement. Despite even these efforts, I grew bigger, a reality that baffled me at the time but finally makes sense in the light of my lipedema diagnosis.
In the absence of explanations, I resigned myself to this being my reality. I would live in increasing pain, manage what I could, and push forward.
When the Clock Struck
Once my symptoms became more obvious last summer, my primary care provider, Meredith Madison, N.P. at Tuscaloosa Integrative Medicine in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, connected the dots. When the word lipedema entered my life at age 51, it felt as if someone had handed me the missing chapter of a twisted fairytale I’d been trapped in my whole life without knowing the ending. Suddenly, all the odd details that had never made sense — the column-shaped legs and cankles, the disproportionate lower body, the extreme sensitivity to foods, the leg and back pain, the nerve issues, even the way menopause seemed to pour fuel on the fire — lined up into one clear picture.
According to the NIH, lipedema is “a loose connective tissue disease found almost exclusively in women that causes painful nodular and fibrotic adipose tissue to grow primarily on the buttocks, hips, and limbs, accelerating during hormonal shifts such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. Lipedema is often hereditary and always progressive.” Common comorbidities include hypothyroidism, lymphedema, venous disease, non-lipedema obesity, and hypermobile joint disorders.
While lipedema tissue may mimic the appearance of ordinary fat on the outside, it behaves very differently on the inside. It doesn’t respond to diet, exercise, or even bariatric surgery. It is heavier and denser than normal fat, causing painful fascial constrictions, pulling the body out of alignment, and pressing on nerves as it expands. When fluid leaks from blood vessels into the space between the fat cells, it moves the fat cells away from the blood vessels that provide oxygen. The immune system responds to this low-oxygen environment by forming tissue that thickens and hardens over time. Knees and hips are especially vulnerable, particularly in women who also have hypermobile joints. Think of it like this: while normal fat is soft and squishy, lipedema tissue is more like concrete. The heaviness truly makes it feel like trying to walk with roller skates strapped to your legs - I had just never known anything different.
Despite being identified in the 1940s, lipedema is still rarely taught in medical schools, leaving many providers unaware. Its overlapping symptoms often lead to misdiagnosis, like mistaking it for lymphedema, while later stages are too often dismissed as simple obesity. After realizing I had been fighting this invisible enemy for decades, I decided to go straight to one of the most knowledgeable experts in the U.S. — endocrinologist Dr. Karen Herbst at The Roxbury Institute in Tucson, Arizona — for answers.
Dr. Herbst confirmed I have stage 1-2, type III and IV lipedema which indicates it is present in my legs, trunk, and arms. At stage 2, my legs were the most advanced, already showing ankle cuffing and early signs of lipo-lymphedema. She also diagnosed me with Hypermobile Spectrum Disorder which explained years of lower back and neck pain, due to instability. Even that went undetected for so long because I didn’t present typically. Hypermobile Spectrum Disorder is just that - a spectrum - which means some joints can be affected while others are not. Ligaments responsible for stabilizing joints are looser and weaker than normal which increases injury susceptibility, joint and muscle stiffness and fatigue. The picture was coming into focus. It was overwhelming yet liberating. When I told Dr. Herbst “I thought nothing I’ve been doing was working because no matter what, I just keep getting bigger,” she responded: “Quite the opposite. Because you’ve taken such good care of yourself, you are almost entirely lipedema at this point and have very little normal fat on you.”
That moment flipped everything I thought I knew on its head. What I had believed were years of futile efforts — the strict eating, the exercise, the endless adjustments — may have been the very thing that slowed lipedema’s progression. I hadn’t been curing it, but I had been unknowingly buying myself time.
I had spent years searching for my “slipper.” And when I finally slipped into the knowledge of my diagnosis, it wasn’t glass, but it fit perfectly.
Through the Glass Slipper
With the benefit of hindsight, I can see why my diagnosis was so elusive. Each symptom on its own — swelling, pain, disproportion, back pain, nerve issues, stubborn size changes — looked ordinary enough, common issues that could be explained away. Even together, they blended into a picture that didn’t stand out as anything unusual. It wasn’t that doctors didn’t care or weren’t paying attention; it’s that the clues were scattered, quiet, and disguised as everyday frustrations.
Those very reasons are why I chose to share my story. Does every woman with my symptoms have a connective tissue disease? Of course not. But far too many with lipedema are suffering in pain while going misdiagnosed, on their way to impaired mobility, joint replacements and preventable obesity.
Rewriting the Story
In addition to restrictive dietary modifications, managing inflammation and impaired lymphatic function caused by lipedema requires daily practices such as MLD (manual lymphatic drainage) massage, dry-brushing, vibration plate, wearing compression garments, pneumatic pumps, regular exercise and in some cases lipedema reduction surgery. Like so many knowingly living with this disease, at the time of my official diagnosis I had already gradually incorporated these into my routine as I tried to attack my symptoms separately.
Lipedema reduction surgery is certainly not the answer for everyone battling lipedema, nor is it the first step. Since there is no way to remove 100% of lipedema tissue it is not a cure but more of a reset. Any left behind can potentially continue to grow, especially during times of hormonal shifts. Once I began to understand the villain I'd been unknowingly fighting for over 20 years was gaining ground regardless, I knew it was the only option left for me if I want to preserve my future mobility. Being post-menopausal I am past all major hormonal shifts which means, when combined with continued disciplined management, I shouldn’t experience rapid regrowth.
Lipedema reduction surgery uses the same equipment as cosmetic liposuction but it requires a completely different skill set. Effectively removing lipedema requires a surgeon with specialized training and understanding in how to handle the dense, fibrotic nature of lipedema tissue which is unlike normal fat. Lipedema surgeries typically require triple the time to properly remove more volume (to avoid repeat surgery) while preserving our lymphatic systems.
The Good News: Because of the long-term damaging effects of lipedema such as increased likelihood of joint replacements, many major health insurance companies have begun covering lipedema reduction surgeries in recent years. It can be difficult to obtain coverage, which is understandable. Within each insurance company every individual plan differs regarding coverages and criteria required to qualify for approval.
The Bad News: Once I began researching surgeons, I found there are not many well-known lipedema specializing surgeons in the U.S. and very few are in-network with insurance providers. Most have chosen not to deal directly with insurance at all due to inappropriately low reimbursement rates considering the complexity and increased time required to remove the appropriate volume.
Depending on stage, lipedema surgeries can be done either awake with local anesthesia or under general anesthesia. Knowing I would be undergoing multiple procedures and for other personal medical reasons I decided awake under local anesthesia was best for me. Since my lower legs were the most advanced and symptomatic, I felt they should be treated first.
~Surgery with Dr. Thomas Su~
In December 2024, I underwent my first surgery with Dr. Thomas Su at ArtLipo Lipedema Surgery Center in Tampa, Florida. I chose Dr. Su because of his 15 years of experience treating lipedema and his aggressive approach. He is the surgeon most widely recommended within the lipedema community for treating legs specifically due to his expertise with complex joints such as knees and ankles.
Traveling out of state for surgery was a first for me. Together with my daughter-in-love, Autumn, we packed for Armageddon and flew to Tampa. Dr. Su’s team prepared me for every detail imaginable before and post-surgery making the entire process flawless.
My results were both immediate and life-changing. The lightness I felt lifting my legs after surgery was so incredible, I nearly twirled right off the table — thanks to Dr. Su working his magic like my fairy godmother in scrubs.
The numbness and tingling in my feet disappeared immediately, proof that the diseased tissue had been pressing on nerves for years. Once I moved past the expected post-op pain and tenderness, the constant aching in my legs was gone. For the first time, it felt as though my legs could breathe. With normal blood flow restored, exercise became easier than I expected. And as the swelling subsided over the following months, I discovered something I had never seen before — actual kneecaps and ankles. It was the closest I’d ever come to finding my own glass slipper.
ArtLipo Lipedema Surgery Center
12634 Bassbrook Lane, Tampa, Florida 33626
Phone: 813.886.9090
~Surgeries with Dr. Ben Pearce~
In 2025, I continued my surgical journey much closer to home with Dr. Ben Pearce at Reveal Beauty in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. Over the course of two procedures, he has carefully treated multiple areas on my torso, giving me welcome physical relief and steady progress forward.
From the beginning, my experiences with Dr. Pearce and his staff have been overwhelmingly positive. They are warm, supportive, and genuinely invested in their patients’ well-being. Dr. Pearce’s background treating lipedema at Vanderbilt shows not only in his technical knowledge, but also in the compassion and patience he brings to every appointment. His thoughtful, measured approach has made me feel safe and cared for throughout the process — the kind of steady guidance every long journey needs. In a story where there are no instant transformations, Dr. Pearce has been like a trusted guide, helping me take the next steps toward regaining my health.
Reveal Beauty
2871 Acton Road, Suite #101, Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35243
Phone: 205.408.9787
Beyond the Ball
Cinderella’s slipper was fragile, sparkling, and perfect. Mine was none of those things. My slipper wasn’t glass — it was persistence, frustration, curiosity, and years of trial and error. It was the quiet determination to keep searching for answers even when they didn’t come easily.
And while my story doesn’t end with a fairytale transformation, it does end with something far more valuable: the truth. A diagnosis that fits, a clearer path forward, and the hope that sharing my experience may help someone else recognize their own “slipper” sooner than I did.
Sometimes the real magic isn’t in the perfect fit — it’s in refusing to stop looking for it. I still have multiple surgeries ahead of me, and I know lipedema will always be part of my life. But each step takes me closer to lighter, freer movement and to finish lines I once thought were out of reach. I’ll never stop chasing those finish lines — for my health, for a T1D cure, for the sparkle. The slipper wasn’t glass, but it’s not midnight yet. And when I finally get there, I’ll have just one thing left to say: hold my glitter.
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