Meet the American woman whose legs are 50 inches wide... and won't stop growing
MEET the bride-to-be who is undergoing gruelling treatment to decrease the size of her 50-inch-wide legs... which won't stop growing.
Katia Page from New Jersey suffers with Lipedema, a chronic disease which causes fatty tissue to build up in the lower body.
This means that her legs are growing constantly, leaving long-suffering Katia, 36, in need of liposuction to prevent them from expanding any further.
She claims that her legs had reached an astonishing 54 inches before she went under the knife in a desperate bid to control her condition.
If she doesn't act fast to manage the disease, it could leave Katia completely immobile and at risk of death.
She said: “The swelling was at one point so bad that my ankles would be literally hanging all the way over my foot.
"My biggest fear is becoming immobile because once I can’t move, I know this disease will progress and I could lose my life.”
Thankfully, early procedures have gone well for the bride-to-be, whose legs started to gradually shrink shortly after her treatment began.
But Katia, whose thighs are each bigger than her waistline, will need at least 10 procedures over the next few years to get her legs down to a manageable size.
And her uphill battle is made worse by the fact that many people assume she's overweight because of an unhealthy diet - rather than a rare disease.
Her condition was only properly diagnosed a year ago, but Katia's legs first began to balloon when she was 7, before expanding rapidly when she was in her early 20s.
She said: "Some days I’ll be in so much pain that I can’t really do anything.
“It’s bad when your calf is bigger than your waistline. One calf – not both – but one.”
In spite of all the difficulties she faces, Katia refuses to let the rare condition get her down, and is excited about her upcoming wedding.
She said: "I’m smart, I’m educated, I can cook and I’m a good catch! You’d be a fool not to want me.
"I’m engaged and we’re going to get married soon. And to be honest with you, he loves me anyway, but I just want to look my best.”
Katia’s Godmother, Diana Mendheim, is also looking forward to the big day.
She said: "Just seeing her in her gown and happy, that’s my goal for her.”
Katia added: “I just want to be around to have a long life. Who wants to get married and then pass away on their mate?
“I really do still enjoy life regardless of the fact I might have this disease.”
Katia appears in 'My Legs Won’t Stop Growing', which airs for US viewers at 9pm ET on TLC, on Monday 25 July.
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