Fighting Lipedema: A Second Chance at Life

Hi, my name is Jovana, but I prefer to be called Joka. I was born in Serbia and now live in Germany, working full-time as a nurse. For most of my life, I’ve struggled with heavy, painful legs, yet no doctor in Serbia could tell me why. I was always told to diet, exercise, or just accept that I was “curvy.” But deep down, I knew something wasn’t right.

Even after 10 years of consistent training in the gym, nothing changed in my legs. In fact, some exercises made things worse. Certain foods triggered inflammation. Still, I pushed through the pain and confusion, thinking maybe I just had to try harder.

It wasn’t until I moved to Germany in 2018 that I finally got the answer: Lipedema, a chronic, progressive condition that causes painful fat buildup, mostly in the legs and arms.

As a nurse, I spend my days caring for others, always on my feet. Compression therapy helps a little, but the only real solution is surgery, which costs even more then €15,000 (depends where it'll be done) and isn’t covered by insurance.

This surgery means more than just relief, it’s a chance to live a pain-free, active life.

Any donation, big or small, brings me closer to that goal. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, sharing, and supporting my journey to healing. ❤️