Lap band surgery resulted in the loss of 171 pounds, but why were her calves still 26 inches each? After the successful weight loss, walking 14 miles a day, and eating a very restrictive diet, she concluded: "This was not just metabolic obesity." Her knees were dislocating 7 - 8 times a day. The social lymphedema communities were a tremendous help to Susan - and then she discovered lipedema.