My Big Foot

Vicki is 45 years old and since she was a child her leg has been growing bigger and bigger as a result of the condition, Lymphedema.

Her foot and leg have grown out of all proportions and are now so big that it’s hard to fathom that they are actually part of a human body - her leg alone weighs 7 stone. A single mum to her 8 year-old daughter, she is struggling to survive, living under the poverty line, with a terrible medical condition.

We spend time with Vicki, understanding how tough life is for her and really getting under the skin of what it’s like being her. Her spirit and sense of humour are indicative of her strength as she battles to live life to the full.

She has never had the finances to get treatment, but now through the help of Pam Cohen at Lymphax supplying her with free treatment and care, Vicki has a chance of a new life. Through massage and drainage, her leg will be reduced, and through wearing tight and painful supports she could reduce her leg to a normal size. She has been waiting for 30 years for this chance.

But Vicki's story becomes even more engrossing as her previous doctor reveals that unbelievably she has been allowed free medical care before, but has refused it as she has fallen in love with her leg. As she has had this condition for so long she looks at her leg as a living entity which separates her from normality and makes her feel exceptional.

As she begins to talk to her leg more and more, are we to believe she will really go through with the treatment or are her words just false promises?

Related links:
- See the My Big Foot image gallery
- Watch My Shocking Story video clips

Further information:
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- The Academy of Lymphatic Studies
Lymphatx, Lymphedema treatment centre in Florida, USA.

- NEXT: THE MAN WITH NO FACE