This Influencer’s Active Videos Inspire, But Offline She Battles a Painful Condition

Aurora McCausland appears full of energy across her TikTok and Instagram feeds. With over 300,000 followers, she’s seen dancing through her living room, cleaning with flair, and juggling home renovations alongside her life as a mom of two in Utah.

But the vibrance she shares online masks a daily struggle that isn’t visible in her videos — a debilitating condition called lipedema.

What Is Lipedema and How Does It Affect the Body?

Lipedema is a chronic and progressive condition where fat builds up disproportionately in the lower body — particularly in the legs, thighs, hips, and ankles. It’s not linked to overeating or lack of exercise, and unlike regular fat, lipedema fat can feel firm and painful, often forming hard nodules under the skin.

– It’s nearly exclusive to women
– Frequently triggered by hormonal shifts like puberty, pregnancy, or menopause
– Resistant to diet and physical activity
– Often misunderstood as simple weight gain

For Aurora, the condition manifests as constant leg pain, swelling that arrives unpredictably, and an overwhelming heaviness that can make walking — or even standing — a challenge. “It feels like they’re filled with cement,” she’s said about her legs.

Delayed Diagnosis and Everyday Frustrations

Instagram | auroramccausland | Misdiagnosed as just weight problems, Aurora’s early teen leg symptoms were later revealed to be lipedema.

Aurora began noticing symptoms in her early teens. Her legs ached, bruised easily, and stayed swollen despite being active in sports and dance. Like many women with undiagnosed lipedema, she was told the problem was simply excess weight — advice that only added to her frustration.

Even though she pushed herself through CrossFit and stayed disciplined with her nutrition, the fat deposits on her legs didn’t budge. Pain increased. Her mobility declined. Getting down to play with her kids became almost impossible.

Her story isn’t unique. Several of Aurora’s sisters showed similar symptoms. One of them underwent liposuction in hopes of reshaping her legs — but things went dangerously wrong. The surgeon, unaware he was dealing with lipedema fat, caused severe internal burns during the procedure. This misstep underscores the importance of receiving treatment from specialists trained in managing the disease.

Treatment Challenges and Insurance Denial

Aurora has tried to ease her symptoms with compression gear, lymphatic massage, and anti-inflammatory diets — all standard conservative treatments. But as her doctor, Dr. David Smart from the Roxbury Institute, explained, only a specific kind of surgical procedure can remove the diseased fat and potentially reverse the damage.

That surgery, however, comes at a high price — over $35,000 for two sessions. And Aurora’s former insurer, Cigna Healthcare, denied her request for coverage. The reason? She allegedly didn’t meet their clinical criteria. Aurora suspects her appearance played a role in that decision.

“They’re not looking at how I live,” she said, “they’re looking at a photo.”

Cigna has denied that social media influences medical determinations, stating that only clinical data from her doctor was reviewed. Still, the pain and limitations Aurora experiences daily weren’t enough to secure approval.

Now with a new provider, MotivHealth, she’s once again navigating the process of submitting documentation, hoping they will consider her symptoms — not just her appearance.

Misconceptions and a Lack of Awareness

One of the biggest challenges women like Aurora face is being believed. Lipedema doesn’t always make someone look “sick enough,” especially in the earlier stages. But the pain can be severe even when the outward signs are subtle.

The disease is categorized into four stages:

Stage 1 – Minor visible fat buildup, often brushed off as normal weight gain

Stage 4 – Extreme disfigurement and compromised mobility

Dr. Smart noted that even someone in Stage 1 can experience intense pain and swelling. Yet, because lipedema doesn’t align with traditional medical assumptions about fat, it’s often misdiagnosed or completely ignored.

Pushing for Better Understanding

Instagram | auroramccausland | Aurora’s experience highlights how lipedema’s mild appearance often leads to disbelief despite intense pain.

Researchers are working to change the landscape. Dr. Aaron Aday, co-director of vascular medicine at Vanderbilt University, is developing a national biobank to collect blood, fat, and skin samples from lipedema patients — including individuals like Aurora. The goal is to understand the disease at a molecular level and help develop more accurate diagnostic tools.

One promising method involves pain threshold testing. Studies in Germany have shown that women with lipedema experience pain differently, particularly in affected areas. These tools could pave the way for more objective diagnosis methods.

There’s also growing curiosity around the potential impact of GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic on lipedema. Though primarily used for Type 2 diabetes and obesity, researchers believe these medications could help reduce inflammation and fat buildup in lipedema patients. Aday is seeking funding to investigate this further.

A System Still Catching Up

While the science moves forward, Aurora and many others are still stuck fighting for the right treatment. The stakes are high — untreated lipedema can result in permanent joint damage and decreased mobility. Early intervention offers the best outcomes, yet many are denied care until symptoms become severe.

Until there’s broader awareness among physicians, insurance companies, and the public, women with lipedema will continue to battle both their condition and the system.

Aurora’s journey highlights just how much still needs to change — in medicine, in policy, and in perception.