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Mandy Sellars born with rare condition which balooned her legs to 10kg has told how they are finally shrinking, now weigh 6.5kg

&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpcnt">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpa">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<span class&equals;"wpa-about">Advertisements<&sol;span>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"u top&lowbar;amp">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<amp-ad width&equals;"300" height&equals;"265"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; type&equals;"pubmine"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-siteid&equals;"109460728"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-section&equals;"1">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;amp-ad>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div><h3><&sol;h3>&NewLine;<h3><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2b0303&semi;"><strong>Mandy Sellars 41&comma; suffers from a condition meaning she has a trim size-10 upper-body&comma; but huge feet and legs&comma; <&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h3>&NewLine;<h3><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2b0303&semi;"><strong>For years doctors struggled to diagnose condition&comma; finally cause identified as a mutation in the PIK3CA gene which causes an overgrowth of skin&comma; bone&comma; fat and tissue&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h3>&NewLine;<h3><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2b0303&semi;"><strong> Forced to amputate left leg 6 years ago&comma; after contracting septicaemia&comma; but was shocked when the limb stared to grow back &period;<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h3>&NewLine;<h3><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2b0303&semi;"><strong>With new drug therapy  1okg legs are finally shrinking -down to 6&period;5kg and counting<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h3>&NewLine;<h3><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;2b0303&semi;"><strong>Says &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I am happy&comma; not just because my leg is shrinking but because I am feeling more like me&period; I feel like I am really going in the right direction&period;”<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h3>&NewLine;<h6>&NewLine;<strong><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-27855" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2016&sol;06&sol;mandy-sellars1&period;jpg" alt&equals;"mandy-sellars1" width&equals;"615" height&equals;"802" &sol;>Mandy Sellars<&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>A woman whose legs grew to 10kg because of a rare disease has told how they are finally shrinking – and now weigh under 7kg&period; Mandy Sellars was born with legs and feet five times their normal size and has battled since childhood the unusual condition&period; It means the 41 year old has a trim size-10 upper-body&comma; but huge feet and legs&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h6><strong><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-27857" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2016&sol;06&sol;mandy-sellars3&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Mandy-Sellars3&period;jpg" width&equals;"615" height&equals;"718" &sol;><&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6><strong>The hospital visit for amputation turned out less than expected for Mandy Sellars <&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>She was forced to have her left leg amputated in 2010 after contracting septicaemia&comma; but was shocked when the limb stared to grow back &period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Now&comma; thanks to a pioneering drug&comma; almost six stone has been shed off the former RSPCA volunteer’s lower body&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It felt like a miracle&comma; I couldn’t believe it when I lost a nearly a kilogram after just five months on the drugs&comma; my legs were shrinking” she said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h6><strong><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-27858" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2016&sol;06&sol;mandy-sellars2&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Mandy-Sellars2" width&equals;"615" height&equals;"410" &sol;><&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6><strong>Mandy Sellars at 5 with mum June<&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I am comfortable in my own skin&comma; and proud of my condition and who I am&period;”<br &sol;>&NewLine;With doctors baffled about her condition&comma; Mandy&comma; of Lancashire&comma; UK tried to live a normal life by going to school&comma; college and studying psychology at the University of Central Lancashire while her legs continued to grow&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Able to walk and get around&comma; life was a challenge for Miss Sellars&comma; but she was mobile&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;But soon she was warned amputation might be the only way to stop her legs from ballooning&period; With her legs weighing whopping 10kg&comma; in 2010 Miss Sellars started to develop serious infections and amputation was the only option to stop them from killing her&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;But months after going under the knife at the Royal Liverpool Hospital&comma; doctors were shocked to see the leg had started to grow back – and within two years it was a metre in girth&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h6><strong><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-27860" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2016&sol;06&sol;mandy-sellars7&period;jpg" alt&equals;"mandy-sellars7&period;jpg" width&equals;"1500" height&equals;"2249" &sol;>Always upbeat Mandy in hospital&comma; Spring 2010<&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I was being measured at the hospital for a prosthetic leg they noticed it had already grown&comma;” she recalled&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I felt helpless&period; My body was taking control of my life and I felt like there was nothing I could do about it&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It felt like in a short period of time I could become bed bound and my life could be over for me as my leg continued to grow&period;”<br &sol;>&NewLine;Two years later in 2012&comma; after endless tests&comma; doctors finally told Miss Sellars they believed her condition was caused by a mutation in the PIK3CA gene which causes an overgrowth of skin&comma; bone&comma; fat and tissue&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h6><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-27859" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2016&sol;06&sol;mandy-sellars10&period;jpg" alt&equals;"mandy-sellars10&period;jpg" width&equals;"615" height&equals;"410" &sol;><br &sol;>&NewLine;<strong>7-year-old Mandy with dad&comma;Rodney<&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I was over the moon&comma;” she said&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I never thought in my lifetime anyone would be able to find out what my condition was&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I felt like I had been waiting my whole life for that diagnosis&comma; just to know what it was that made me like I am&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;When I was offered a trial drug&comma; to try and shrink the leg&comma; I went for it&period; I had never been offered anything before that could stop the condition or shrink it&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h6><strong><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-27861" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2016&sol;06&sol;mandy-sellars6&period;jpg" alt&equals;"mandy-sellars6&period;jpg" width&equals;"1500" height&equals;"2375" &sol;>Mandy Sellars &&num;8211&semi; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I am happy&comma; not just because my leg is shrinking but because I am feeling more like me<&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>Over the past two years she lost 4kg from her legs and now&comma; despite being house-bound&comma; finds being mobile around her home much more manageable&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;My life has really changed&comma;” she said&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It’s easier to get around&comma; just simple things like getting on the bed and doing things for myself&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I am happy&comma; not just because my leg is shrinking but because I am feeling more like me&period; I feel like I am really going in the right direction&period;”<br &sol;>&NewLine;Miss Sellars continues to have clothes and shoes specially made because of her size and drives a specially-adapted car&period; Doctors are unsure if her legs will continue to shrink&comma; but Miss Sellars is keeping a positive attitude&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;People say &OpenCurlyQuote;I don’t know how you cope’&comma; but I am making the most of what I am able to do and feel in who I am&period; I am proud to be me&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h6><em><strong>Let us know what you think of this article&period; Like&quest; Dislike&quest; Funny&quest; Interesting&quest; Cool&quest;  Drop us a line in the comment box&comma; 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