Mary-Ann Wood, 53, has one leg which weighs two stone more than the other after cancer treatment . A grandmother has spoken of the agony of living with a medical condition that means she has one leg two stone heavier than another. Mary-Ann Wood's left leg began to swell after treatment for cervical cancer 17 years ago, but it is now so huge that her calf has a circumference of almost 3ft. The 53-year-old suffers from lymphoedema, a condition where the body's plumbing goes haywire. This means fluid doesn't drain properly, leaving her with a painfully swollen leg. Mrs Wood is now unable to bend her leg, is barely able to walk, and doctors have said she will be completely immobile in less than a decade. Despite this, she has been denied NHS funding for a liposuction operation to drain the fluid from her leg. She made the bid through her doctor, who agreed she would benefit from the treatment , which would cost the NHS £11,000. But after her case was assessed by a panel at her local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), her application was denied as the CCG said the evidence for the procedure's effectiveness was 'poor'. She claims she has been given several reasons as to why she can't have the treatment, including it being a 'cosmetic procedure'. Mrs Wood, of Midhurst, West Sussex, has been forced to give up her job working with special needs children while she continues to battle the NHS for the treatment. Last month, she was rejected by the Independent Complaint Advocacy on the grounds that her case is not 'exceptional enough', she said. Mrs Wood said: 'My leg is huge and the surgeon told me the only option is to have the operation. 'I've had loads of different excuses for being rejected - they once even said it would be "cosmetic". 'I was also told that I wasn't "exceptional enough" to get the op. It's ridiculous. She added: 'I was told that my best bet of getting the operation is to move to an area where the NHS provides it - it's a postcode lottery. 'But I've got two small grandchildren down the road I don't want to up sticks.' Mrs Wood's condition developed because she had lymph nodes removed along with her cervix as part of a hysterectomy. Her lymphatic system is no longer strong enough to drain her leg of the fluid causing the build-up. The lymphatic system is a filter network of tiny vessels which runs alongside the circulation and drains waste products from the blood . Normally, fluid drains from the lymph channels into the lymph nodes. These nodes act like filter stations that process the waste - the fluid itself goes back through the body into the circulation. However, if the lymphatic system is faulty - such as after cancer treatment - the fluid it would normally drain away accumulates in the tissue and the area swells up. The skin becomes like a soggy mattress, because there's too much fluid in the tissue. Mrs Wood Doctors calculated that her left leg was two stone heavier than her right leg using computer modelling. She said: 'The doctor knows how much the lymph fluid weighs so she measures my legs at 2cm intervals, works out the difference in size and puts it all into the computer and it calculates the difference in weight.' She must now wear a compression garment, which puts pressure on tissues to stop fluid build-up and encourage fluid to drain. The liposuction would not cure the condition but it would drain the excess fluid from her leg allowing her to walk normally again. Mrs Wood's left leg has swollen so much her calf now has a circumference of almost three feet. She is unable to bend it, leaving her barely able to walk. Doctors have said she will be immobile within a decade . She suffers from lymphoedema, a condition in which the body's lymphatic system doesn't drain fluid properly from the leg, causing fluid to accumulate in the tissue and the leg to swell up . It would cost the NHS £11, 000, with a continuing cost of around £300 a year to remeasure her leg and create a new compression garment if there is a change in size. The liposuction would not cure the condition but it would drain the excess fluid from her leg allowing her to walk normally again. Without the operation, Mrs Wood must continue her daily struggle. She said: 'I get up in the morning and have a massage and put on compression garment - all that takes an hour. 'Then it's very difficult to walk. It weighs nearly three stone more than it should because it's filled with lymph fluid. Lymphoedema is a condition where the lymphatic system — a filter network of tiny vessels which runs alongside the circulation and drains waste products from the blood — isn’t working properly. Normally, fluid drains from the lymph channels into the lymph nodes. These nodes act like filter stations that process the waste — the fluid itself goes back through the body into the circulation. However, if the lymphatic system is faulty, the fluid it would normally drain away accumulates in the tissue and the area swells up. The skin becomes like a soggy mattress, because there’s too much fluid in the tissue. Limbs can swell to double their normal size and can be extremely painful. The condition is  common in middle-aged women. 'I can't walk any distance and when I do I use a stick. Doctors said that by the time I'm 60 I will be immobile. Already I can't move that knee at all. 'I don't want to go down that road, that's not what I want out of life, the only option for me is to fight.' Her battle started in 2013 when massages began failing her and was told she needed the liposuction. Her husband of 26 years Alan Wood, a 48-year-old removal man, must assist her in her daily chores. A spokesperson at NHS Coastal West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group, said: 'We are very sorry to hear Mrs Wood's concerns, and we do understand the difficult situation that patients are in when they come to us for individual funding. 'There are treatments and drugs that we do not routinely fund, but which we know, and understand, that patients and their families want to look into and explore as a possible solution to their medical needs. 'To enable this, people are able to apply for individual funding through their clinicians. 'Decisions are not taken lightly, and cases are thoroughly considered by a panel of hospital consultants, GPs and lay people.' The panel sought an independent review from specialist at Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, and their report was considered alongside the submission from Mrs Wood's doctor. The CCG spokesperson continued: 'The CCG's panel fully considered Mrs Wood's case, but found that the evidence of clinical effectiveness of the proposed treatment was poor.' We understand this is disappointing for Mrs Wood but without evidence that the treatment would be clinically effective, the panel could not approve the treatment.' Now, Mrs Wood is trying to raise £2,500 to get a machine to massage her leg but has so far raised just £220. To contact or donate to Mrs Wood's cause, please email her at maryannwood@hotmail.co.uk.
Mary-Ann Wood, 53, has a left leg which is almost 3ft in circumference . It weighs 2st more than her right leg, the equivalent of a four-year-old . Is barely able to walk and doctors say she will be immobile within a decade . Has lymphoedema - a condition where fluid builds up in tissue in the limbs . Has been refused NHS funding for  liposuction  to treat the condition . Clinical Commissioning Group argues the evidence for treatment is 'poor'