00:00 Lifedema does not prevent me from living my life.
00:03 This is my first blonde date.
00:05 I don't like a snack.
00:07 I like try to spread awareness about my condition.
00:10 Dating has been dry, like the Sahara Desert,
00:15 but I think I'm ready to get back on the saddle.
00:18 I'm Hayley, nice to meet you.
00:21 - Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
00:23 - Is there anything you notice different?
00:29 - I'm picking out an outfit for a blonde date
00:32 and I'm trying to make sure I look cute.
00:33 You know, kind of sexy,
00:35 'cause you gotta see the full package.
00:37 I am Mahogany, I am 24 years old,
00:40 and I am from Knoxville, Tennessee.
00:43 I am like a little tomboy, I'm not gonna lie.
00:46 I play video games, I like anime,
00:50 and I like modeling and I like try to spread awareness
00:55 about my condition, Lifedema.
00:58 Lifedema does not prevent me from living my life,
01:01 but physically it does slow me down.
01:03 Right now I am loosening my legs.
01:10 My skin isn't moisturized, it causes like cracks and tears,
01:14 and it can be painful.
01:15 I think I look good.
01:20 I don't like a snack.
01:23 Dating has been dry,
01:26 like the Sahara Desert,
01:29 but I think I'm ready to get back on the saddle.
01:31 I'm feeling very anxious.
01:39 It's been so long since I've been on a date,
01:45 plus I don't know who the person is, so yeah.
01:48 - Hi. - Hi.
01:53 - How are you? - Hi.
01:54 - I'm Mahogany.
01:55 - I'm Haley, nice to meet you.
01:57 - Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you too.
01:58 How are you doing?
01:59 - I'm a little nervous, not gonna lie.
02:01 - Yeah, me too.
02:02 So how long have you lived in Knoxville?
02:06 - I am from here. - You're from here, okay.
02:08 - Yes.
02:09 So are you from here?
02:11 - No, not originally.
02:12 I'm from Chattanooga.
02:14 - That's not that far.
02:15 You're from Chad, huh?
02:17 - Yeah, I moved up here to go to school.
02:19 - Okay.
02:20 - I'm studying like clinical mental health counseling.
02:22 - Wow.
02:23 - Yeah, I'm excited about it.
02:24 I just started, so hopefully it goes well.
02:27 - Okay, so is there anything you notice different?
02:34 - I mean, well, meeting you,
02:38 I don't see anything different about you personally.
02:40 - Well, thank you, thank you.
02:43 I guess as, I don't know, as you might've noticed,
02:46 I do have a medical condition.
02:49 And with the dating, it has been kind of hard.
02:52 And it's probably also another reason
02:54 why I was like super duper nervous
02:55 'cause I was like,
02:56 I don't know how this person is going to react.
03:00 My condition is called lipedema.
03:03 Pretty much I have fluid on the left side of my body
03:06 that like built up and retained.
03:09 It's because the system in my body
03:10 that flushes out fluids doesn't work properly.
03:14 Growing up with lipedema, it was rough.
03:17 I was sad as hell, not gonna lie.
03:19 'Cause when you're younger, you're way more vulnerable.
03:22 And then to have other kids your age
03:24 just kind of pointing and picking at you
03:26 and the adults were worse in a way.
03:30 I was waiting for the bus one time
03:32 and like a whole group of adults,
03:34 like their eyes were following me wherever I went.
03:38 So yeah, it was like a mentally challenging type of time.
03:41 So yeah, that's me.
03:45 - Well, do you feel like that's something
03:47 that's like come up on dates
03:48 and like has been an issue for you?
03:51 - Well, at first I used to do more of an online type of thing.
03:55 I didn't always post fully myself.
03:58 So it would be like everything from the waist up
04:01 and they will like this part.
04:03 But then when I see the rest,
04:04 it's like interaction is different.
04:06 - Oh, that's unfortunate.
04:08 That sucks.
04:11 It shouldn't be that way.
04:12 'Cause you're a great person.
04:13 - Thank you.
04:14 - You're like a very attractive person.
04:16 Like, thank you.
04:18 - Okay, I would say my flush a little bit.
04:20 Thank you.
04:21 - When I was younger,
04:22 I did feel lonely not having a partner.
04:24 I used to cry and be like,
04:25 Lord, I hope you give me someone that accepts me for me.
04:30 I wish someone would like accept all of me,
04:32 not only part of me,
04:33 like not only like my face or whatever they like on me.
04:38 - When I started to like, you know what?
04:42 I'm done hiding.
04:43 I'm gonna put it out there.
04:44 I did pursue the modeling route.
04:48 And I think the first time I posted like a full body picture
04:53 leg, everything was through a photo shoot
04:55 and I kind of fell in love with it.
04:57 I just hope to go as far as I can is all I can say.
05:01 Have you ever been on a blind date?
05:03 - No, I've never been on a blind date.
05:05 - Me either.
05:06 - I've never been on a date with a woman before.
05:08 - Oh, okay, okay.
05:09 - It's my first date with a woman too.
05:12 - I promise you, I don't bite.
05:13 I promise you.
05:14 (laughing)
05:15 - I'm all about taking things like slow mo.
05:19 I've had experiences where I rushed it
05:21 and it like crashed and burned.
05:23 - I haven't dated that much.
05:26 Honestly, I think sometimes the whole public internet thing
05:30 might've helped it actually.
05:32 - Ooh, thank you.
05:34 - Like now that it shows that I have confidence
05:37 that I didn't have before,
05:38 it's starting to attract more people.
05:41 - I'm like, ooh, who's all these people
05:42 like sliding in my DMs?
05:44 Like I've never had this before.
05:47 - If you don't mind, I'm gonna use the restroom real quick.
05:50 - Okay.
05:51 - I'll be right back.
05:52 - Alrighty.
05:53 - I think it's going good so far.
05:56 It seemed like we're interested.
06:00 Even though this is her first time like with a woman,
06:04 it feels like I'm doing a good job.
06:06 It felt like I had like an extra responsibility.
06:10 I hope that Haley feels a chemistry also.
06:14 - Hello again.
06:15 - Yeah.
06:16 - Well, I've decided I'm definitely
06:17 taking this mac and cheese to go.
06:19 - Oh yeah.
06:21 You gotta make the food worth it.
06:22 - Oh yeah, for sure.
06:23 - So what did your dating history look like?
06:27 - I would say I probably had like one serious relationship
06:30 if I was to ever think about it.
06:32 But I guess I had a lot of situationships.
06:37 - I know what you mean.
06:40 - I've kind of decided right now,
06:41 I'm not really looking for a super serious
06:44 long-term relationship.
06:45 - I get it.
06:46 - Not looking for a situation-ship either.
06:49 But I say I'm browsing the web.
06:52 Thank you.
06:53 - Thank you.
06:54 - A lot of women on women relationships
06:57 can move very quickly.
07:00 - But I've learned from my mistakes,
07:02 I'm like slow down.
07:03 There's no rush.
07:06 - Either it's gonna work or it's not.
07:08 - True.
07:09 - Yeah.
07:10 - All right, well, you think you're ready to go?
07:12 - Yeah.
07:13 - Okay, perfect, let's do it.
07:14 The date went really, really good.
07:19 Like, I got you.
07:21 I was shocked how pretty she was, I'm not gonna lie.
07:24 So yeah.
07:26 I would say Haley impressed me
07:28 by like how chill she was about everything.
07:31 I wouldn't say her condition like made me have
07:34 any different feelings towards her.
07:37 I think she's really pretty.
07:39 That was one of the first things I noticed about her.
07:41 And then to find out that she was a model,
07:43 I think that's super cool.
07:44 - So how did the date go?
07:45 - I think it went good.
07:48 - I think it went well.
07:50 - Yeah.
07:51 - I would.
07:54 - I would go out with Haley again.
07:56 - I would.
07:56 - Don't feel obligated.
07:59 - No, that's not an obligation.
08:01 - I mean, I would go out with my Hogan Higgins.
08:04 I would.
08:05 - I'll say it.
08:06 - Yeah?
08:08 (laughing)
08:09 - This experience taught me to take more risks.
08:12 I'll see you next time.
08:13 - Okay, bye.
08:14 - And not to automatically assume someone's not into me
08:18 because of my condition.
08:20 I would be open to go on more dates.
08:23 I just gotta get through the butterflies,
08:24 but I'll be more open.
08:26 (upbeat music)
08:30 (whooshing)
08:32 (upbeat music)
08:35 (whooshing)
08:37 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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