MAHOGANY, 24, from Tennessee, suffers from a long-term condition called lymphedema where excess fluid collects in tissues causing swelling in the limbs. The model says that “dating has been dry like the Sahara Desert” but she is “ready to get back on the saddle”. Mahogany reveals how she would not post full pictures of her body online as interactions would change after people saw her leg - she would only post pictures from the waist up. But how will student Haylee react to Mahogany’s leg and will the two hit it off?
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FunTranscript
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]