Hi friends,
I just had this odd little Friday thought. Over the years as my condition progressed and I could not figure out what was wrong, I began hiding my legs more and more. When I (through a very long process) determined I had lipedema and now I feel freer to show my legs more than I have in years. Of course, I own SO many maxi dresses and I do love them, but I’m also now, not afraid to pop on a long tunic and compression or a nice little knee dress. Why is that?
I think part of it is that once I discovered I was helping other people (because I get SO much email about it) by sharing my images that it makes me feel better about things. But also, now that I’ve found our community, I understand that first of all, there are a lot of us out there with this crazy condition, and second of all, frankly, this may be the best my legs ever look. Finally, I got tired of limiting myself to total leg covering outfits, so now my closet is more varied than it has been in years.
For a long time, I tried diets and bariatric surgery, Pilates, yoga, swimming, weightlifting, and so on (infinitely, it seems) to try to slim my legs. I even asked a trainer for special exercises and was basically told, “No, you can’t slim that part of your legs.” But now I know, even with surgery, I still have lipedema legs, and I will always have lipedema legs. And dog gone it, sometimes you just want to wear a shorter dress than you have in fifteen years, ya know?
So, I’ll continue enjoying shopping for things I wouldn’t have bought five years ago, pairing them with compression, and enjoying my day. And if we see each other on the street wearing our cute little outfits with our little compressed legs, let’s give each other a little wink and a nod to show that we know what’s up.
Do you show your legs more now that you know you’re part of a community of 11% of women? If so, why is that for you?
Until next time, stay happy!
Susan
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