Hi friends!
June is Lipedema Awareness Month, and many of my colleagues in the community are doing all kinds of fun things to spread awareness. My goal is to spread awareness OUTSIDE of our community in an effort to get to doctors and women who may have the disease but aren’t aware.
We see so many awareness campaigns all the time, but it’s like, “great I’m aware, now what?”
With Lipedema it’s different. We need doctors to be aware because early detection is so key to getting a woman’s health in check before the disease progresses. In many, the disease can get so bad that joints fail, muscles aren’t strong enough to carry the weight of deformed legs and arms, and a woman can become bedridden in late stages. But the good news is that if we catch it early enough, we can make change to our diet, our supplements, physical regimen, and add things like swimming or using a pneumatic compression pump that can prevent inflammation from building up and fibrosis from setting in. Also, now there’s surgical treatment that can help ladies, but not all doctors are educated about it or are willing to help. So we need to get patients to the correct resources as early as we can.
I‘m offering a FREE copy of my first book, “Jeans on a Beach Day: A Book for the Beautiful Woman Hiding Her Legs,” through June 5 on Kindle. Get it here and share it like crazy!
My first book, Jeans on a Beach Day: A Book for the Beautiful Woman Hiding Her Legs, is free through June 5 on Kindle, in an effort to spread awareness.
Get it here —->>>>https://amzn.to/3MJKkyb
What is Lipedema (also spelled LIPOEDEMA)?
A Quote, according to the NHS:
Lipoedema
Lipoedema is a long term (chronic) condition of fat and connective tissue which builds up in your legs, hips, bottom and sometimes arms. It affects both sides of the body equally.
It’s more common in women and only very rarely affects men. It’s not the same as obesity.
For some people, it can have a big impact on daily routine, physical health and emotional wellbeing.
Symptoms
People with lipoedema usually have a small waist, but large hips and thighs. Their upper body and lower body can be completely different sizes. This makes it difficult to shop for clothes that fit right.
Symptoms can include:
- enlargement of your legs, and in some cases arms, but usually not your feet or hands
- pain, discomfort, heaviness or tenderness affected areas
- affected areas of your body can bruise easily, sometimes for no obvious reason
- dimpled legs with a lumpy texture, fat may bulge at the knees
- swelling that gets worse in the afternoon, evening, after activity or in hot weather
- spider veins or varicose veins on your legs
- difficulty walking due to changes in your leg shape, heavy legs, or ‘flat-feet’
Lipoedema can be linked to mental health problems, for example depression, anxiety and disordered eating.
Speak to your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms. They’ll be able to give you help and advice on how to manage your symptoms.
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