“It’s such a difficult thing to learn that you’re living with a chronic incurable illness, but to know I have gotten so far in life and achieved so many great things despite physical setbacks really makes me proud of my resilience.”
How would your friends describe you?
Bright, funny, energetic, caring and inspirational.
When did you first suspect you had Lipoedema?
At the age of 11, I noticed an overnight change in my athletic ‘normal’ healthy legs, transforming into them feeling completely alien to the rest of my body. I always felt shame and embarrassment that they looked so ‘different’ and ‘ugly.’ However, it wasn’t until I was in my early 30’s where it seemed a perfect storm of age, huge life changes, and weight gain caused a progression in my legs. I sought out a diagnosis just one year ago at the age of 33.
What words of support or hope can you share with women living with Lipoedema?
It’s such a difficult thing to learn that you’re living with a chronic incurable illness, but to know I have gotten so far in life and achieved so many great things despite physical setbacks really makes me proud of my resilience. Lippy women are strong and tough and resilient and capable of so much against the odds!
What’s something that people often don’t know about Lipoedema?
Lipoedema is not well known or recognised so I think because there’s an obvious visible difference it might be assumed that it’s purely an aesthetic disease. Lipoedema comes with so many different comorbidities, unique to every individual. For myself I have hyperflexible joints which I can now see looking back has likely been the cause of a lot of my sporting injuries. The diseased tissue itself is inflammatory causing a lot of pain and discomfort, which many people don’t realise is the case.
