“The more awareness there is of Lipoedema, the more people can seek support and start to heal.”
How did you first learn about Lipoedema?
I’ve struggled with painful legs for as long as I can remember. As a child I had severe “growing pains.” As a teenager I was told I had Osgood-Schlatter syndrome. I am hyper-mobile and even dislocated one of my knees as a teen which led to surgery. I started to struggle with weight gain in my late teens – early twenties, and despite trying everything there was nothing I could do to shift it from my legs. After having my children, the pain became overwhelming and was significantly impacting my day-to-day activities. After many appointments with doctors who could not understand what was going on, I was eventually diagnosed with fibromyalgia. It was in an attempt to manage my pain that I first visited an MLD practitioner, she took one look at me and asked if I had heard of Lipoedema! The information I received in that appointment was life-changing, everything made so much sense. I was introduced to compression and experienced real relief for the first time in what felt like forever.
Do you recognise these symptoms in your family members?
My mother and grandmother have also struggled with weight throughout their lives. We all have the typical Lipoedema shape, skin texture, easy bruising etc. I am actually quite grateful that my own children are boys because the chances of them inheriting this condition are significantly reduced.
Why do you think it’s important to advocate for awareness of Lipoedema?
Knowledge is power! The more awareness there is of Lipoedema, the more people can seek support and start to heal. Sometimes just being able to give your symptoms a name is enough to start the healing journey! But mostly, I just want people to know they are not alone and this condition doesn’t have to define them.
