“Awareness is important so women don’t do the same things I did, so women can get a diagnosis and management of this disease. So they are no longer stressing their bodies and minds to the absolute limit.”
When did you first suspect you had Lipoedema?
I first suspected I had Lipoedema at the end of 2021/start of 2022. I started anti depressants mid way through 2020 and noticed a significant increase in my weight. At that stage, I had gained about 25kgs in 1.5 years. By 2.5 years I had gained 35kgs. Most of that weight has accumulated in my legs. My legs have always been bigger in proportion to the rest of my body, but they kept growing and the difference in proportion was easier to see, not just by me but by my family as well. The pain was always there but has also increased with the weight gain. My sister and I discussed it and did some research which led us to Lipoedema. After learning about Lipoedema and getting my diagnosis, everything finally made sense.
Do you recognise these symptoms in your family members?
I remember when I first researched Lipoedema and saw that there was a link between the disease and genetics. This made me question whether I had Lipoedema at all as my sisters, mum, aunties, and cousins all have very slim legs. I did some digging and found that on my dad’s side of the family, there may have been so me undiagnosed cases, but no one actually knows for sure. If you are questioning whether you have Lipoedema and you don’t see symptoms of it within your family, you should still book in to see a specialist, I almost didn’t and I’m super grateful that I did.
Why do you think it’s important to advocate for awareness of Lipoedema?
I think it is so important to advocate for awareness of Lipoedema because it affects so many people in the world, and most of these people are not even aware that they have the disease. There are young girls who believe that they are obese, or just need to eat less or train harder when in fact there’s no amount of training or eating (edit: calorie restricted dieting) that can change Lipoedema fat. It is causing eating disorders, depression, anxiety and so much more. I spent years trying to lose the fat off my legs, years of being unhappy in my body, an d comparing myself to everyone around me. I was never able to fit into jeans, pants, skirts, or shorts and I thought it was my fault. I overtrained and underate. I was told I was lucky to have the curves that I do. All of this was completely unhealthy for me, not only physically but mentally. Getting my diagnosis has had such a profound effect on me and I’m grateful that I’m no longer putting my body through all that stress to achieve something unachievable. Awareness is important so women don’t do the same things I did, so women can get a diagnosis and management of this disease. So they are no longer stressing their bodies and minds to the absolute limit. Lipoedema awareness is important for the health of women physically and mentally. It’s important that women know they are not alone with this disease, and we can manage the symptoms of it.
