lipedema
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Doctor accountability
I never thought I would write this post about this doctor. And I’m not going to name names, but I am going to say what I am feeling, and I am going to share this link with her. Because what I feel is complicated, but the overriding emotion is betrayal. The story will take some… Continue reading
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Criteria for a visit to the doctor
Today I went to a new doctor for an exam/procedure I’m not going to discuss here “out loud,” but it made me think about what is needed by people in my situation (weighed down by both fibrotic fat and lymphatic fluid), and I’m hoping that it also made the people with whom I met today… Continue reading
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It’s a start…?
The Lipedema Foundation has published a blog post entitled “10 things you should know ” in an attempt to raise awareness about lipedema and how it differs from obesity. I have shared it on my Facebook page, and hope that it gives people a clue about what this condition means for those of us who… Continue reading
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Cautious optimism
I may have found a doctor who actually gets it and knows what to do about it. Not celebrating yet, but… I went back to the vascular specialist yesterday, only to discover that the lab hadn’t forwarded the results of my CT scan yet (despite having a week to do so). Both I and the… Continue reading
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Encouraged on several fronts
Things are happening—some by chance, some purposefully, all fairly positive, some even hopeful. First of all, I “met” Carol on Facebook in one of the lipoedema/lymphedema groups I follow, after she reported a seemingly miraculous transformation illustrated by pictures that were hard to believe. She, like me, has both lipoedema and lymphedema, and she, like… Continue reading
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ACCESS granted…
I finally received my ACCESS identity card that will enable me to schedule rides in easily accessible vehicles to get to my doctor’s appointments, art seminars, or whatever. As the office had indicated, it took until late February to arrive, but now that I have it in hand, I can start thinking about leaving the… Continue reading
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Transpo is in my future…I hope!
Today I finally had my appointment with ACCESS, the Los Angeles County service that will pick you up in a van with a ramp and take you places if you need a ride and can’t drive yourself. I had an appointment almost two months ago, but the drivers went on strike and the office workers… Continue reading
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Adjusting
It’s been a couple of years now of worsening symptoms and issues, and I am still not understanding how people do this. I mean, there are people with much worse disabilities than mine, who are still working full-time and keeping things together, so why am I finding this so ridiculously hard? I’m used to being… Continue reading
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Brain fog…
The biggest enemy of self-care when it comes to lipoe-lymphedema isn’t physical tolerance so much as mental disposition. Yesterday was a good day, and I was able to think clearly enough to come to the realization that I have fallen down on the job and my recent poor physical response is a result of that.… Continue reading
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A new voice heard from
On the advice of the ever-up-on-it Kirsten, I scheduled a one-hour Zoom consult that took place yesterday with a Naturopathic doctor currently out of Texas named Dr. Melissa Gallagher. She is a lymphedema expert (Vodder-trained Certified Lymphatic Drainage Therapist) and is also knowledgeable about and able to provide advice on the foibles of lipedema. I… Continue reading
About Me
I started this blog to talk about a genetic, fibrotic fat-storing (some say autoimmune) condition called Lipoedema, which is something I began to experience in my 60s, although some see early onset at puberty, or post-pregnancy, or at menopause. The other “L” condition from which I suffer is Lymphedema, as a common secondary effect of the fibrosis that blocks lymphatic drainage. Despite the fact that one in 11 women suffer from lipoedema, most doctors have never heard of it, so on top of the pain and embarrassment of this extremely obvious malady, millions of us are out there being fat-shamed for a condition that isn’t contingent on diet or exercise for its growth. This blog was intended to share my reactions.
I have, however, reserved the right to discuss “other stuff” here and, increasingly, since January 20th, 2025, that is politics, because what else, after all, are we legitimately obsessed with in this age of fascism in these United States of America? So while the “theme” of this blog may be confusing, it is my blog, where I can talk about whatever I wish. You are not constrained to read the parts you don’t like. But I feel compelled to write about them.
MEdoubleLL 