Ashamed to Awareness: Living with Lipoedema

23/03/2023

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-22/lipoedema-awareness-body-image-women-health/102093340

For years, these women say they've been dismissed and shamed for a painful disease they have little control over. Today, they're using their new-found knowledge to deliver a powerful message.

28/02/2023

Ever had those days where you are puffy, swollen, discolored and not feeling good in you own skin?
Yeah, me too! Today it was looking at these photos that helped me shift my focus. I’m halfway through my surgeries and sometimes forget how big the changes in my body are, but luckily I have amazing visual reminders 😍

Surgery done with a surgeon from Inigo Cosmetics based in Brisbane. The dr and his team have been absolutely amazing!

08/11/2022

6 days post op for my arms…
Either I’ve become immune to the discomfort of liposuction or the lipoedema in my arms was so separated from the rest of my arm as recovery has been a breeze!
Minimal bruising, little to no discomfort, and have returned to most normal activities!

Early on after diagnosis I was explaining lipoedema to a customer and she said something that really resonated with me then, but as I compare before and after pictures I feel it so much stronger now…
‘You sound like a skinny person trapped inside the body of a fat person’ and she didn’t know how much I felt that statement then. And now…. I’m not drowning underneath the lipoedema weighing my body down, I can finally see the light at the surface. I am not finished yet, this disease will be a lifetime fight but it doesn’t own me anymore and that’s the life raft I plan to hold onto 💪🏽

29/10/2022

Tested these beauties out yesterday 😍
Emily from Embod AU was so so lovely, welcoming and made me feel so comfortable (even though I somehow managed to find some bravery and wear some shorts 🤯)
Not only was she the perfect host, she allowed me to share my personal experience with this disease. That in itself was a huge win, I love finding people who genuinely want to learn and be educated about this disease, added bonus that I got to get a treatment option in while talking her ears off!! Thanks Emily x

24/10/2022

May not be Gucci or Versace but hey… this is me 🤷🏼‍♀️
Meghan Trainor

This song from just feels right…

24/10/2022

Body dysmorphia is a cruel, cruel thing.
4 weeks post lowers & 10 weeks post thighs and I still find myself thinking that my legs are still fat & gross.
Many people have asked if i had taken before & after pictures, the before yes but I still hadn’t stood in front of a mirror & looked at myself ‘after’
Tonight I finally did… and would you believe it? My legs look different!! 🤯
Looking forward to getting back into exercise & seeing where these legs can take me 💪🏽🦵🏻

20/10/2022

Scrolling through tiktok and came across this video…
Embod AU offers a machine that has the benefits of a MLD (manual lymphatic drainage) and infra red all in one.
You can bet I booked myself in pretty quickly to test it out next week.
Watch this space for how it goes!

Low impact workout and lymphatic drainage massage suitable for all ages and fitness levels

03/10/2022

Learning about these things called knees!!

I’m laying here 1 week post op for my lowers and caught myself staring at my legs… they don’t quite look like mine 🤔🤯

Last week Dr Chinsee took 4.8L of lipoedema out of my lower legs. Definitely more pain and discomfort than I felt from my thighs 😅

2 surgeries down, with a couple more to go but excited to see what I can do with 10L less of lipoedema in my legs 🦵

21/08/2022

Hello all of you wonderful people.

Many apologies for how quiet I have been for many, many months. I have had quite a few ups and downs over the last months. I have spent the better part of the last 12 months doing research into surgeons, booking consultations with different surgeons only to cancel them after a few stories started to surface.
I always knew this disease wasn’t a clear-cut case of you need to do X to get results but the emotional rollercoaster is something that I have struggled to acknowledge.

I had the veins in my right leg operated on back in November 2021 with Dr Kruger here in Brisbane. He was great, very direct, straight to the point and no sugar coating anything. Which is exactly how I have chosen to approach having lipoedema. This surgery did result in me waking up in hospital the morning of my birthday, so that was a not so fun treat.

Fast forward to April this year where I was talking to a customer at work about how I had hit a few speedbumps in my surgical journey because of the recent happenings in the cosmetic surgery world. Amazingly, it turns out that she actually works for a cosmetic surgeon who she highly recommended I go see. 9th of May I did just that. Previous consultations with other surgeons had me on edge and not sure how I wanted to proceed, however on this day I had zero reservations.

I booked in for surgery with Dr Ian Chinsee here in Brisbane, and as I am typing this I am laying in bed, 4 days post surgery on bilateral thighs. Yes, you read that correctly!
On Wednesday 17th August I had vaser liposuction on my thighs, removing 5.2Ls of diseased fat.
Apart from bleeding/weeping surgical fluids through my dressings , I am pleasantly surprised how little pain I am in. I have a second surgery booked in for September 27th and hopefully I am well on my way to feeling like my body finally belongs to me and not some disease.

If you are so inclined, I still have my GoFundMe going and every dollar helps

24/09/2021

Yesterday had me ticking of the first major obstacle to bettering my health. A quick overnight stay in hospital after having PFO closure surgery done. The hole in my heart was 9mm x 6mm, and they have implanted a 25mm circular device to cover the hole. This means I’m on the way to being a bionic woman right!?! 😅
Day 1 after surgery and I’ve already noticed a huge improvement in circulation, fingers crossed it fixes the migraines too!

Shout out to mum for my pre-surgery flowers & to my best mate for the sneaky deliver that just arrived 🥰

Next step is to get the vein sorted 🤞🏼

24/09/2021

Yesterday had me ticking of the first major obstacle to bettering my health. A quick overnight stay in hospital after having PFO closure surgery done. The hole in my heart was 9mm x 6mm, and they have implanted a 25mm circular device to cover the hole. This means I’m on the way to being a bionic woman right!?! 😅
Day 1 after surgery and I’ve already noticed a huge improvement in circulation, fingers crossed it fixes the migraines too!

Shout out to mum (Janine)for my pre-surgery flowers & to my best mate (Amy) for the sneaky deliver that just arrived 🥰

Next step is to get the vein sorted 🤞🏼