Welcome back,
I left off with my appointment with a naturopath Synta from Euneek You Health. She recommended a doctor who knew about lipoedema and would be able to help.
So… off we trot to visit Dr Joan Baker at Health Matters Karalee. I cannot explain how wonderful it is to have medical personnel who understand what this disease does to your body and are constantly searching and finding out new research and data. If there was ever a team to have in your corner these guys are definitely a great place to start! Dr Baker was wonderful, she listened, consulted, and put me on a GP Management Plan for chronic disease. If you were not aware of this please read the link below (1) and talk to your GP about getting you on one. This is a Medicare funded plan that can help you access occupational therapists, dieticians, physiotherapists, psychologists and more. Medicare does not offer much regarding this disease but there are some things you can benefit from; you just have to know what to ask for.
Dr Joan talked about conservative management options. It was recommended to investigate a low carb way of eating. Fortunately for me I had started to follow the keto style way of eating about 18 months prior. There are a lot of people who are familiar with lipoedema that have found a low carb eating habit helped them with pain and swelling in their limbs. Worth a shot, right?! She also suggested that I follow a few pages on Facebook that were wonderful sources of information. The two pages were Lipoedema Warriors Australia and Lipedema & food sensitivities: Take Control of YOUR Lipedema. One of these pages talked about getting a sensitivities test done, suggesting that knowing your own personal inflammatory foods could help with managing your own lipoedema. One of the ladies on the page (I believe her name may have been Cheryl) shared the link to a hair test that could give further information. Obviously there is a lot of skepticism around the hair test, blood test are a more accurate option. But hey, what did I have to lose? If you are interested I have included the website link below (2). The lady on the food sensitivities page also shared a $5 discount code which I have included below, hopefully it still works.
Fair warning though… you may not like your results. I may or may not still be upset over the fact that garlic is one of my high food sensitivities. Soul destroying, I know.
The results for me were quite interesting. Having been following keto my diet consisted a lot of almond milk lattes, coconut & almond flour, cheese and butter. I was doing so well, not breaking out of the low carb food options. My boss started eating the same way not long after I started and he was killing it! Over the course of about 8 months he had dropped 20kgs!! Insane but awesome to see. Oh what about me you ask?! I didn’t lose anything more than 1 to 2 kgs. Yes you read right, I was eating low carb and still didn’t manage to shift any weight. This was all before I had the diagnosis of lipoedema so I was so frustrated at myself and couldn’t understand why it worked for him and failed miserably for me. It wasn’t fair! I was going to 9 Rounds 4-5 times a week, eating low carb yet my weight was stagnant. Does any of this sound like you? Don’t despair, you are not alone. I am right there with you. And I totally get it, IT SUCKS!!! Fast forward to getting my results from Check My Body Health and you wouldn’t believe it but some of my major inflammatory foods were almond and coconut!!! Add to that list all and anything dairy. Goodbye cheese, I didn’t like you anyway… Ok that was a great big lie but if I tell myself that enough I will start to believe it right?!
Today I have chosen to try and eat a combination of a low carb-low inflammatory (for me) diet. Does this make eating out difficult? Yes. Does it make eating at family or friends tricky? Yes. Do I feel better for modifying my diet in the best possible way for my body and lipoedema? Also yes. It’s not easy, but it is important for me to stick to it as I feel so much better. It helps that family and friends are supportive of this. I have lost count of the times that I have been told off for apologising about needing to modify a menu item or requesting specific foods. I am learning that I wouldn’t apologise if I was lactose or gluten intolerant (which is an easier way to describe a lot of my inflammatory requirements) so why should I apologise for needing to do what I need to do?
So here is today’s piece of advice…
Own who you are and what you need to do. Embrace a way of eating that benefits you and your lipoedema, and do not apologise for it. Easier said than done but the sooner we stop apologising for something out of our control the sooner we can accept this disease. Do not be ashamed of what you need to do, share with others why. Build awareness for lipoedema, one conversation a day will make a difference.
Much love, Katie
(1) https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mbsprimarycare-chronicdisease-pdf-infosheet
(2) https://www.checkmybodyhealthaustralia.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwlYCHBhAQEiwA4K21m7IpqJZdQv64tU_0nqlVePRxB_zIJxA5k9SC4aul7r3YahnF4q7kwxoCOi0QAvD_BwE
$5 discount code: Lippyladies
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