In the winter of 2013, the body I live in was diagnosed with yet another chronic condition, called lipedema. This is a fat disorder that causes disproportionate distribution of fat that is most often located in the legs. This type of fat holds onto fluid, and is an edema condition. The lipedema fat is purported to be"unlose-able" through diet, exercise, etc. I am fortunate that in my case, this lipedema fat distribution has been confined to the upper thighs. And I can still walk among the many and pass as relatively "normal". Yet my gait was distorted and my right knee was starting to turn from the large concentration of fat that retained fluid in my inner thighs. I would get fluid up to my abdomen that would throw off my balance and cause pain.. And another unfortunate problem was that I had been unable to lose much weight in almost 3 years. Until now...So what changed? This past September, I was able to go see Dr. Karen Herbst in Tuscon, Arizona, the premiere fat disorder doctor in the country. She was able to determine that the lipedema fat in my body was limited and restricted to the inner and outer upper thigh at this time. She also confirmed that there was lymphedema in my left limb and that this body had idiopathic edema as well. Dr. Herbst was very concerned about the great deal of swelling / edema and documented several recommended treatments. This information was concise and given to me to take back to my primary health care source: The Veteran's Administration.
Shortly after this visit, my VA primary care provider started processing requests. The first therapeutic item I received was a lymph pump. The vendor's therapist showed me how to use this device and so I began doing two hourly treatments each day. Next the VA scheduled me for two weeks of intense decongestive therapy with compression wrapping. A wonderful Occupational Therapist with lymph drainage training worked with me and taught me quite concisely how to do manual lymph drainage on myself. And the fluid started to move, and I started to lose weight.
All of these things were helpful and cathartic in my health improvement. In fact, my right knee is no longer turning inward and my gait has returned to normal! Yet perhaps there was something deeper responsible for this inertia. The treatments were helping as the content, but there was a context I was operating under as well.
As a spiritual sojourner, I have become aware that much of these body conditions are either inherited through karma and often perpetuated by my own mind. I do not wish to minimize or suggest anyone else's suffering or diagnoses are not real. Yet the great faiths have a common thread/premise of sowing and reaping, blessing and cursing, and karma. So I thought to myself, what if this extra hard lipedema fat was born from the thoughts and words that originated by others, and even more ironic, myself? What if I programmed my body every time I said, "Everything I eat goes to my thighs?" Hmmm....
I decided to treat myself with grace in my approach to healing. I stopped reading every research article about the myriad of ailments that have touched this body on the internet. I came up with a mantra with positive body imaging and health habits. I became active once more in church choir. I became more devout in my meditation and meditation group participation. I went on dates. I took care of myself in the best way possible and spent less time thinking about "illness."I have no idea how far this progress will go. I am loving myself and my legs that have carried me this far. All I have is the present moment, and I am embracing life NOW. To G-d be the glory!
And that's Penny's two cents.
Some current links on lipedema and mantras:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160225006334/en/Lipedema-Foundation%C2%A02.2M-Awarded-Study-Bad-Fat
http://www.lipomadoc.org/lipedema.html
https://diseasetheycallfat.tv/about-the-lipedema-project/
https://yoga.com/article/mantras-how-they-work-and-the-best-mantras-for-healing
