Created with the kit Sorrow by Tracie Stroud.


It is estimated that 1 in 11 women have lipedema. A lot of women have it and don\'t realize it, or rather they know that something is amiss but cannot get a correct diagnosis, as most physicians cannot recognize the disease. These women are told to go home and diet. Dieting does not affect this type of adipose tissue, and these cells are not average fat cells; under the microscope they resemble cancerous cells but are benign.


There is no cure for lipedema, which has been treated as an orphan disease until the past few years; there have been several medical conferences held, trying to educate more physicians, therapists, and the public about this disease.


Journaling: This insidious disease causes hypertrophy and hyperplasia of adipose cells due to insufficiency of both the lymphatic and vascular systems; this allows for formation of extremely large medial fat pads, which, as they enlarge over the decades, create an abnormal gait pattern. This, along with the bulk created by hyperplasia of adipose cells, affects the entire lower appendicular skeleton, leading to misalignment in the hips, knees and ankles, which then leads to narrowing and tearing of the protective fibrocartilage structures, the menisci.


These tissues will not repair themselves, so surgery is needed to replace these joints for an improved quality of life. Sadly, the debulking surgery necessary to ensure that the new joints function adequately, is considered cosmetic by most insurance companies and therefore is not covered by most policies. What a truly dismal outlook for those suffering from this disease.
sondra teer 2016