This weekend as I walked through the living room, my daughter-in-law offered to help me organize my sewing center. I froze in my tracks! Panic and fear coursed through my body – my mouth went dry, and I got a lump in my throat – I quickly said, “No, thank…
“I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses.” ~C. Austin Miles (1912) I have sung and found peace from these lyrics all of my life. The imagery of being in a garden, alone, hearing a clear calm inner voice, and letting the stress of…
This summer, I’ve been writing about the world outside and how it pertains to us as we move forward in our lives with Lipedema. I’ve been trying to get outside every day, touch the ground with my bare feet, look at the sky each morning, and connect with nature –…
After each webinar, LIVE broadcast, Symposium, Fireside Chat, or other lipedema events, I always wonder how many seeds were sown. We have a couple of thousand people register for our webinars each year – a couple thousand! And we’re not the only organization sharing information and bringing awareness to the…
As women, we wear many hats and hold many roles in our lives, but there are a few roles that seem to be of more value than others (or so we think.) For example, the roles of Mom, Significant Other, Grandma, Aunt, Caregiver, and Employee seem to be at the…
You have the power to shape your own image, but in order to shape your own image, first, you have to find and embrace the voice that is completely yours. This will be the key to shaping your own image. Have you found your voice yet? Your own personal voice,…
Do you know how to fly? First, Love Yourself. (F–L-Y!) One of the first steps in self-love is selecting one or more “Non-Negotiable.” A non-negotiable is that which you do for yourself regularly and that which you will not let life keep you from. We all have them. A few…
Looking at all the resources about the Ketogenic way of eating out there, it can be quite overwhelming to figure out what it all means. Information is abundant. It can also be contradictory, overwhelming, disparaging, or narrowly focused. With that said, information is vital for us to have as we…
I decided to write about dandelions this week because I’ve received a few of them as precious gifts from my granddaughters. It is spring. Children are fascinated by these bright yellow flowers. Moms, Grammas, and Aunties show their appreciation with oohs and ahhs, and by putting the dandelion bouquets which…
Here is what I discovered about it. Earthing is exactly what it sounds like. It is connecting with Mother Earth, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It may help reduce inflammation, pain, and stress. It can improve sleep, circulation, and mood. Earthing techniques may also help with anxiety, PTSD, and depression. As…
We each can explain how belonging to the Lipedema Community has improved our lives. We are living proof that there are several benefits to being part of an online ‘community’. It is very motivating, and thanks to technology, more and more people are turning towards online communities to help reach…
Recently I have been pondering the terms, ‘Self-care’ and ‘Self-caring.’ Do you think they are the same terms? Me too, or, at least, I used to. I was surprised to discover a notable difference between these two terms. Let’s try and understand that today. What is Self-Care? When thinking about…
The simple hug is not so simple. It has many benefits for us. A hug can show support, comfort, and consolation. It can take the place of words when there are no words that can express your feelings, or when words are not enough. A hug usually shows affection, fondness,…
Often, when we see photos of ourselves we are startled. We look away and we can’t believe we look like that. This is because we don’t recognize our bodies. We don’t look at ourselves to recognize and accept that this is what our bodies look like at this very moment…
One of the most wonderful things in this community is that we all support each other, stand with each other, and share a common bond. But do we do the same for ourselves? Do we even know how to stand up for ourselves? Advocating for oneself Self-advocacy can be extremely…
Due to COVID, we have spent a long time socially distancing and protecting ourselves and others. We have all become very used to wearing a mask in public. The masks we’ve been wearing and the distance we have been observing are literal masks and literal distance. Someday soon, hopefully, we…
When I was feeling anxious one day, my husband said to me, “Just breathe!” Well, I knew I was breathing because air was going in and out of my body. At that moment, I realized he didn’t mean it literally, he meant it figuratively. He wanted me to relax. He…
If there is one thing that can be said about those of us with Lipedema, it is that we are tenacious. We are like pit bulls. We never give up! We have had to tough out finding medical professionals who will listen to us, family and friends not understanding our…
It has been quite an amazing year. Due to the availability of technology, we have been able to connect with old friends without leaving our homes. We have also been able to make new connections, new friendships that we might not have taken the time to develop had we been…
The holiday season is upon us. We celebrate the holiday season in many different ways. This year, it is going to look a little bit different for many of us as we make difficult decisions about our traditions surrounding travel, gatherings, events, and food. As the holidays roll in like…