Where are you on your health journey? Many of us feel as though we have spent years, decades even, on a journey looking for better health. We have been ‘watching’ what we eat, exercising and working out, taking supplements and meds, and simply working hard to take care of ourselves. We often feel defeated when we can’t find support from our medical professionals because they don’t seem to know anything about lipedema. We feel like we are out here on this road by ourselves. But we are not alone. We are all here together. We are on a Road Trip.
And just like a typical road trip, our health journey often has some exciting ups and downs that make the ride worth taking. Here are some of our favorite stops!
Planning Stages
Some of us on this road trip have just discovered that we have lipedema and we are not sure what to do about it. The most important thing we can do is educate ourselves and get a solid understanding of what lipedema is, how it differs from general obesity, and how our own body is different than others with lipedema. We are uniquely the same. Your story is your story, but it is very similar to others.
Getting on the road
Once we have started gathering the information we need to understand what is going on with our bodies, we need to start taking action. We need to get on the road. As with an actual road trip, we don’t do everything at once. We have to break the trip into sections and only go as far as we have energy and time. With our new self-care journey, we need to pick one or two conservative treatments and become very good at them. For example, we might learn that we need to focus on nutrition first, so we remove inflammatory foods from our dietary intake, or we might focus on decongestive therapies and learn how to do Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD).
Cruising along
As we continue on the Road Trip that we call our health journey, we might set the cruise control. This happens when we have found what works for us in conservative treatments, we have established a routine and we are just cruising along. This doesn’t happen for everyone, but for those of us who can set the cruise control and just keep on trucking along, way to go!
Speed bumps
Just like on a road trip, we often come to speed bumps, potholes, and tight curves which require us to slow down a bit. We might have to put on the brakes and pull over. These could be things such as an unexpected health issue, a family situation, or anything that interrupts our care routine. These are unforeseen and can cause stress. It is important to take care of what we can take care of, and get back on the road as soon as we can. Sometimes, we can start back up right where we left off. Other times, we might have to start all over again.
Travel with friends
As with any road trip, it is wonderful to have friends along for the ride with you. Find people who will join you on this trip. It can be difficult to find people who want to go but don’t give up. We are all out here. Be brave. Ask us to join, or ask to join someone else. Making a connection, joining a conversation, listening to each other, and taking the same road often lead to lifelong, marvelously supportive friendships. We have a wonderful community to tap into. Surely someone will travel along this road with you.
And remember, anything is possible with lipedema!
~ Gail Straker, BAEd
Community Manager, Director of Coaching
Lipedema Simplified