Sturdy Woman

Are there treatments for lipedema without surgery? For more than three years I’ve been using conservative treatments like keto, exercise, and vibration to manage my lipedema symptoms. Along the way I’ve cleared my brain fog, boosted my energy, and lost nearly 140 pounds. On a recent work trip to Asia, however, everything unraveled and I quickly noticed changes. Read on or watch below to see what happened when I stopped my self-care for just one week and found out, once and for all, whether conservative treatments work for lipedema.

A few months ago I took my first international trip since my diagnosis with lipedema, lymphedema, and venous insufficiency. Check out Flying with Lipedema and Lymphedema and International Travel with Lipedema. Things went pretty well on that trip, but on this second one a lot of things went wrong and I wasn’t able to maintain most of my self-care treatments. I noticed changes almost immediately.

The major thing that did go right was the flight itself. Given the recent challenges I’ve had with my health, I was able to fly business class. My company’s travel policy required a letter from my doctor and, while I was a little embarrassed to ask at first, it was a game changer. It takes more than 20 hours for me to reach our field office and that’s just the time on the airplane. It’s a lot more when you figure in time zones and lay overs. Earlier this year I returned with pain and swelling in my left leg that got me to the vein doctor in the first place. Flying business class this time I was able to fully recline and elevate my legs, which made a huge difference in my swelling in both directions. If you travel for work, I recommend asking whether your company has a travel policy provides similar accommodations. Ask for what you need.

So, I arrived in good shape but things quickly went down hill. I’d planned to bring a lot of keto snacks but due to a shipping delay they arrived at the house a few hours after I left. When opened my suitcase in my hotel in Asia, I realized the food that I had been able to pack was all spoiled. So there I was, starting at 16-day trip without my food safety net. All the food was catered for the first week and, there with my team and our partners, I wasn’t comfortable not eating. People excited piled things onto my plate in the buffet line wanting me to try new foods… and I said yes. Rice, bread, and dessert were part of breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day and I quickly swelled. After only ten days, my belt that I usually wear on the third hole no longer fit. Several of my button down shirts didn’t button. My CZ Salus compression leggings were so tight they were uncomfortable and my skin was painfully stretched. I wasn’t gaining weight – I was swelling.

My first impulse was to stress and frantically try to regain control. But that never helps, in fact, stress increases inflammation and actively makes lipedema worse. I had to lean into what I could do. That included sleep, having fun, and going to the pool. The first week of my trip we were staying at a hotel steps from the beach, so I went to the beach and walked with my co-workers. I elevated my legs when I could, slept as much as I could, and made sure I stayed in compression even when I got uncomfortable. I said yes to everything that sounded fun or looked delicious and made a pact with myself to get back on track the moment I was home. I forgot to pack my exercise clothes, but remembered my Lands’ End swim leggings. I don’t like swimming but I knew it would help my swelling so I made myself get in the pool. All I did was hang on the side and kick but it was heaven and drained my lymph like a charm. No, I didn’t feel as good as I do at home, but I gave myself credit for doing my best.

The other thing that saved me were some pants I impulse bought from Torrid right before learning. I usually prefer skinny pants, but I was travel in a very hot but culturally modest country so I impulse bought some super wide-leg pants from Torrid. The high rise made my legs look a million miles long and they were really comfy both for travel and going to the office. I also loved having Torrid’s new Trio Skinny Limitless Stretch Jean in my suitcase. They say it stretches up to three sizes and that’s exactly what I needed with my swelling. The Trio is as comfortable as a jegging but with a little more structure and polish. The only downside is that I usually wear a short and they are only available in a regular length so the rise was a little off on me, but otherwise love.

I had two big take aways from this trip. The first is that conservative and nonsurgical treatments for lipedema do help. I’ve sometimes wondered if I really need to be as strict as I am. This trip was a big yes. If my lipedema and lymphedema symptoms can decline that much in just one week without conservative treatments, I can confidently say they are helping. My second take away is that, no matter how well you plan, life still happens. Even though I started to swell and feel crummy, I didn’t let it ruin my trip. It was on a once in a lifetime adventure and the whole reason I work so hard when I’m at home is so that I am well enough to embrace experiences like that. If I can’t say yes on a beach in Asia, where am I going to? Yes, lipedema and lymphedema are a lot of work, but life can be about so much more than managing an illness. Allow yourself to be imperfect and spontaneous sometimes, trusting that you are strong enough to get back on track when it’s time. You are worth the work, but you also deserve the joy.

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