Focus on
Lipoedema and me
Amy Harrison sets out to raise the awareness of lipoedema within the occupational therapy community .
M
y name is Amy Harrison and I am a 33-year-old woman in my final year at university to become a qualified occupational therapist . I have received my first Band 5 occupational therapist job in the NHS as a result of my degree , which I am extremely proud of , and I am due to start this year .
I have always known my body shape was different , even more so when I gave birth to my daughter 13 years ago . As I have always had wide hips , legs and calves , I have spent years not fitting into boots , wellingtons , jeans and other items of clothing , due to the size of my lower half .
I always accepted this was my body shape and embraced it . Little did I know I would be diagnosed with lipoedema at 33 years old .
I want to spread awareness about this condition and how it has affected my occupational participation and performance . I also wish to help inform others about the Health and Care Professions Council ’ s approach to individuals with health conditions and working in the profession of occupational therapy profession .
Earlier this year , I was having a conversation about another failed diet attempt with a friend , a district nurse . My weight took a big jump in lockdown , but again this only affected my lower half , which is when I decided to try a commercially available meal replacement diet . However , I was left extremely frustrated when I had not lost any weight after three months .
During this conversation my friend mentioned lipoedema , which I had never heard of . I began to research this chronic condition and discovered
I also found the charity Lipoedema UK , which runs a weekly online support group . This saved my life .” that I ‘ ticked all the boxes ’. I then spoke to my GP , who diagnosed me with lipoedema , despite our previous discussions about diet .
Lipoedema is a genetic condition that progresses with an influx of hormones and mostly affects women . The influx of hormones causes an abnormal build-up of fat in your legs and sometimes arms . It can be painful and affects your daily life .
As a chronic condition , it is not widely known about , discussed , diagnosed or treated as it should be , and is often confused with obesity and lymphedema .
How lipoedema affected me
After the distress of 13 years of failed diet attempts and excessive exercise impacting my mental health , I was able to obtain a diagnosis myself , only having access to information from the internet , due to the lack of understanding about the condition .
The doctor had referred me to a lymphedema clinic , whereby I was informed that the waiting list was at least six months . I was also advised that the treatment options would be compression garments and possibly manual lymphatic drainage massage .
I then researched the evidence ; being a student , I felt that I could find accurate evidence , which I did , and I found that liposuction is the best treatment for this condition . However , it is not offered as an NHS treatment and most recently , the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ( NICE 2022 ) guidelines reviewed treatment outcomes of lipoedema not including liposuction , whereby they previously did .
Mobility and career
While completing my final lectures , I had to access a disability permit at university because driving to and from university and walking around the building was impossible because of the sheer heaviness of my thighs on my lower joints , such as my knees .
26 OTnews June 2022