36 years old Teresa Fredenburgh-Hinds She suffered from swollen, painful feet all her life, which doctors always attributed to her weight. An encounter with a shop assistant who recognized her symptoms revealed to Teresa the true condition of her suffering.
Teresa was always told by doctors that her swollen legs were “just fat”.
From an early age, Teresa knew she suffered from a medical condition that caused her feet to swell. However, despite seeing several doctors, she never got a real diagnosis of her condition. “Lipedema is often misdiagnosed or overlooked by the medical community due to fear of fat” wrote Theresa.
The medical condition she believes in, Lipedema, causes abnormal accumulation of fat in the legs and arms, and is more common in women. Although Teresa has suffered from big feet since she was 8 years old, it became more painful as she grew into puberty. Her doctors said She was obese and advised her to buy compression stockings instead.
A stranger helped her discover her true status.
Teresa didn’t get any validation for her concerns until she went to buy compression stockings and the shop assistant pointed out her symptoms. “I went to a specialty store and the lady working there took one look at my legs and told me I had a condition called lipoedema or lymphedema and gave me a pamphlet to give to my doctor.” said Theresa.
“I’d heard about lipoedema and done my own research online, but to have it checked out by this lovely lady at the store made me cry tears of joy.” After the encounter, Teresa went back to her doctor, but stayed said Once again she is “just fat”. This time, she didn’t give up and instead consulted a specialist, who gave an official diagnosis of lipo-lymphedema, lipedema and Swollen lymph nodes.
She now shares her experience and spreads awareness about lipedema.
Teresa now raises awareness of lipedema and body positivity online. “Society has moved on to prefer more curvy bodies, which makes living with lipedema a little easier for me,” she said. said. Teresa says people are more understanding now that she has to deal with everyday issues like people staring at her in public and the ability. Teresa is now sharing her experience with others who may be suffering from a similar condition.
Looking different from others should be seen as an opportunity to celebrate diversity, like this dad got a tattoo matching his son’s birthmark.
