Being a journal of my learning and experience through lipedema.
What is lipedema?
Lipedema -- sometimes spelled lipodema or lipoedema -- is a hereditary condition which causes patients (almost always women) to store excess fat in the lower body, particularly the lower legs. The causes are little known or understood, but some sort of disruption of the lymphatic system seems to be passed from mother to daughter. Lipedema first becomes evident at puberty and often gets worse at pregnancy or perimenopause, many times progressing to lipo-lymphedema (painful swelling in the legs). It can be treated but not cured, and frequently goes undiagnosed (or misdiagnosed as ordinary obesity) for years.