I looked at my legs that night and I just didn’t know what had happened
I always knew that my calves were very swollen and my ankles. Often they say oh yes, these are just the family legs. So you think, well, that must be it then. And I’ve also had it checked at a doctor’s office in the hospital, and asked, is there something wrong with my vessels? They checked and said it was all fine. So you start thinking, too bad, for me at least. It actually got worse, and it wasn’t until recently that another therapist said to me, well, maybe you should go to Rachel, because I think she can help you. Well, the first time I had treatment here, so a massage it was a landslide. I got back from the treatment, and I looked at my legs that night and I just didn’t know what had happened. I suddenly just saw the shape. I suddenly saw my ankle, passing over to part of my calf. I thought, wow! I didn’t come to her with very high expectations. And she is someone who doesn’t immediately say, Oh, well, we’re going to solve that in a moment. But she just does it and then you find out. I was pleasantly surprised, of course. I have never had such a good masseuse. I don’t want to sell her short by saying masseuse, she is of course truly a therapist. But massaging is a big part of the whole treatment, and she does an amazing job. Fantastic! She just feels where you hurt. She feels, in that moment, where you need extra massage and you don’t even have to tell her.
Before I met Rachel, I really thought that there was no hope
My body was just, like, just completely collapsing. It was harder and harder for me to climb stairs at work. It was hard for me to go into the woods and play with my son and I was just crying every day because, and I cry thinking about it now because I thought: What’s going to become of me if I can’t walk? And I really thought I was going to end up in a wheelchair. Then when I started, I was able to have more mobility and I was able to walk without being so dizzy. And my legs started to look more like legs and less like tree trunks. And then when you find a way to, to look normal, it’s just life changing. Before I met Rachel, I really thought that there was no hope. That I was just going to have to be in the Lympha Press and do compressions and if I was lucky, maybe I wouldn’t end up in a wheelchair. It’s just been really life-changing to see progress. With Lipedema coach, the way she addresses your lifestyle, the way she addresses the massage and she’s always available to answer questions. It just really changed my life, and it made my life change for the better. And it made my health change for the better. And I was hopeful about this condition for the first time in a long time.
You can do something about it without having to use liposuction
I did realize that I have a different body and thicker legs. I didn’t think that I could change it. It was fixed. Until a few years ago someone said, ‘Don’t you have lipedema?’ And then I started googling and I was completely shocked, because I saw photos and images of intense issues that I did not recognize myself in. The information I got was about stage three and four. I was really shocked. I was in denial for a number of years. Also when I went to see what kind of information was available about treatments, then there is only liposuction. And I immediately thought, that is super dangerous and bad for your body. And then I just have to accept that this is how I am. When I met Rachel, and she said, ‘You can do something about it without having to use liposuction’, I was like, is that possible? Because I had already tried so many things. I was very nervous and also very skeptical. I thought, well, whatever. But in the end, it really did a lot for me. I still remember that, I think I ran into Rachel, and I was wearing a dress. I always wear long skirts below the knee. Always below the knee because I have such hideous knees. And suddenly I thought hey, my knees are just fine. they’re not thick anymore and I can actually wear a short skirt.
I came across Rachel’s Instagram page. It really opened up a whole new world for me.
When I was diagnosed with lipedema, I felt very sad, because I was told, this is chronic. The physiotherapist said the only thing you can do is to not eat sugars anymore and to wear the tights for the rest of your life. I thought that was an intense message. And while wearing them, I found out that it hurt a lot. When I started wearing the support tights, I thought, is this all, aren’t there other options? Being a little stubborn, I searched on Instagram, and then I came across Rachel’s Instagram page. It really opened up a whole new world for me. So much information.
The treatments have done a lot for me. The value actually lies in the coaching part. The one on one conversations you have during treatment. Which you can then integrate into your life. I started last year in September 2023. And now a little over a year later, I also lost fifteen kilos because of it. So the treatments have done a lot for me. I can work out again, which I really like. I can do all the exercises well. That you also hear from the people around you: wow, you are looking fit!
