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Self-management of lipedema and lymphedema, which includes wearing a flat-knit compression garment, sometimes poses a major challenge for many sufferers. Because often not only colors, like here mango yellow, but also many psychological factors with regard to self-perception and external perception, as well as the body feeling play a decisive role.
You may know me as a therapy faithful sprat who has happily worn compression for years with a big smile on my face and has never done anything else. But unfortunately it was difficult for me at the beginning too. When it came to the leg fittings, I didn't really give it much thought at first. Actually, it's just tights and you already know them. However, the arm fitting was much more difficult for me, because the prescription of a compression fitting not only involves wearing it, but also the fact that the lipoedema is now also raging in other parts of the body and the pain there is supposed to be contained. In the case of secondary lymphedema, the reasons are often even more serious, since cancer or a serious accident are often the cause of the diagnosis.
Compression is not the enemy
A compression supply is there for that, through the pressure
- to maintain the success of therapy from the decongestion phase (lymphedema and mixed edema),
- To relieve pain in parts of the body affected by lipoedema (lipoedema) and
- To support veins in their function (phleboedema).
It's hard to associate positive thoughts with flat-knit compression at first, but they can be there if you turn the tables. How would you be if you didn't have her? Of course, we all would like not to need them. But can you demonize her if she really only wants to help? We wouldn't do that with a cast or a bike helmet either, would we?
The real enemy in living with a chronic illness isn't the device, it's the disease itself. In fact, the device is in the same boat with you and helps you stay on track. The better you two work together, the further you get. If you, as the second level, also succeed in accommodating her even more and maybe even living out your color with her, you will succeed in fully escaping to the front. With each supply you get better and better as a team and at some point you are so well attuned that the supposed armor has become dazzling armor. In my case, armor in mango yellow.
The rejection sometimes runs much deeper
It can't be healthy to live in denial and frustration with yourself and what you're wearing on a daily basis. Luckily, I was able to recognize this early on when I first diagnosed my arm. The happy sprat was suddenly not so happy anymore. The rapidly growing lipedema pain in my arms depressed me so much that I found myself in the car crying convulsions and didn't know what I had done to deserve this. After all the effort, the pain came and I knew that now it was time, now I also have to wear arm compression. I was devastated and could no longer calm myself down on my own. If this happens to you too, remember that you are not alone and rest assured that this is not the end of the line.
I started one psychotherapy and the exciting thing is that the supposed reason I went quickly faded into the background and the real sticking points lay much, much deeper. Your therapist can usually not solve these problems for you, but helps you to look at them neutrally and to put them away in drawers. You have no idea how healing that can be.
A therapy that lasts a lifetime
Parallel to the psychotherapy, I developed my fashionable self-therapy and slowly woke up from the snail shell. I learned that the better I met the challenge of dressing fashionably to match flat-knit compression, the better I felt. Because it really is like that, the better your outfit blends with the supply, the more inconspicuous it becomes. The pictures here are the best proof that mango yellow can be wonderfully combined! This boosts your self-confidence immensely, because you no longer focus on your compression in a negative sense, but in a positive sense. The compliments keep pouring in, and that previously conscious invisibility turns into positive presence. You won, not least because of the teamwork with your compression.
Maybe some color will help?
find yours Why and don't underestimate the power of a color that gives you Good mood power. You will notice that your supply can become your friend more and more. One of my absolute favorite colors is mango yellow from medicine Together with the Classic fashion element, my mediven 550 becomes a subtle eye-catcher on the arms and legs. And to be honest, when you see the color integrated into the outfit, who can get in a bad mood?
It pays to find your own way with the compression. And the best thing is, you're not alone.
Compression: mediven 550 in mango yellow with fashion element classic
Cardigan: Esprit (because many have already asked for it 🙂 )
mango yellow
This article was created in cooperation with Medi.
Pictures: Michaela Kern
