Lipoedema Diagnosis Without Overwhelm: Finding Answers, Support & the Right Care Team with Rose Kendell- Occupational Therapist
Lipoedema Empower You PodcastShow Notes
In this episode of the Lipoedema Empower You Podcast, Vanessa and Carrie are joined by Rosemary “Rose” Kendell from Lymph Scar Occupational Therapy in Perth, Western Australia, for a deeply practical and reassuring conversation about lipoedema diagnosis. Many women first discover lipoedema through social media, Google, Facebook groups, TikTok, Instagram, or even by entering their symptoms into ChatGPT. While online information can be a powerful starting point, it can also lead to confusion, fear, misinformation, and the feeling that you need to jump straight from “I think I have this” to “I need surgery.” Rose helps us slow the process down. Together, we explore what it can look like to seek a professional lipoedema assessment, how to find a practitioner with relevant training, and why a diagnosis can be the beginning of understanding your body more clearly — not the end of the journey. In this conversation, we discuss: Why lipoedema can be missed or misunderstood by some health professionals Why your GP may still be an important part of your care team How to look for a qualified lymphoedema or lipoedema-aware practitioner The National Lymphoedema Practitioners Register and Lipoedema Australia resources What questions to ask before booking an assessment Why a report back to your GP can help educate and support your ongoing care What a lipoedema assessment may include Hormonal history, family history, symptoms, pain, heaviness, bruising and mobility SOZO bioimpedance testing and what it may help assess BMI, fat mass, waist-to-height ratio and why body composition can be complex in lipoedema The difference between lipoedema, lymphoedema, oedema and inflammation Why excess fluid does not always mean lymphoedema Why lipoedema and lifestyle-related weight can coexist Why “eat less, move more” often fails women with lipoedema How diagnosis can bring relief, grief, overwhelm and hope Why you do not need to buy every tool, garment or treatment immediately The power of building both a professional team and a supportive community Rose explains that lipoedema is complex and can affect more than the size or shape of the body. It may involve pain, heaviness, inflammation, fluid changes, lymphatic considerations, body composition differences, mobility, mental health, and years of feeling dismissed or misunderstood. This episode is especially helpful if you are wondering whether you may have lipoedema, preparing for your first assessment, trying to talk to your GP, or feeling overwhelmed by conflicting information online. The key message: you deserve to be heard, assessed kindly, and supported with curiosity, evidence, and hope. Research papers mentioned in this episode: Lucy Melican & Megan Pfeffer Waist-to-height ratio as an alternative measure to body mass index reduces the diagnosis of obesity in the lipoedema cohort https://woundsinternational.com/journal-articles/waist-to-height-ratio-as-an-alternative-measure-to-body-mass-index-reduces-the-diagnosis-of-obesity-in-the-lipoedema-cohort/ Diogo Pinto da Costa Viana & Lucas Caseri Câmara Metabolic Therapy for Lipedema: Can Tirzepatide Overcome the Treatment Gap? https://journaljpri.com/index.php/JPRI/article/view/7664
Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and lived-experience discussion only and is not medical advice. Please speak with your trusted healthcare provider before making changes to your health, treatment, nutrition, compression, movement or medical care. Connect with us: Website: https://lipoedemaempoweryou.com.au Email: [email protected]
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EPISODE 18 | Dr Catherine Seo | KNOWLEDGE, COMMUNITY & INVESTING IN YOURSELF
What happens after lipoedema surgery — and what can you do to support your recovery? In Part 2 of our conversation, Vanessa Armstrong and Carrie Reedy continue talking with Germany-based physiotherapist and Manual Lymphatic Drainage therapist Tanja Bröse-Kronz. We get practical about recovery, including: post-surgery Manual Lymphatic Drainage compression and garment choices swelling and recovery expectations self-management between MLD appointments preparing for surgery away from home travelling and flying after surgery what patients may want organised before their procedure supporting your body beyond the initial surgical recovery Tanja combines her professional experience supporting lipoedema patients before and after surgery with her own lived experience of lipoedema and surgery. Whether surgery is part of your own plan or not, this conversation also highlights the ongoing role of lymphatic care, compression, movement and understanding your individual body. ETO Garments manufacture post-surgical compression garments and the made-to-measure ETO Grace range for lymphoedema and lipoedema. ETO states that ETO Grace garments can be used before and after liposuction of areas including the legs, thighs, hips, abdomen and buttocks. Australia — Haddenham Healthcare Australasia Haddenham Australia United Kingdom — Haddenham Healthcare Haddenham UK Germany — Your ETO Garments ETO Garments Germany International / Europe — ETO Garments ETO Garments international site International distributor list — including Australia, Germany, UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Singapore and others. Find an ETO distributor
Lipoedema surgery isn’t the finish line. In this episode, Vanessa Armstrong and Carrie Reedy are joined by Germany-based physiotherapist and Manual Lymphatic Drainage therapist Tanja Bröse-Kronz. Tanja brings both professional and lived experience with lipoedema. She works with women receiving MLD and supports patients before and after liposuction and other surgical procedures. In Part 1, we talk about: Tanja’s own lipoedema journey the role of MLD and conservative care preparing your body before surgery what patients often underestimate recovery expectations why ongoing self-management still matters what Tanja is hearing from surgeons in Germany why her advice to women considering surgery is simple: take your time This episode is not only for women considering surgery. It is also about understanding lipoedema care more broadly and making informed choices about the tools and treatments that may support you. Connect with Tanja Bröse-Kronz Instagram: @tanja_broese_kronz Website: tbklymphaticdrainage.com Coming in Part 2: We continue the conversation with Tanja and go deeper into post-surgery recovery, MLD, compression, practical self-management, and what women travelling for lipoedema surgery should think about before and after their procedure. Lipoedema Empower You Hosted by Vanessa Armstrong & Carrie Reedy Website: lipoedemaempoweryou.com.au Email: [email protected] Questions about surgery - connect with [email protected]
In Part 1, Vanessa shared how she went from “I don’t need surgery”, to becoming curious, researching her options and eventually developing her own Surgery WHY. In Part 2, Carrie and Vanessa continue the conversation with what happened after the decision was made, as well as how you can begin to research and be aware of RED FLAGS. Vanessa shares her personal experience of travelling from Australia to Germany for lipoedema surgery with Dr Christian Stanger at Rosenpark Klinik — including preparing for surgery, the reality of surgery and recovery, and what life looks like approximately two years later. We talk about the things that can be harder to see in an Instagram before-and-after: • preparing your body and health before surgery • why your complete medical history matters • the emotions and fear that can come before surgery • travelling overseas for treatment • Vanessa's experience of tumescent/TLA lipoedema surgery • the early recovery period and allowing your body time to heal • expectations versus reality • body image after surgery • protecting the investment you have made in your health • what improved for Vanessa — and what surgery did not magically change • what she has learned now that she can look back approximately two years later. Most importantly, this is one woman's experience — not a roadmap for yours. Vanessa is not recommending that anyone have surgery, travel overseas for surgery or choose the surgeon or clinic she chose. There is no single “best” surgeon, country, technique or pathway for everyone. Your health, stage of lipoedema, medical history, risk profile, finances, family situation, priorities and personal Surgery WHY may be very different. Do your own due diligence. Research beyond the beautiful results on social media. Speak with long-term patients where possible. Understand the qualifications and experience of the clinician treating you. Ask about the actual procedure being recommended, risks, alternatives, aftercare and complication pathway. Knowledge should help you make your own informed decision, not convince you to make Vanessa's. Lipoedema Empower You https://lipoedemaempoweryou.com.au Follow the podcast and find our latest episodes, resources and ways to connect with Carrie and Vanessa. Vanessa's personal lipoedema surgery journey https://www.instagram.com/lipoedema.aus.germany.surgery/ This is Vanessa's personal, educational account documenting aspects of her own surgery journey. It is not a recommendation of a surgeon or surgical pathway. Global Lipoedema Awareness - Surgeries/Surgeons https://www.facebook.com/share/g/19WrvDusgd/ An international Facebook community where women with lipoedema can connect, share experiences and learn from others around the world. As with any social-media group, patient experiences can be incredibly useful starting points for research — but they should not replace your own medical advice and due diligence. Vanessa Armstrong Health & Mindset Coach Founder – Keto Buddies & Lipoedema Coaching Keto Buddies: https://www.ketobuddies.com.au Lipoedema Coaching: https://www.lipoedemacoaching.com.au If you would like support to clarify your own Surgery WHY, prepare your body and mindset, explore conservative-management strategies or build sustainable health habits, you can connect with Vanessa through Lipoedema Coaching. Carrie Reedy Functional Nutritionist Founder – Carrie Reedy Functional Nutrition You can also connect with Carrie through the Lipoedema Empower You website: https://lipoedemaempoweryou.com.au PLEASE FOLLOW & REVIEW THE PODCAST If you're enjoying Lipoedema Empower You, please follow the podcast and leave us a 5-star review. Thank you for listening. 💜 Educational disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experiences and general educational information. It is not medical advice and should not replace individual advice from appropriately qualified healthcare professionals.
When Vanessa Armstrong was first diagnosed with lipoedema, surgery was not on her radar at all. She had already lost around 45 kg, was active, playing tennis, managing inflammation through nutrition and lifestyle, and felt she had a strong conservative-management toolbox. So how did she go from: “I’m not having surgery.” to “I’ll get curious about surgery.” to “There’s no way I’d go overseas.” to eventually travelling to Germany for lipoedema surgery? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Carrie turns the microphone on Vanessa to explore the journey before surgery — the research, questions, uncertainty and decision-making that helped Vanessa discover her own Surgery WHY. Perhaps you’re only beginning to explore whether surgery is right for you, already researching surgeons and feeling overwhelmed, or preparing for surgery and recovery. Vanessa supports women to discover their Surgery WHY, build a strong conservative-management toolbox, and reduce inflammation to better support their pre- and post-surgery goals. She helps women clarify what matters most to them, identify the questions they may want to ask potential surgeons, define what a successful outcome looks like for them, and prepare their body and mind before surgery and through recovery. If you are curious about support, Vanessa offers first consultations free. 👉 Book your free consultation HERE 👉 See more at Vanessa's surgery instagram HERE @lipoedema.aus.germany.surgery This episode is not about telling you whether to have surgery or who to choose. It is about becoming a more informed patient. This is not medical advice; it is an individual's journey to her own decisions. Vanessa shares how she: • approached surgery as a tool, not a cure • explored Australian options before widening her research overseas • interviewed several surgeons rather than simply asking “Who is the best?” • created a spreadsheet and asked similar questions across consultations • learnt to see a consultation as a two-way interview • contacted previous patients, including women years after surgery • asked about pain, recovery, complications, scarring, quality of life and whether they would choose the same surgeon again • used MLD therapists and other practitioners as valuable sources of information • learnt why another woman’s “perfect surgeon” may not be right for you • managed the mental load of surgery research • discovered why she believes you should never choose a surgeon from Instagram alone One of Vanessa’s strongest messages: You can research surgery without deciding to have surgery. Curiosity does not equal commitment. The goal is not simply to find the surgeon everyone else recommends. It is to understand your body, your priorities, your expectations and what a successful outcome means to you. Germany, surgery preparation, surgery day, recovery, what surprised Vanessa, what changed, what didn’t — and how she feels about her decision two years later.