AKB
Full Member
Hi there everyone!
I know most of us are probably fed up to the back teeth with all the negative stories in the media re obesity and health issues and are very well aware of the well known problems - diabetes, stroke, heart problems, increased risk of cancer etc.
I'm interested in hearing about the little known health problems associated with obesity as it was my realisation that I had such a condition that finally brought me to the VLCD brink - and I thank goodness it did and wasn't as serious as it could have been.
Anyway - my story in brief is as follows -
Approx 2 years ago my chiropodist noticed a small red mark on my lower left calf - round the back so I hadn't noticed it. It was about the size of a 50p piece and as red as a strawberry.
My chiropodist said I needed to see a doctor about it as she thought it might be a DVT, I just went "yeah yeah" and ignored it as I hate the GPs. Anyway, as I couldn't get my feet seen to again before I'd had the all clear from my GP I went about 2 months later. The doc I saw said "DVT - nonsense - it's an infection site - take these antibiotics" which I did, nothing got better or worse. Six months later the mark had spread to about the size of a satsuma and was a darker red and did itch a bit. I saw another GP who prescribed a cream - again no improvement. Six months after that (approx 1 year ago) the mark was the size of a tea plate, as dark red as a beetroot and concave and the entire lower leg was swollen and almost twice the size of my right leg. The leg was extremely sore to touch and the dark red skin was shiny and very very hard - touching it was like touching a brick wall not a normal leg.
I insisted on being referred to a specialist and upon paying his fee (good old NHS - 6 month waiting list) and within 1 minute of looking at my leg he explained it was lipodermatosclerosis (LDS)(Lipodermatosclerosis) and that I was weeks away from chronic leg ulcers and I needed to get my varicose veins (the cause of LDS) operated on BUT I was too fat for surgery! Hmmm, talk about bring me up sharp!
He prescribed some very unflattering compression stockings - they are pale brown, very stiff and as thick as gardening gloves and the devil of a job to pull on. They go from my toes to my knees and I have to wear them whenever I'm not in bed. Sexy they are not and have definitely put paid to me wearing skirts/dresses/basically anything other than full length trousers. Good job too as I'm not allowed to shave/depillate etc as that might break the skin and once that happens it's leg ulcers for life. The stockings appear to have helped, along with the weightloss and although I still have varicose veins that resemble the London Tube map - and knobbly to the point that they can be felt under my trousers (nice eh?) the LDS is a lot better and a lot less angry red.
When I am absolutely sure that I can stand on my GPs scales, clothed and last thing at night and still have a BMI of less than 25 I will go back and request a referral to get my varicose veins sorted out.
But, I wish if either of my GPs had known what it was and told me what to do about it I may have come to weightloss earlier and not given myself such a problem. I wonder whether I now have a permanent area of weakness in my legs and will I always worry about ulcers? I don't know, time will tell.
So there it is, I guess I was lucky it wasn't diabetes, a stroke or cancer. Never thought all those bars of choc/cheese/cakes/bread etc would do this!
Anyone else out there know of or have experience of similar "minor" health problems that we could share? - it was me finding the word lipodermatosclerosis on the Discovery Health Board that got me into these boards and fixed my mind on doing a VLCD. I'd love to think that other scared and desparate people out there might be "googling" away and find answers to their questions on Minimins!
Love,
A
xxxx
I know most of us are probably fed up to the back teeth with all the negative stories in the media re obesity and health issues and are very well aware of the well known problems - diabetes, stroke, heart problems, increased risk of cancer etc.
I'm interested in hearing about the little known health problems associated with obesity as it was my realisation that I had such a condition that finally brought me to the VLCD brink - and I thank goodness it did and wasn't as serious as it could have been.
Anyway - my story in brief is as follows -
Approx 2 years ago my chiropodist noticed a small red mark on my lower left calf - round the back so I hadn't noticed it. It was about the size of a 50p piece and as red as a strawberry.
My chiropodist said I needed to see a doctor about it as she thought it might be a DVT, I just went "yeah yeah" and ignored it as I hate the GPs. Anyway, as I couldn't get my feet seen to again before I'd had the all clear from my GP I went about 2 months later. The doc I saw said "DVT - nonsense - it's an infection site - take these antibiotics" which I did, nothing got better or worse. Six months later the mark had spread to about the size of a satsuma and was a darker red and did itch a bit. I saw another GP who prescribed a cream - again no improvement. Six months after that (approx 1 year ago) the mark was the size of a tea plate, as dark red as a beetroot and concave and the entire lower leg was swollen and almost twice the size of my right leg. The leg was extremely sore to touch and the dark red skin was shiny and very very hard - touching it was like touching a brick wall not a normal leg.
I insisted on being referred to a specialist and upon paying his fee (good old NHS - 6 month waiting list) and within 1 minute of looking at my leg he explained it was lipodermatosclerosis (LDS)(Lipodermatosclerosis) and that I was weeks away from chronic leg ulcers and I needed to get my varicose veins (the cause of LDS) operated on BUT I was too fat for surgery! Hmmm, talk about bring me up sharp!
He prescribed some very unflattering compression stockings - they are pale brown, very stiff and as thick as gardening gloves and the devil of a job to pull on. They go from my toes to my knees and I have to wear them whenever I'm not in bed. Sexy they are not and have definitely put paid to me wearing skirts/dresses/basically anything other than full length trousers. Good job too as I'm not allowed to shave/depillate etc as that might break the skin and once that happens it's leg ulcers for life. The stockings appear to have helped, along with the weightloss and although I still have varicose veins that resemble the London Tube map - and knobbly to the point that they can be felt under my trousers (nice eh?) the LDS is a lot better and a lot less angry red.
When I am absolutely sure that I can stand on my GPs scales, clothed and last thing at night and still have a BMI of less than 25 I will go back and request a referral to get my varicose veins sorted out.
But, I wish if either of my GPs had known what it was and told me what to do about it I may have come to weightloss earlier and not given myself such a problem. I wonder whether I now have a permanent area of weakness in my legs and will I always worry about ulcers? I don't know, time will tell.
So there it is, I guess I was lucky it wasn't diabetes, a stroke or cancer. Never thought all those bars of choc/cheese/cakes/bread etc would do this!
Anyone else out there know of or have experience of similar "minor" health problems that we could share? - it was me finding the word lipodermatosclerosis on the Discovery Health Board that got me into these boards and fixed my mind on doing a VLCD. I'd love to think that other scared and desparate people out there might be "googling" away and find answers to their questions on Minimins!
Love,
A
xxxx
