Zoe Pearce and The Lipoedema LIVE Interview on the BBC

It's not everyday you get to appear on LIVE television, we asked Zoe how it all came about..

Celebrity Shaughna Phillips of Love Island fame with an Instagram following of 1.5m, has used her raised profile to create awareness of Lipoedema in mainstream media. After leaving the Villa Shaughna was diagnosed with Stage One Lipoedema after being tolled online for the appearance on her legs. Fortunately for Shaughna, she was in a position to be able to afford private non-cosmetic liposuction to remove the abnormal fat build up and is happily recovering.

Zoe Pearce, a vibrant young mother has Stage Three Lipoedema (there are four stages).  Zoe is the social media guru for Talk Lipoedema and a body positive blogger at thickthighs.positivethighs  Zoe has been denied liposuction on the NHS because the procedure is deemed as ‘cosmetic’. Lipoedema, a chronic medical condition, greatly affects the quality of her life. Lipoedema means she has to lift her legs into the car to take her boys to school in the morning  or as she says, just "fall into the car" because of their size and weight. Zoe has made the decision not to add to her family, because the influx of hormones during pregnancy makes the condition worse. She informed the NHS of this in her appeal to her MP to no avail. Despite losing 7 stone, her arms still grew. The condition is cruel and unrelenting. Zoe is faced with a future of worsening symptoms and losing her mobility. Zoe is very open in this interview about her condition and the way that she deals with it, but it greatly does affect her mental health.

PhysioPod would like to thank Lipoedema UK and Talk Lipoedema for being instrumental in bringing these interviews to National News. It is high time this medical condition was taught in medical school and that lipoedema-liposuction was made available on the NHS. Let's hope that ongoing research helps us we find a cure (in our lifetime) for this debilitating condition.

FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

RCGP LIPOEDEMA ELEARNING COURSE

A booklet which is an essential guide for anyone contemplating liposuction

 ‘Practical Guidance for Patients Considering Liposuction as an Option for Managing Lipoedema’

is only £6 plus p&p from Lipoedema UK

More information on Deep Oscillation in conservative and surgical approaches to Lipoedema please click here.