As I sat in the stands cheering proudly and holding up a huge, larger than life, picture of her lovely face, that her crafty mother had created, I was caught between my own high school memories and the thought that my ten year old daughter sitting at my side would be up there on that stage, sooner than I could bare to admit to myself.
Today was a big deal in my lipedema life, too. You see a few years ago I was at this same stage for a concert, Elvis Costello and The Police, and I could not fit in the seat.
The theater is an amphitheater (open-air) and has stadium style seating (with arms). If you have lipedema and are later stages, with affected hips, you know of what I speak. If not, chairs with arms are a nightmare for us.
I'm usually able to sit at the edge of a seat and manage for an hour or two, but the rows at the theater are so close together, that there was no place for my knees to go.
Today, I fit. Not all the way, but enough so that I could be there for this most special of occasions. I did not have to miss out on the event.
Now in most circumstances you could ask for accommodations and be seated somewhere more "fitting". But the embarrassment of asking always kept me from doing more. Other lipedema suffers are far braver than I, and ask for and receive accommodations - and you know what? Those folks who do so, educate those establishments, they make them aware of the need for modified seating.
Today, I say thank you to all those brave souls that do not let lipedema stop them from living. Who fight to bring awareness, and are succeeding. They make it better for those of us who do not have the bravery, but we are fighting every day to get there.
While I work on changing me, getting healthier and trying to "fit" into their world, these brave souls work on changing the world! BRAVO!
June is lipedema awareness month, please take a moment to visit these other blogs that are taking part in the awareness blog hop...
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