Lipoedema, Autoimmune disease, Chronic Pain & the Emotional Weight Carried: My Story and worldly stats.

Disclaimer

This blog is based on my lived experience and self-directed healing work, along with my own research. It is not medical advice. I am currently seeking professional evaluation and encourage others to consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised care. This isn't a blog post of victimhood. It is simply sharing my journey to support you on yours!

Trigger Warning

This post contains references to domestic violence (DV), suicide, eating disorders, trauma and sexual assault (SA). Please read with care and only if you feel emotionally safe to do so.

For over a decade, I’ve been paying close attention to my body. I’ve lived with persistent swelling, pain, fatigue, and a deep sense of restriction. I’ve tracked the symptoms, sought professional support, and done everything I can to manage them holistically, through the medical world and alternatively. But despite everything I’ve uncovered and addressed on my own and met with many different specialists and GPs, I still don’t have a formal diagnosis. What I do have is a body that continues to show signs of what I believe is undiagnosed lymphoedema and I’m now speaking up because I can’t keep carrying this alone and I want to share it so you can see and feel part of my journey and the fears and pains of hoops I have had to jump through. I have always been pretty good with looking after myself. So there are SO MANY other contributing facts that don't get looked at in the medical world. And they need to start looking at things for a holistic preventative approach, so the generations after us don't end up sick like us. (See below for the Global rise in dis-ease. But first I will share my personal story.)

I’m 38 years old and have experienced chronic inflammation and systemic pain for over a decade. I’ve worked closely with my body, listening and responding, but the weight of it all is getting harder to carry. I’m exhausted. Not just from the physical discomfort, but from the emotional labour of managing it too.

My Health Her-story

• Multiple cases of glandular fever and chronic tonsillitis throughout childhood and adolescence. My tonsils were finally removed in 2019.

• Diagnosed with PCOS in my late teens.

• Depression since I was a young child.

• Sensory issues from a young age, especially with sounds, movement and touch (Misophonia).

• I developed an eating disorder in my teens that silently followed me for years. I’ve always been health conscious, but even that mindset became distorted. At times, I would under-eat or restrict food as a way to feel in control of the chaos I was experiencing inside. Other times, I would binge emotionally, using food as comfort when I didn’t feel safe to express what I was really feeling. Emotional eating became my vice. Learning to eat intuitively, without guilt or shame, has been one of the deepest and most transformative layers of my healing. I now honour my body’s cues, trust its wisdom, and no longer punish myself for needing nourishment, physically or emotionally.

• Dyslexia that impacted my learning experience and self-esteem through school years, something I now recognise as a gift of a differently wired brain.

• Diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis at age 29 but only informed five years later due to a communication breakdown between a GP and specialist.

• Three weeks after that diagnosis, I fell pregnant. The combination of pregnancy and autoimmune dysfunction triggered a massive escalation in symptoms: swelling, fatigue, inflammation, and systemic pain.

• Mold/Staph poisoning 2022 - 2024

• Even as a child, I remember having cellulite on my thighs and knees from around age 8. As a teenager, I was teased for having “bashed-up biscuit tin” legs despite not being overweight. Now, I recognise this may have been early signs of fluid retention and lymphatic dysfunction.

• Three years ago, I was formally diagnosed with:

  – Severe chronic Proximal Cross + Distal Cross Syndrome (affecting my neck and lower back)

  – Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

  – Left Rotator Cuff Movement Dysfunction – Infraspinatus Tendonitis

• There have been other things like a broken ankle at the age of 13 and x2 prolapsed bowel operations after birthing my son etc but they wouldn't be contributing factors in this.

May 2024 and May 2025. One year apart after removing myself from toxic environments. A lot of work on my mindset, body, and spirit. But still a long way to go to be relieved of constant chronic pain.

In my 30s, I experienced significant trauma, including relationships involving alcoholism and suicide attempts during the COVID lockdowns, followed by domestic violence and sexual assault (sexual assault also occurred in my late teens, early 20s too).

During this period, I entered what’s known as dorsal vagal shutdown, a state of trauma freeze where the nervous system collapses into protection mode.

Since around age 28, I’ve lived with widespread pain, swelling, tightness, and fatigue. Despite doing all the “right” things (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) the symptoms have eased slightly, which has been amazing, but still consistently there, it takes time.

My Lipoedema-Related Symptoms

I’ve carried these symptoms for over a decade:

• Persistent swelling in legs, arms, armpits, lower abdomen, pelvic area (including a visible and uncomfortable “fanny hump”), lower back, and neck

• Fascia build-up, especially in the legs

• Constant tightness and pressure, like elastic bands wrapped around my limbs

• Puffiness that worsens with stress or hormonal shifts where I get "flare ups" if I push myself too hard

• Baker’s cysts under both knees

• Osteoarthritis

• Reduced mobility and physical capacity

• Chronic pain, brain fog, lethargy, and emotional flatness

• Signs of deflation recently and relief as my nervous system has slowly begun healing, confirming to me that lymphatic stagnation is part of the picture.

This image shows the difference between lipoedema swelling (not fat) and standard non-swollen legs.

The Emotional Layer

These symptoms haven’t just been physical. Years of deep emotional healing have shown me the clear connection between trauma and my body’s state:

• The swelling reflects unprocessed grief

• The fascia build-up represents protection, tension, and emotional armour

• The tightness mirrors the pressure and expectations I’ve carried

• The pelvic swelling connects to trauma, shame, and feeling unsafe in my body

• The back and shoulder pain link to over-responsibility and lack of support

For most of my life, I emotionally held everyone up around me. I would drop everything to support others, leaving myself until last. It felt normal to be the strong one, the space-holder, but underneath that was a deep exhaustion I didn’t feel allowed to show.

During the COVID lockdowns, something shifted. In the stillness, I realised how much I had been people-pleasing as a survival mechanism and how deeply that was affecting my health. I began unravelling the belief that I had to earn love or safety by over-giving.

The past 5 years (especially this last year), I’m slowly dropping the emotional armour stored in my body, layer by layer, as my nervous system learns what true safety (and self-prioritisation) really feels like.

What I Do to Support Myself through the Chronic Pain

I’ve poured everything I can into supporting my healing and restoring flow:

• Lymphatic drainage massage and compression boots (started recently)

• Ongoing Myotherapy, Chiropractic, Exercise Physio (rehab-focused)

• Anti-inflammatory diet and herbal medicine (over 10 years)

• Low Tox Living (over 10 years)

• Gentle movement: walking, stretching, rebounding, dancing, pilates, yoga

• Weekly saunas

• Cervical spine MRI (another one booked this week)

• Ongoing trauma-informed nervous system work, journaling, emotional processing, spiritual care, and mindset work

• Healing my Liver, cleansing my colon, releasing gallstones, intestinal mucous, Parasite cleanses etc

• I use a grounding Mat/sheet on my bed

• Working with the Circadian Rhythm and Infradian Rhythm (feminine cycle)

• Slowing life down, in this fast paced world

• Stay hydrated, making sure I've got the right mineral intake!

  and so much more...

Please note: Seek healthcare professionals before trying any of this. I can point you in the right direction to some amazing professionals if needed (see some listed in the end paragraph)

2 images showing my leg swelling, this wasn't even the worst of it. I was in a traumatic environment when these photos were taken. Swelling has since gone down a bit due to all the effort I put into supporting my body and emotional health. But I've still got a long way to go!

The Silent Rise: Autoimmune, Reproductive & Hormonal Issues in the Processed Food Era

We are living through an invisible health crisis and it’s hitting women the hardest.

Since the 1980s, the global rate of autoimmune and reproductive health conditions has quietly surged, with diagnoses accelerating in recent decades. While medical advancements have improved detection, the increase cannot be explained by testing alone. Something deeper is happening and it’s rooted not just in biology, but in lifestyle, environment, and unprocessed emotional weight.

Autoimmune Disease: A Global and National Epidemic

Globally, autoimmune conditions now affect an estimated 15 million Americans, with women comprising 63% of cases (Mayo Clinic). In Australia, it’s estimated that 1 in 20 people (over 1.3 million individuals) are living with an autoimmune disorder (Allergy.org.au).

Alarmingly, 75% of these Australian cases are women (Daily Telegraph). And this gap continues to widen.

Since the 1980s, the numbers have ballooned. For example:

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is expected to rise by 238% between 2010 and 2030 in Australia, putting us among the highest-ranking nations for prevalence (The Australian).

• Thyroid-related tests and treatments have surged: from 7.37 million Medicare thyroid tests in 2014 to nearly 10 million in 2023. Prescriptions for thyroid hormone replacement (like levothyroxine) rose from 1.6 to over 2 million in the same period (The Guardian).

The Most Common Autoimmune Conditions in Australia

• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis & Graves’ Disease – affecting growing numbers of women, often post-birth or during times of chronic stress

• Rheumatoid Arthritis – affecting 2% of Australians, with women two to three times more likely to be diagnosed (AIHW.gov.au)

• Type 1 Diabetes – rising especially among children and teens

• Type 1 Diabetes

  • Incidence Stability: The incidence of type 1 diabetes in Australia has remained relatively stable over the past two decades, fluctuating between 11 and 13 cases per 100,000 population annually. aihw.gov.au+1aihw.gov.au+1

  • 2021 Data: In 2021, approximately 3,000 individuals were newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, equating to 12 diagnoses per 100,000 population. aihw.gov.au+3aihw.gov.au+3aihw.gov.au+3

  • Demographics: The highest incidence rates are observed in the 10–14 age group, with males being 1.3 times more likely to be diagnosed than females. aihw.gov.au+1aihw.gov.au+1

  Type 2 Diabetes

  • Prevalence Increase: Between 2000 and 2021, the number of Australians living with type 2 diabetes nearly tripled, rising from approximately 400,000 to almost 1.2 million individuals. aihw.gov.au

  • Incidence Decline: Despite the increase in prevalence, the age-standardised incidence rate for type 2 diabetes has declined by 43% from 2000 to 2021. aihw.gov.au+2aihw.gov.au+2aihw.gov.au+2

  • 2021 Data: In 2021, around 45,700 people were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, translating to 178 diagnoses per 100,000 population. aihw.gov.au+3aihw.gov.au+3aihw.gov.au+3

  • Demographics: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes increases with age, peaking in the 80–84 age group (22% for males and 17% for females). aihw.gov.au+1aihw.gov.au+1

• Coeliac Disease – now affects 1 in 70 Australians, a fivefold increase globally over 30 years

• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – global cases rose by 30% from 2013 to 2022

• Addison’s Disease – although rare, still impacts about 2,500 Australians

Reproductive Health: An Overlooked Crisis

Alongside the autoimmune wave, we’ve seen a quiet explosion in reproductive and hormonal disorders, many of which overlap with inflammation and immune dysfunction:

• Endometriosis now affects 1 in 7 Australian women and is a leading cause of pain and infertility (The Guardian)

• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is particularly prevalent among women born between 1989–1995 many of whom are now struggling with conception (ALSWH.org.au)

• Fertility issues affect 6% of women aged 24–30, and rates continue to rise

• Menstrual disorders, such as PMS and heavy bleeding, are common but underreported in national data (AIHW.gov.au)

Rising Prevalence of Neurodevelopmental Conditions in Australia

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• Prevalence Increase: In 2022, approximately 290,900 Australians were diagnosed with autism, representing 1.1% of the population. This marks a rise from 0.8% in 2018. abs.gov.au

• Gender Disparity: Autism prevalence was higher among males (1.6%) compared to females (0.7%). abs.gov.au

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Childhood Prevalence: ADHD affects approximately 8% of Australian children, with boys being twice as likely to be diagnosed as girls, although a lot of stats are made from studies on boys and girls are known to "mask" more. news.com.au

• Adult Prevalence: Among adults, 6.7% exhibit symptoms of ADHD, with diagnosis rates in women increasing as awareness grows. news.com.au

• Medication Trends: Prescriptions for ADHD medications in Australia have surged nearly 300% over the past decade, with more than 470,000 Australians receiving scripts in 2022–2023. news.com.au

Sensory Processing Difficulties

• Prevalence in Children: Sensory processing difficulties are common among children with neurodevelopmental disorders. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How Trauma Connects to Autoimmune Disease, ADHD, Autism & Sensory Sensitivities

Emerging research is painting a clearer picture of the profound connections between early trauma, immune dysregulation, neurodevelopmental challenges, and environmental toxicity. These links are no longer anecdotal, they are increasingly supported by science, clinical experience, and trauma-informed healing models.

For example, children born to mothers with autoimmune conditions like lupus have been found to be nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is believed to stem from the mother's immune system generating inflammatory responses during pregnancy, which can disrupt fetal brain development (Time, 2024). Similarly, maternal conditions involving chronic inflammation, such as asthma, "weight gain"/inflammation and type 1 diabetes, have all been linked to an increased autism risk in offspring (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2016).

When it comes to ADHD, growing evidence shows that early life trauma , including neglect, abuse, chronic stress, lack of emotional support and attachment rupture, significantly increases the risk of ADHD-like symptoms (NIH, 2018). Trauma affects the development of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus, areas of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, attention, and impulse control. As a result, many children and adults diagnosed with ADHD may, in fact, be expressing trauma-driven dysregulation, rather than purely neurological disorder.

Sensory processing challenges (often associated with both autism and ADHD) are also deeply impacted by trauma. A nervous system that has spent years in a heightened state of alert may become hypersensitive to light, sound, touch, or movement, creating a “raw nerve” experience of the world. This can mirror or intensify symptoms seen in sensory processing disorder (SPD), especially among trauma survivors (Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 2020).

But trauma isn’t the only factor. There is growing awareness of how environmental toxins, particularly heavy metals like lead, mercury, and aluminium (and things like graphene oxide) play a role in neurological and immune disorders. These substances can accumulate in the body over time, often from vaccines, air pollution, contaminated water, pesticides, dental fillings, cookware, and even tap water, and are known to disrupt both gut health and brain function. Research suggests a strong link between heavy metal exposure and the development of neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and autism (Environmental Research, 2016).

At the same time, chronic emotional suppression (especially of grief, rage, shame, and fear) can lead to long-term nervous system dysregulation, inflammation, and disease. Unfelt emotions become stored in the body’s tissues, influencing pain perception, immune function, hormone balance, and energetic flow. Pioneering work in this area by experts like Dr. Gabor Maté has shown how emotional repression and childhood adversity are major risk factors for autoimmune disease, cancer, and chronic illness (Maté, When the Body Says No).

These conditions (autoimmune disorders, ADHD, ASD, sensory dysregulation) are no longer seen as isolated medical categories. They are threads of a much larger web woven by trauma, environmental disruption, emotional injury, and systemic overload. And far from being broken, those living with these challenges are often highly sensitive, deeply perceptive individuals whose systems have simply been overwhelmed.

As science continues to validate what many trauma-informed practitioners, healers, and intuitive guides have long known, we are reminded that symptoms are signals, not flaws. The body speaks the language of truth, and every flare, trigger, or shutdown is a call to safety, support, and integration.

The Processed Food Era: The Millennial Generation’s Inheritance

Millennials and Gen Z were the first generations raised entirely in the ultra-processed food era , where convenience often came at the cost of nourishment. With the rise of supermarket frozen meals, refined seed oils, additives, preservatives, and sugary snacks, a silent shift occurred in our collective health.

• 42% of daily energy intake in Australian adults now comes from ultra-processed foods

• Among children and teens, that number rises to 55% (PHAA.net.au)

This overconsumption of synthetic, inflammatory foods is now directly linked to rising cases of IBD, PCOS, thyroid issues, and metabolic dysfunction.

My mum always made sure we ate healthy, we used to always swap our apples for a bag of chips or something at school. So I have been brought up in a lovingly healthy home, with the best intentions. So for me to have all these health problems still, its wild to think the damage it would of done if mum wasn't so great with it! Its the world we live in now. Which is really sad!

What Else Is Contributing?

• Environmental pollutants (plastics, pesticides, heavy metals, endocrine-disrupting chemicals)

• Sedentary lifestyles and increased screen time

• Chronic stress, nervous system dysregulation, and lack of community support

• Hormonal contraceptive overuse and medical interventions that suppress natural cycles

• Stored emotions (grief, trauma, shame, rage, and disempowerment) all contribute to inflammation and energetic stagnation in the body

  
  

Our immune systems are not just responding to pathogens, they’re responding to overwhelm, isolation, overwork, and unresolved emotion. In many cases, the body is not malfunctioning, it’s over-responding to years of cumulative pressure, which globally we all experienced through COVID-19.

What This Means

This rise in health issues such as, autoimmune and reproductive health etc is not just medical, it’s societal, emotional, and spiritual. And we are not broken, we are carrying the weight of a world that is out of balance.

By addressing food, emotion, trauma, environment, and sovereign energetic intelligence, we can start to shift this tide. Doing this with a clearer mindset helps. When we hold on to guilt and shame we can't shift through anything. Baby steps, one small thing at a time.

Let this be your reminder: Your symptoms are not random. Your body is not betraying you. You are not alone. Your symptoms are your body's way of telling you something is or isn't right!

This is the beginning of deeper remembering and the return to wholeness.

I’ve done the work (and continue to do so). I’ve sat with my pain, faced the unknown, and listened to my body, every single day, for an extremely long time.

There were times I was gaslit by the system, and dismissed by professionals. But I kept going. I kept researching, kept healing, kept loving my children and myself enough to keep choosing this path, even when it felt impossible. I’ve received incredible support from the team at Geelong Chiropractor Clinic on Fenwick Street, Geelong, my psychologist, my new GP and the AMAZING Di at Renew Health Co all of whom have held me with real care. And for that, I’m truly grateful.

But I am also grateful to the woman in the mirror, ME, for rising again and again.

Because here's my truth:

It’s not just the toxins in our food, air, water, and homes that make us sick, it’s the emotions we were never allowed to feel. The trauma we didn’t have the tools to process. The grief we swallowed. The anger we suppressed. The shame we internalised.

Environmental toxins may enter the body, but it’s our stored, suppressed emotions that often pull the trigger. Our inner terrain matters. And we were never meant to carry this much, this quietly.

From a young age, we were taught to be strong, silent, and agreeable. To “get over it,” stay tough, don’t cry, don’t complain, don’t be too loud. Be seen and not heard. And yet… we still aren’t being seen properly. Not by our systems. Not by our structures. And sometimes, not even by ourselves.

But something is shifting now.

We are waking up. We are remembering. And we are beginning to honour the wisdom of our bodies and the language of our symptoms.

✨ The Courage Code is coming, and it was born from this very journey, my own walk through pain, reclamation, and self-trust. It is pretty much everything I have learnt on my inner and outta journey the last 38 years, all wrapped up in a 15 module course but It’s not just a course. It’s a transmission. A sacred guide back to the parts of you that never stopped believing you were worth healing.

If you're walking a similar path, please know:

You are not alone. Your body is not broken. Your story is valid.

Your healing is possible.

The Courage Code is coming soon, and it was made for you.

Keep your eyes peeled for more information soon. If you would like to subscribe to my email list to find out when it drops, please head to the bottom of my website page and fill your details in.

This is an exciting time for man-kind! Let's RISE together!

With love,

Laura x