In this episode of The Hairy Chin Podcast, I talk with Kristin Richards about Lipedema, a progressive, underdiagnosed and weight resistant fat disorder affecting nearly 11% of women. Kristin shares her journey, exploring the hormonal imbalances and misdiagnoses that impacted her experience. We discuss symptoms like disproportionate fat accumulation, weight loss resistance, and the role of estrogen and hormonal changes. Kristin shares her experience with surgical interventions and emphasizes the importance of finding a Lipedema specialist, and how embracing conservative therapies can help manage symptoms. We also talk about the importance of self-advocacy,  the mental health impact of Lipedema, and the power of community support in raising awareness and fostering body positivity experiences. 

IN THIS EPISODE:  

• [2:00] What is lipedema? 
• [7:36] The difference between lipedema and cellulite. 
• [11:07] Hormonal triggers and the role of puberty, pregnancy and menopause in lipedema progression.
• [13:48] Kristin shares the emotional toll of living with Lipedema and the importance of body acceptance.
• [19:42] Neuroplasticity and mindset: How shifting your thinking can aid in physical healing.
• [21:42] The importance of community and to feel more connected.
• [29:37] Kristin recounts her process of being diagnosed with the disease. 
• [36:47] Staging and types of lipedema, and how different parts of the body can be affected.
• [34:28] The role of self-advocacy in getting diagnosed and accessing the right treatments.
• [43:33] Compression therapy: How it helps manage symptoms and slow the progression of lipedema.
• [42:00] The importance of movement and staying active for women with lipedema.
• [56:31] How PCOS and insulin resistance can be linked to lipedema
• [54:51] Practical tips for those just starting their lipedema journey, including lifestyle changes and conservative therapies.
• [1:02:47] Final thoughts from Kristin 

PLUCK THIS! SEGMENT: 

• Kristin is offering a free 30-minute consultation to listeners of The Hairy Chin Podcast! Whether you're dealing with lipedema, menopause, or simply need support on your wellness journey, Kristin is here to help. You can find the link here.  
• Kristin is offering multiple free resources on Lipedema (and Menopause) in her Stan Store on her IG account. You can find the link here. 

TOP TAKEAWAYS: 

• Lipedema often goes undiagnosed, leaving women without proper treatment.
• As a progressive illness, Lipedema can worsen over time if left untreated.
• Compression therapy and lifestyle changes can help manage symptoms and reduce progression.
• Hormonal shifts such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause can exacerbate Lipedema symptoms.
• Self-advocacy is essential for finding the right healthcare providers and obtaining proper treatment.
• Surgery can be a significant tool in managing Lipedema but is not the only option.
• Community and education play vital roles in raising awareness and promoting body positivity among those affected. 

RESOURCES

• @thekristinrichards on Instagram
• Link to Kristin’s recommended compression socks 

ABOUT THE HOST: Spencer Moore is a creative professional, creative wellness advocate, and host of The Hairy Chin Podcast. Originally from Raleigh, NC, Spencer has resided in Barcelona, Spain since 2016. Her warmth, humor and authenticity bring light to tough conversations about female wellness. Drawing from personal battles with chronic illness and early-stage breast cancer, she is committed to breaking taboos and empowering women in their health journeys. Spencer shares insights across various platforms, including her Podcast, YouTube channel, Instagram, Blog and website, all aimed at inspiring independent thinking and creative wellness.

Website: www.spencerita.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/spencerita_

Blog: www.spencerita.com/blog

END OF SHOW NOTES 

Spencer Moore:

Welcome to the Hairy Chin Podcast. I'm Spencer Moore, your host, here to explore the good, the bad, the hairy and the fabulous of female health. Join us for eye-opening conversations, myth-busting insights, and relatable stories that celebrate the realities of womanhood. And don't miss our Pluck This! segment for tangible takeaways from each episode. Life takes a village, let's do this together.

Spencer Moore:

Hi, Kristin.

Kristin Richards:

Hello.

Spencer Moore:

Thank you so much for being here with us.

Kristin Richards:

I thank you for asking me to join you. I'm honored to be here, Spencer.

I'm honored to have you.

Spencer Moore:

I have gone down such a rabbit hole in your Instagram account since you showed up just in one of my reels and your content fascinates me. I love that you are really advocating for these women and for this issue that we're going to talk about today called lipedema. And yeah, I'm so happy that that we could connect.

Kristin Richards:

Yes. Thank you so much. And anytime I can talk and raise more awareness, I'm all in.

Spencer Moore:

I'm going to start with a bit of an introduction about you. So Kristin is a mother of two living in the Midwest. After your first marriage imploded, as you said, at forty years old, you went out to find your true calling in health and wellness. You have a deep desire to help women thrive and in recent years, you've been certified as a menopause coach. At the age of 48, you learned that your lifelong battle with disproportionate sized legs was due to a medical condition called lipedema and you're now using your platform to help women learn more about this very under diagnosed condition. Yes. Yeah. It's amazing. Welcome.

Kristin Richards:

Thank you.

Spencer Moore:

Yes. So I'm so excited to hear all about your experience of lipedema all about your expertise that you have. What I'd love to do, and what I really like doing in the these episodes is start with some statistics to explain to the audience about the topic. Lipedema is a medical condition that is almost exclusively found in women, resulting in the enlargement of bodily limbs due to abnormal deposits of fat under the skin. It is most common in the trunk and legs, but can also affect the arms. It is weight resistant, meaning if you lose weight, you will not lose weight in the area that you have this fat in terms of traditional weight loss methods, there is no cure and it typically gets worse over time it’s progressive. Yes. One statistic I found interesting is that it is estimated to affect around 11% of the female population, it's very commonly misdiagnosed.

Kristin Richards:

Yes. Yes. And I believe, as I shared, you know, before, when we met offline, Spencer, that I believe that statistic is incredibly low because of the massive amount of women that go undiagnosed, you know, I, I as we progress and as we gain more awareness, I would not be surprised to see that that number possibly even double. Like, it's it's just so common but so commonly undiagnosed.

Spencer Moore:

Right. So we talked about that. It's it's kind of this disproportionate fat. Right. But let's talk for a second about what lipedema isn't because it's so commonly misdiagnosed. So what is it misdiagnosed for?

Kristin Richards:

A lot of times it's misdiagnosed as edema, which is just any type of swelling. But edema is going to be more fluid retention versus lipedema is an actual disordered fat. It's diseased fat. And I can explain that a little more in detail. But it's also misdiagnosed as lymphedema. So you'll have, you know, women present and they have disproportionate body parts. But it's only on one side or it's one arm. It's one leg. And one of the telltale signs of lipedema is it's symmetrical. So it's the their matching. Both legs are impacted stopping at the ankles. Both arms are impacted. Both thighs can be impacted. But it's it has to be on both sides in order for it to be considered lipedema.

Spencer Moore:

And now I'm in Europe. And so I've seen that this has been spelled lipedema which is l-i-p-e-d-e-m-a. I've also seen it spelled with an O lipoedema. So is that the same thing?

Kristin Richards:

It is the same thing. I actually just was looking into that myself I guess. Oh, is the international spelling. So okay, just just to keep things fun, they throw in an O internationally. But here stateside it's there is no O and it's just the standard spelling. It's just the standard.

Spencer Moore:

Well, and I mean with British spelling, you know, color and color and the British, they, they like to have vowels. They, they throw it in. Yes. The Brits. So, so that makes sense. But just to clarify that it is the same disease that we're talking about. So you talked about how you could go into the the symptoms of lipedema. Can you talk about kind of the general symptoms of the disease?

Kristin Richards:

Yes. So a lot of times, and not always with early stages, but a lot of times there's pain that presents with the lipedema fat because the disease fat has just portioned itself off. It's no longer communicating with the rest of the body. That's why it becomes resistant to standard weight loss exercise programs. It almost forms a scar tissue around this disease fat. So you just have these nodulars under the skin so you can feel like grains of rice and beans under the skin. And it's it's painful, but also a heaviness, There's just a heaviness. And because of that disproportion, fat that's accumulating over time, it's heaviness. There's, bruising because the veins, they're more compromised. Right. So you could have, you know, several bruises down your legs or the impacted areas, and you have no memory of an injury. You don't remember, you know, even gently bumping anything. It'ss just bruiseing, heaviness, pain are the three major symptoms that people feel. Of course, there's a mental impact to this condition and and a lot of times we see women that are so wildly disproportionate. You know, myself fell in that exact category. I'm probably a size two most of my life. I size 2 or 4 on top, and I would be a six an eight, a ten at a times on my lower half. So it could be out of control sometimes.

Spencer Moore:

Now does it explain when you say pain, I wonder what that pain feels like. Is it sensitive to the touch? Is it? Do your muscles get painful when you move it? Describe a bit about what that pain feels like.

Kristin Richards:

Sensitive to the touch is what is most commonly reported. You know, since lipedema can present in the arms women that are getting a standard blood pressure check and the pain that goes around their arm hurts. It can be a little dog paws on the thighs if it's in the thighs that are sensitive to the touch. So it's just a sensitivity. You know, it's can be just an overall aching. It's the hardest feeling to describe that. Most of us women too, that have had it, I think we get so accustomed to this is how I've had this since as far back as I can remember. But 12 being my farthest memory, my oldest memory, this is all I know. You know it isn't until being post-surgery that I'm like, oh wait, I shouldn't have had that heaviness. I shouldn't have that sensitivity that I can much better identify.

Spencer Moore:

Of course, So one thing I wanted to ask is you talk about this kind of grains of rice under the skin. How is this different from cellulite and how would you know the difference?

Kristin Richards:

And that's a great question. And that's the huge that's the million dollar question. Right. Doctors are just lumping this condition in with obesity. You know any type of weight challenges that women present with, you know, oh, you're just overweight, you just need to eat less and work out more is what so many of us have heard . It's the resounding message we've heard from doctors, but really it's a texture, and doctors are going to be trained, let me specify, lipedema specialists, are going to be trained to recognize the difference in the textures, the different folds that can present with this versus standard, obesity or weight that that can present on our bodies.

Spencer Moore:

Okay, okay. So it's really important then to find a trained lipedema specialist.

Kristin Richards:

Yes. Yes. That's a that's a huge piece of the story that I try to advocate for. And unfortunately our directories aren't always up to date. You know, there's not a lot of doctors, especially in I mean, I've had women from all over the world reach out, you know, so we're talking in Kuwait and, you know, just these far flung areas and they have there's no one they don't recognize the condition at all, it's cosmetic, it's dismissed. You know, so there really is a huge need for more awareness internationally surrounding this condition.

Spencer Moore:

But of course, what type of complications can arise from an undiagnosed and untreated lipedema?

Kristin Richards:

It's progressive, which means it doesn't just stay. So say you maintain your weight, you know, for the unimpacted areas and you're doing the same things, you are eating healthy, you're exercising, you're doing all the things. But you'll go through menopause, say, for example, a huge hormonal fluctuation, which is a known trigger for lipedema, and your your legs could change all on their own. So it can continue to grow and progress and will and can leave women immobilized. So this isn't going to, you know, we we name it, we label it and okay, you're good to go It's going to stay this way. The all the time. That's not the case. It is it is progressive. There is no cure. So you have to be embracing conservative therapies that I believe we'll talk about a little bit later.

Spencer Moore:

Yes, yes we will. And so one of the ways that I found you is you showed up on my Instagram and you show up as a reel and you were showing how there was pitting in your exercise pants on your calf, and there were marks and indentations around your ankles. And this is something that I was experiencing at the time when I found you, because I was on an estrogen blocker. I was, going through early stage breast cancer treatment. I was put on estrogen blocker called Tamoxifen, and I started noticing that by the end of the day I had these really strong indentions around my socks. And in the morning I would have intentions from my sweat pants that I slept in, which were not tight. And, I asked my doctor about it and he said, it's it's nothing. It's now maybe you've gained weight from the estrogen blocker. It's no big deal. But it wasn't weight gain to me., it was swelling. It felt like my legs were heavier. And when I saw your post in that reel I thought, oh my gosh, I know nothing about this. I'd never heard of it. And it really resonated with me. So at that time, I was going through some really intense hormone changes with the estrogen blocker. And I would love for you to explain about how this is correlated to hormones.

Kristin Richards:

It is. And so when we speak about women's health, you know, unfortunately there isn't a lot of studies, you know, so so many medical studies are conducted on men because of our variable hormones. Right. And so the only known triggers is hereditary for lipedema and then huge hormonal fluctuation. So that would be puberty pregnancies and menopause. And so a lot of women, as I've gotten to know in this community and as this platform has grown, most of us report at first recognizing our legs at puberty. That was my case at that huge puberty shift. And then I noticed my legs change. The rest of my body was so petite and it just again, it progressed. You know, it would, not come and go, it was always present, but in my unhealthier early 20s, which was the early 20s. Right. What is the early 20s? And, you know, again, you're drinking too much, you're eating garbage, you know, you're just not honoring your body. And I in my my legs really changed through that season, you know? Of course Then after pregnancy, they changed again. And and they would always come back to that standard, but still not normal. So it was it was normal to me, but not not normal compared to a non lipidedema leg.

Spencer Moore:

Right. I did stop the hormone treatment. I did stop the estrogen blocker with a consultation with my doctor of course, and my swelling has decreased. So yes, I do find it interesting the hormone imbalances and that hormones really dictate so much in our body. We'll see what happens with my body when I go through menopause, because I'm not quite there yet. And it could be that this becomes onset at menopause for me with these, you know, the drop in estrogen and menopause and women that have been diagnosed with breast cancer cannot take hormone replacement therapy. So you're kind of at the liberty of what menopause is going to do to your body. But the education here, I think, is just so important that when these changes happen, it's being proactive and advocating for yourself to find answers. Because I do think this can be quite miserable to live with and I would love to kind of transition that into your story and explaining to us about how how this presented for you.

Kristin Richards:

I was recording a video for myself for a course I'm creating yesterday, sharing my testimonial, and it was just me and me. Yeah. And I still was getting incredibly emotional. So I always say someday I'll be able to tell this story and not get emotional. But it's still there's still so much healing that goes on. You know, I've I've lived with this condition for 37, 36, 37 years, and I've only known about it for one. So I'm a baby, I'm an infant in this healing and restoration journey. I was a sixth grade cheerleader. We were leaving an away game, we were getting on the bus, as you pass the football players, you know, they had the girls in the back and a couple of the players started calling me stump legs. Now my name you sixth grade. I was probably, I'm guessing a size five. So it's still a tiny girl by all standards, but my legs just were disproportionate. The in my I have what's type five again, but that's another piece we'll get into later. But it's only from the knees down. So I had, you know, fit thighs. But the my bottom part of my leg just did not match the rest of me. And so it was after that that I became, I shared with you before this that like a team of women tend to hit this, this t in the road, right? When we start to see and feel, our bodies change and some of us will go down the path where we become obsessive compulsive, you know, dabble in some disordered eating. And, you know, we just I remember Spencer standing on my bathtub ledge doing calf raises until I couldn't walk. And like, trying desperately to get some shape to gain some form, two legs that, And of course, unbeknownst to me, I could not change. And other women go to food for comfort, which I've dabbled on both sides of the road. Like, yeah, no shade on either side. But, you know, we become we just we eat those emotions and then we have a lifetime of, you know, battling our obesity and battling our weight. And so yeah, it it's it started in sixth grade and it just it was that point that I started hiding my legs never wearing shorts, avoiding pools, avoiding you know, imagine dating when you're trying to hide half your body and you're 20 and you don't know yourself. I mean, there's so many layers and components that go into this and it just it's it's been incredibly, been tough, it's been a tough journey. And even in my first marriage, I don't I can't say that I was transparent about my legs. He knew I didn't like them, he knew I always hid them, he knew he wasn't to take pictures of them. But it really took a healing from that marriage and the love that I have with my current husband, that I was able to really lean in and identify and share thoughts and ideas about my legs that I'd never shared with anyone. And that's where that healing begins.

Spencer Moore:

Yeah. And it sounds like you felt safe, you know, and I think that a lot of times our relationships can kind of be a little window into how we feel about ourselves. Right? And so sometimes we in turn these relationships and we have terrible low self-esteem and low confidence and, and that that mirrors into the partners that we choose and into kind of the, the state of the relationship that we have.

Kristin Richards:

Yes. Oh my gosh, if I could drop a mic on that statement Spencer because you that's a mic drop statement. It's, it's one. And I wrote it down because I felt safe because that is that's the label. You know, once we are able to shine as bright as were created to shine and you feel safe and you're like, okay, here's here's another piece of my, my, my mosaic heart, if you will, that I need healing and restoration.

Spencer Moore:

And so, yes, and I think also, what I wrote down while you were talking is that, you know, as, as females, we've been conditioned that, you know, you have a bad day, you have a break up, you eat a tub of ice cream, you know, you drink wine and you do all of these things. And and we've really been conditioned to these real negative coping mechanisms when you have a hard time.

but then also the other side is that we've also been conditioned to be very critical of our bodies and, and, and create a real association between our bodies and our identity and our self-worth. And so it's a real it's a melting pot of really intense emotions.

Kristin Richards:

Yeah. It's that emotional load. It's that emotional stress that we carry. And a lot of times men don't carry that load, you know, work. Right. Balancing calendars and kids and the dog medicine and, you know, all the pieces that we have on our plate. And we're also supposed to smile and be pleasant, you know. Yeah. It's like it is it, it's it's a, a very complex set of emotions.

Spencer Moore:

I wanted to go back because I, I still want to continue with your journey. You started seeing these changes in your body, in your 20s, you really struggled with accepting these changes in your body and who you were. When did when did you continue on on that path.

Kristin Richards:

So truly it was when I think back to my 20 year old self, even my 30 year old self. I got married my first time at 30, my kids at 31, 33. And they're still it was you could you can look, there's no pictures from the waist down, unless somebody accidentally saw a snapped one. It was just a constant season of hating and even to the point where you're constantly, even now, I'm still working through, like, reflexes of constantly hiding my ankles, you know? And it's so just a big season of hating your not you don't ever feel truly present I battled food noise, you know, again. And the slightly off topic, but I just had all of these thoughts that were so consumed and I would try to be mindful of it's not about me, like it's, you know, like trying to take in other information and focus on other areas. But that's been the underlying stream in my heart and in my brain has been they're looking at your legs, they're judging your ankles. they see your ankle cuff. They you know, they're wondering how can you be so fit on the top half and not on the bottom? You know, it's it's these, these thought patterns, these grooves you know, neural neural pathways that have just been ingrained. And so we're trying to put some fresh snow over those as I continue on this healing journey and, and share this so publicly.

Spencer Moore:

Yeah. And I love I love you talk about the the kind of the they continue these neural pathways. What I've learned so much about healing is that your brain does what it's done in the past like it feels safe to just continue what it's been doing and what it knows. And if you're. Yeah, thinking patterns are negative and critical, it is going to go directly to those thinking patterns because they're the deepest grooves in your brain. And in this new whole science of neuroplasticity, the fact that we can create new grooves in our brain. Yes. But it is it is the road less traveled. It's harder. Yes, but the hard work pays off.

Kristin Richards:

I mean, always, always, always, always. Yes.

Spencer Moore:

Yeah. It's just it's really challenge. And I think that these, these feelings of, of body image, body dysmorphia and all these things can be such a heavy burden to bear. You know, actually, for a 12 year old. Exactly. You know. Yeah. Exactly. Yes. For a child and, and and also, you know, I think it goes to if you were having these feelings of insecurity, you didn't have the tools at that time to process these types of feelings. Right. And I think it's it's also, you know, we could go down a rabbit hole of culture and generation and where your parents equipped to help you process those feelings because it's a, you know, things have changed over time and different generations deal with things differently. Absolutely. So it's like we say it's a mixed bag of emotions, it’s hard.

Kristin Richards:

It is, it is, it is. And that's what I'm finding is the commonality with, you know, finding this community and building this Instagram community of living in awareness. It's, you know, the stories are all me too, me too. I learned at puberty, me too. I learned, you know, I've had I've never worn shorts. I've never, you know, so, there is a commonality between us women, even you that you know, you aren't dealing with lipedema, but you understand my heart. You understand the feelings and the emotions that I'm faced with. Because you're a girl and you're a woman who lives, you know, more than five minutes on this planet. So yes, it is. And that's why I love your podcast and why I love the the you using your platform to bring light to these struggles so that we can't have me too moments, so that we can't say, wait a second, I feel that too. I'm it makes us less isolated and that's so, so important.

Spencer Moore:

And I so appreciate that my heart skips a beat a little bit when you say that because You know, I think the thing for me that has been the most challenging in life is when I've felt alone, when I felt misunderstood and felt like nobody understands what I'm going through. And I think that it's really easy to go down a rabbit hole of this ‘nobody can understand what I'm going through.’ Because the truth is, is that so many people can understand. But you have to have that bravery to reach out and find those people, right? Yes. And that's why I say life takes a village, because it really when you find your people, you find your tribe. It's it's really exposing and vulnerable to do it at the beginning. But when you find them, it makes all the difference in the world.

Kristin Richards:

Night and day. Yes. Yeah. Yes. And that's exactly how this story winds up to bring us to the present moment is, you know, my as you alluded in my introduction, my first marriage imploded around the age of 40. I'll be 50 next month. Congratulations!. So great new decade. I think that's so exciting. And 40 that like a 50 like I don't I don't know, 50 years ago. That's a whole other podcast, but the mindset of going into 50. But as, as I have aged, you get more comfortable in your skin and I‘ve felt safe in this new relationship. And, you know, it was menopause before I even knew about lipedema. I went into early onset menopause probably triggered, of course, from the emotional trauma of my divorce. But it was that official retirement of my ovaries that my legs, Spencer, were unrecognizable. I mean, I remember sitting, putting on my makeup, I was sitting Indian sound looking down, and I'm hiding my legs from me like I didn't want to look at them because they had changed so much. And I'd added some weight, and it was this deep pit of apathy that I fell into that really triggered me to lean in and learn more. Like, you know, of course I had to feel the feels, and there was a good couple months that I went through, you know, feeling like garbage. But it was just a really, really tough season that eventually, you know, I'm a huge believer that God pulled me out of and we, you know, got to work and, you know, started my physical transformation, which eventually led to the lipedema diagnosis.

Spencer Moore:

I love when you posted on Instagram, it really put me in the mind of somebody that has lipidema where you said it feels like two bodies that have been put together, so the top and the bottom don't match. And that really made me kind of put myself in the shoes of a person of thinking, wow, that would be such a strange feeling.

Kristin Richards:

I remember asking my girlfriends in my, you know, earlier seasons where you, you know, you're not married and you have those deeper chats with your female friends. And I remember saying like, what does it feel like to to just throw on shorts and walk out of the house and having those conversations because it just seemed so I, I couldn't imagine, I couldn't imagine just I'm like, are you nervous the first day of summer or when you put your shorts on and she’s like no, I don't even think about. It's like wearing shorts sleeves you know, to to me. So yeah. Yeah, I mean it's there's so, so much that goes into that that two body set up that. But being able to feel comfortable in our skin and yes, take your power back and because, honestly, Spencer, you and I both know no one cares. Oh. Thank you. I was just thinking that, like, about their body, their legs, their own and stuff, you know, no one cares except us in our the craziness between our ears.

Spencer Moore:

So it's true. And I think that there's this there's mindset of getting out of yourself, of realizing that you are not that special. People are not. Everybody is walking down the street staring at your legs, or the fact that you have on shorts or pants. It doesn't matter. It's like you say, they're more concerned about what their legs like or how they feel. But I have to say, to get to that place, to adopt that mindset, it's going uphill, uphill, uphill. I think once you get there, it's like you free fall into freedom, right?

Kristin Richards:

The perfect analogy. That's a perfect analogy. And some of us, and that's what I'm finding with this platform in this growth is so many are just starting to take a step up that hill, you know, and they're and they're working and they're fighting towards it and they're getting labels and they're getting freedom, you know, finding and being able to identify condition, a condition. They've had for longer than like I've lived more life with this than without it and had no label for it. But you know, so it's it's yeah, it's an awesome analogy.

Spencer Moore:

And that's one thing I want to talk to you about, about the relief of getting diagnosed. I would love to hear your thoughts or your experience of of that moment.

Kristin Richards:

Spencer Moore:

And I just mentioned doing these things that you're mentioning is a full time job. I'm job on top of the fact that you have life in general businesses and children's and and business. and I think people gloss over this like I just did this and this and this and all these things. And it's like, oh, wait a minute, because that's a lot of things.

Kristin Richards:

Spencer Moore:

so then these are not these are considered cosmetic, then these surgeries. Is that correct?

Kristin Richards:

So, it can be. To preference, my surgery I ended up doing more research, researched several surgeons and ended up doing surgery here in my home town. I was like, if this is meant to be, it's going to be covered by insurance. And so we submitted the paperwork, they asked for additional information, which I submitted and on December 26th of ‘23, I received an approval from my insurance carrier to cover this. That was another huge pillar of this journey. Huge. Because you know a billion entity and within the biggest insurance carrier in our country has just said, yeah, we see you, this is a medical condition, your surgery is approved. I'm like, it's like I ask for shoulder surgery or I'll, but like what? I was so blown away. Like it's actually this is really a thing. This is this is a real. Yeah. Was more edification, more fuel to my fie, like I have to get loud, people need to know and they need to understand this. And so it really depends on the surgeon you're working with. A lot of surgeons don't accept insurance because they don't have to. And yeah. And that's I don't ever want anyone to hear this has lipedema. I don't ever want to cascade because some women don't want to wait. They can make financially, you know throw more money at it. But it's it's just a slippery slope when you, when you start treating a medical condition in a cosmetic fashion and charging these big price tags, you know, I personally just don't think that's how it should go. A lot of women are traveling to your country. There's a there's a big doctor in Spain. They're traveling overseas to do this. You know, there's just there's a lot of different avenues. And everybody's surgery story is going to be different and what's best for them. But it's it's the recovery alone was pretty intense and so I was just incredibly grateful that I was home. We had a snow storm that week and we were literally snowed in for three days. It was beautiful, with a blanket of snow. I mean, it was everything just lined up and it was how my my story was supposed to go.

Spencer Moore:

Right. It's so interesting what you're saying about these doctors that are doing treating a medical condition as a cosmetic one, because when I started researching about this before we chatted, there's so many accounts now about lipedema and I think it's kind of like you have to know to search for them for that to show up in your algorithm.

Kristin Richards:

Sure.

Spencer Moore:

and I did see a lot of people that traveled to different countries to have their surgeries turned out well. I've been in a hotel for five days, and now I'm flying home. And, you know, I think that this is a really sensitive pain point for women. Yes. It is something like we've talked about that crosses all the all the spectrum of being a female. You know, body image and self confidence and all these things. And so I think it's very easy that there are people who want to make money that can take advantage of how sensitive a pain point this is. Yes. And one thing we'll talk about later is in when we close a segment is your your resources for the audience. And, I know that you offer information about finding the right specialist to treat the lipedema that these, that, that women may have. And I can't stress that enough of advocate for yourself, do your research, you know, don't you, somebody from social media but really get into it.

Kristin Richards:

And I just want to repeat and edify what you're saying. We don't go to social media to find doctors. That's, that's that's just not. And I could catch some pushback on that statement, but I just I truly think that a doctor worth his weight in salt isn't posting on Instagram. And this is a different condition. This is a different genre of surgery, if you will. But when my account went so viral, my surgeon actually had to reach out and say, stop telling people where you went because they okay, you know, they had to they just really they were inundated because there's such a desperate cry. And so these women are seeing my results, they're seeing my afters and they're like, wait a second, I'll go to Indianapolis, you know. And so if you end up going to Madrid, if you end up going to L.A., that's amazing, but be sure you do your research first. Research your state, research the the look for the dirt, look for the the the complications.

Spencer Moore:

You know, there's there every surgery comes with a serious set of risk. This included and just in general anesthesia comes with a huge amount of risk. I mean, I think people think that it's the surgery and the recovery, but just going under anesthesia, that is a really dicey thing for some people depending on how your body processes things and you're just there's just such a laundry list. So yes, I do think that it's nothing to take lightly.

Kristin Richards:

Absolutely. Is the the takeaway from that. Yes, 100%.

Spencer Moore:

So what I would love to go to is when you were diagnosed, they said that you were a classic case of, of lipedema.

Kristin Richards:

Yes.

Spencer Moore:

And, I would love to learn about the staging that you were given at the time of your diagnosis and talk a little bit about staging of lipedema.

Kristin Richards:

Yes. So lipedema is classified in four stages and five types. So you get a stage and a type. So I was stage one. So they progressed stage one, two, three and four, with four being for almost always presents with lymphedema and edema, obesity. I mean as you can imagine the weight is packed on on top of the lipedema fat. So you know, if you just think of any sliding scale. And I share a lot of information, you're going to share my handle at the end of this. But I share a lot of information on the stages, on the types on my Instagram profile that you can kind of go and dial in and say, oh, I look more like a stage two, possibly. or you can share pictures and all of that information that I was labeled. I was given the diagnosis of stage one, type five. And there's various, so and I don't know them off the top of my head because I know mine. But type five is knees down and and the most undiagnosed the, the hardest to the most uncommon I guess would be the word I'm saying is the kind that I had stage one, type five. Because it just looks like, oh, you could just exercise, you know, it's that same you know sentence, that same carousel that we would go around and around. You know, the most common is going to be, thighs. And that's type three The stages can vary depending on where you are weight wise. the type seems more like where where is it in your body. And in this stage it would be the level of a lipedema. Yeah, yeah. And this is very visual

Spencer Moore:

So I do think that if anybody does resonate with with what you're talking about, that it's important to go look at your social media because you have so much incredible information there. And the way that you're presenting it is so clear and, and really just it's so helpful I think to explain this disease. Yeah. So I would suggest them to go in the show notes which are linked in this episode, they'll be in all the platforms of the podcasting platforms and they can just click and they'll be able to go straight to your Instagram page.

Kristin Richards:

Thank you, thank you. Like I said, it's it's that awareness. It's it's I'm trying to be as neutral as I can in the information. Like, I just want to educate because I had no idea, what I would give. I have a daughter constantly watching her. It's like, did she get the gene? Is it going to, you know, progress after pregnancy? The next generations, I want to have easier path. I have I had a 15 year old Spencer, 15, in my audience asking me how old did she have to be to see a doctor. Yeah. When she had, you know, first I thought it was a normal, you know, a woman our age and then she says how old I have to be? And I was like, oh, wait a second, how old are you, honey? 15. Yeah, 15.

Spencer Moore:

That leads me to one of the questions that I actually didn't have in our list, because I, I did we did chat before this, but is there anything that's preventative to prevent the lipedema from occurring.

Kristin Richards:

Not 100%. So yeah, you know, again, I have no medical training, this is all self research, but there isn't any prevention, there is no pill, there is no pharmaceutical, there isn't anything we can do besides maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a body of motion stays in motion, anti-inflammatory diet. If you suspect or if women in your family, again this is all women, you know, 11% of women, 1% of men, but they usually have estrogen dominance, there's something else going on. You know, it's so, so rare in men. But we want to look at the women in our lineage. You know what, did grandma have big calves? Did you know? Did your aunt did your mom did you know your great grandma? And so we want to look at that lineage in the family and then we really want to embrace conservative therapies. If we suspect that I've had this all these years, you know, it's very mild, then I would encourage you to get those legs in compressions, you know, compressions help can mitigate further progression at this condition. They're they're comfortable, they help support, they're going to support the veins you know. So compressions is always the first stop with women that aren’t quite sure while they're kind of researching to get information. If they do or do not have this condition I tell them get those legs in some compression. You know, we want to we want to get them covered up and we want to keep it from growing. So there isn't there isn't a cure, there isn't a way to prevent it. It's really just like you said, all the things. Right? We have, we're just adding in a couple more layers of of habit stacking, like, okay, now I go to bed you know, I'm going to put on my compressions and I'm going to sit here with my massage gun, And you know, it's just it's worth that calling in a couple a couple other habits to help keep this at bay because there are very, very real consequence as we age, as we add on weight to our frame. Right. That this, if you have this, and you know, people, women are becoming immobilized, like I said, at the top of the call, the top of the podcast.

Spencer Moore:

And then that causes so many problems in your body, in your lymph system, in your cardiovascular, I mean, yes, moving is what keeps people healthy. I know right when I was diagnosed with the early stage breast cancer I start following some, you know, cancer doctors and cancer coaches on Instagram, just to kind of have that, those seeds being planted and and every single one of them said the answer to longevity is movement. You have to move.

Kristin Richards:

Yes. Yes. Period. Yeah. And and in walking, you know we need to get our lymph lymphatic system doesn't have a pump. So we have to pump it for it. You know we have to we've got to get out, we've got to walk. You know a lot of women will rebound, like think of an in-home trampoline, you know so they're they're doing. But anything to keep. I'm a walker. I've walked I don't even know I have a streak it's like 660 days. I haven't looked at my, every day, I’m just like keep that tally going. Rain, shine, sleet snow. No. Yeah, we're in the Midwest, so we get it all. But it's just keeping in motion because that's that's what's keeping us vital and keeping that vitality high.

Spencer Moore:

Right. One thing I want to ask you about the compression socks, because I'm not familiar with compression socks. The only time I've worn them is on international flight because I live in Spain. Yes, I grew up in the United States, North Carolina. But, my my feet swell quite badly when I travel. And so I do wake up even during the flights that are through the night, and I move and I walk. But I started wearing compression socks on my last trip, which made a really big difference. Yes, I got them on Amazon. I believe that you have a link to your Amazon store in your Instagram. When do you wear your compression socks? Because I see yours and Instagram, they go all the way up your thigh. Yes. Now, I've just had the ones that covered my calf. Yeah. So do you have a recommendation of what type is best or tell me a bit about them and when you wear them.

Kristin Richards:

So the key when we're looking at compression stockings is we want to make sure they're medical grade. You know that's that's going to be that differentiate the differentiator. That's going to be the thing to set it apart. That works. I'm making up my own language here.. As far as the compressions go. Now compression socks are not recommended for lipedema women because we're cutting off right at the knee, right, and so we really want to keep that knee up. Most women, even if they have lipedema in their thighs, it's going to creep into the knees. So we want to make sure even if it's lower or upper leg, that we're covering the areas that are impacted. So if I had it in my thighs and my buttocks, I would need to have tights that go over my bottom, that come all the way up my hips like we wore when we were little girls. We should cover the areas that are impacted. Now, they also, it can present in your upper arms. So there's there's sleeves just like you've seen on my legs, but there's also one that kind of goes over the shoulders, that goes the I think would be more comfortable again.

Spencer Moore:

Oh yeah because then they don't roll down. Right. of course.

Kristin Richards:

But the thigh highs are incredible. I feel, they're not sexy, they're nude color, I mean, they're super tight, you know, but when they're sized appropriately, you do usually need to size up. You know, I wear about an extra small and everything. I wear a medium in compression. So we're sizing up, we're making sure that they are still tight, but they're not like death grip tight. And the pairs that I like is Amazon Basics, I mean they're they're not fancy, I tell everyone they're not fancy, but I want to keep my legs in them, they're affordable, so there's no excuse. That's the whole reason that there's no excuse I wear those. There's no excuse if you have this. It's just so important to to wear compression.

Spencer Moore:

Right. And I did some research looking into compression socks. When I saw the types that you were, you were showing in your Instagram. And, and I found some sites that had like printed compression. So all these different ones and they looked fun, but I will say, I do think it's important to reinforce that any compression socks that you buy needs to be medical grade. So like you say, yours or yours are nude colored and they're maybe not so sexy, but they're doing what they need to be doing and that's the most important part. You know, you could get some really fun printed one, but perhaps they're not going to be doing their job.

Kristin Richards:

Thank you. Thank you for edifying that and driving that home because the medical grade component is going to be the biggest piece.

Spencer Moore:

So what I would love to talk about for a moment, and I mean, honestly we could talk for hours about this, there's so much information that you have and just so many different facets and levels of it. But what I would love to do is let's talk about your surgery, okay. Let's talk about how that process went. You talked about how on December 26th, you were cleared for surgery from your insurance and, so, yeah, let's let's go a little bit into what that process looked like.

Kristin Richards:

Spencer Moore:

And to see your Instagram, the visuals of you are trans transformation, which it really was a transformation of your body of losing the almost 40 pounds and then having the surgery to remove the diseased fat. I mean, you can see that your body just looks healthier and happier, you know, no, I can imagine.

Kristin Richards:

Thank you. And that's the best compliment, right? I don't want to go to someone. You think, oh, she's skinny or she's lean or, you know, I want to be healthy. I want to look whole, I want to look happy, I want to look strong, I want to I want to add muscle to carry me through these next three decades of yeah, it gets harder. I want to be able to carry my groceries and play with grandkids and you know, so there's there's so many components that go into why why we fight this fight. Because the alternative is we're paying money and deductibles and sickness and you know, health. And there's it's just that it's one way or the other. You don't you don't just get to be vanilla when it comes to health care..

Spencer Moore:

And it's not so much that, you know, it's it's more you pay with the pain and the emotional change is hard change my emotional and it is it is just so many things that I don't even know how to put into words. You have to make the hard choices at some point, you know, it's just easier to do it now it's harder, but it's easier.

Kristin Richards:

It is, and I had to get tough with myself. You know, I'm, I'm I'm Type-A, I'm a doer, I'm a goer, I'm a challenger. I'm, you know, like, I can do all those things. But I had to remind myself, no one's coming in to save me, like if I want to be a present mom and a present grandma and a present great grandma, Lord willing. I have to do the do now. Like it's, and that was my, when I stepped into this transformation season in November of 22, I just turned 48 years old and I was like, I'm done yo yoing like that. That was I'm done. I this is this is the final hurrah, if you will. And I gave it everything I had and and that's where I think I was able to obtain and step into those blessings because I was all I was, all in I was yeah, it was radical. I didn't oh, I'm going to have this and I'm going to have five beers on the weekend and cake and you know, I it was, it was all in. And that might sound intense to some of your listeners, but I think unfortunately women we just we dabble and we, we think we've got more time tomorrow and we don't know that we have more time tomorrow. You yourself have been faced with huge, massive diagnosis that I'm sure even a part of you was like, oh, I could have, would have, should have maybe done something a little different and, and maybe I wouldn't be here. And that that's exactly where I was facing 48 and I said done, done. I'm done. I'm not losing this weight. I'm not gaining this weight again. I'm done.

Spencer Moore:

You know, we joked about our 20s and how, you know, like how you let some people just live in their 20s. And yes, I lived in my 20s, you know, and it's like you said, you didn't honor your body. I know I didn't honor my body, and so do I think now that I'm paying for how I lived in my 20s, now in my 40s, maybe. No. But I do have the intelligence to see that if I make the changes now, I won't be paying for how I lived in my 40s, in my 60s, and, you know, and

Kristin Richards:

S,o it's it's just that's exactly what it's about right there. Yes. You're a smart lady. Thank you. Yes, yes. So it's so nice.

Spencer Moore:

Okay. Let's see. We've talked about surgery I would love to talk about other treatment options other than surgery. If somebody, for example, is not a candidate for surgery. And I know we're kind of getting into some doctor advice here. So I'm curious just kind of your, your expertise and your personal experience.

Kristin Richards:

And so we've really touched on the biggest one is compressions. Why a woman might not be eligible for lipedema surgery is her BMI is too high. So we have to we have to really watch. I have clients here locally, and I was able to go with one to get her lipedema diagnosis, but her BMI was too high. She was in stage three lipedema and so the doctor said your weight is unreasonable. We have to lose weight before we can even consider crossing the bridge to surgery. And that was 80 to 100 pounds that needed to be lost. Yeah. So yeah, there there isn't. If you aren't a candidate for surgery, it's usually because we carried too much excess weight, is the main resounding reason that I've heard again that no medical advice. I'm not a non-medical, medically trained professional. But we really have to step in to what are the emotional triggers of why I'm carrying all this weight. You know, let's start peeling back the layers. Start looking at, let's let's release this weight from our body once and for all, you know, in a healthy way, a slow fashion and embrace those conservative therapies, the dry brushing, the lymphatic massage, you know, the the compression, I mean, all those conservative therapies while we're preparing if for surgery or even we never have a desire for surgery, we still need to be embracing those those conservative therapies.

Spencer Moore:

So you talked about how you lost 40 pounds, almost 40 pounds I think it was 37 pounds.

Kristin Richards:

Yes. Right. Yes.

Spencer Moore:

And you did, which I've never heard of, and I'm like I said, this could be four podcast, honestly we could go through all of this together. Yeah, but you say that you microdosed the GLP-1.

Kristin Richards:

So, you know, microdosing and you're hearing that word more and more and more, what how my doctor described it is we're going to start you slow and low. So it's just a tiny dose of the GLP-1 agonist. So I started with a compounded Tirzepatide, which is Mounjaro for the name brands for your listeners. But just instead of I think the harm is in that high dose, that's where you're hearing the demonization of these peptides that have been around for decades, Spencer, they they been used in bodybuilding and biohackers for decades. But yeah, they weren't in these crazy high doses where we're seeing all these complications. So yeah, when I had finished 75 Hard and had lost 15 pounds, I went to my doctor and said, I can't keep doing this, but I'm not going backwards. And we did more blood work. I found out that I had PCOS, which is ultimately a metabolic disorder at its core so it was just it was like really PCOS but it is my insulin receptors weren't working. So turning on body's ability to work the way it was created to is why I'm a huge proponent of of GLP-1s. I would scream it from the rooftops. And the company that we partnered with is actually we're getting ready to release a natural version of this. So I don't know how quickly you'll turn around and get this edited, but it should be out by the time this comes out. The will have more tools to help the listener dial in and get get these, get their insulin receptors. quiet the food noise like, help our body do what it was created to do. And I think a lot of people really suffer in silence. They think, look, I, I love sugar, I love carbs, I have some mental health issues with depression and anxiety and all these things. And a lot of times these have a common denominator. Yes, PCOS, where you have intense resistance and then you crave sugar and that sugar makes you feel very anxious and then you don't sleep it.

I mean, it is a domino effect. And people just think that they have to suffer through and carry all this baggage on their back. But it's like you say, when they can get their body working in optimal levels. Homeostasis. Everything changes. Yes, yes. Yeah.

Kristin Richards:

And it is it's so important that we remember willpower can only get you so far. But yes, you. We don't need to suffer in silence. And that's bringing it home and bringing it around like that is 100% why this platform is growing like it is. Women aren't suffering in silence anymore, they're finding a community, they're finding a home

Spencer Moore:

So so our final segment of the The Hairy Chin Podcast is our Pluck This! segment. This is where we offer tangible takeaways for our audience so you can go take action now. And I'm so excited to explain the multiple tangible takeaways that Kristin has for the audience today. One of them, which I think is so amazing, is a free 30 minute lipedema and menopause consultation. Yes. So tell us about what this 30 minute consultation would be like.

Kristin Richards:

Like this. Like me and you, Spencer. It's it's talking, it's it's hearing women. I have women book these consultations for all sorts of various reasons and purposes and drivers. Some they just found out they have lipedema some it's menopause, some it's just they know I'm a woman that's been divorced and remarried. I mean, there's so I love women. I have a heart to serve women. And so I keep that on my in my Stan Store and as an option to connect because this is where we grow. If I can pour into you and you can pour into me, then you go back to your family, you family feels that joy, Your community feels that joy. Like this is how we raise up each other and help each other. I've never left a consultation where I didn't think, man I learned something, or I felt something or I, you know, learned a better way to communicate a piece of my story. So I it's I love connecting and that's, you know, in my, my businesses I'm known as the golden retriever. So I think that you resonate I got the tail and the tail wagging and like,

Spencer Moore:

I get that so cute. I love that so much.

Kristin Richards:

So then the golden retriever of lipedema and menopause I guess is what it looks like.

Spencer Moore:

So I love it, I love it, and I have to say it's you have such an energy about you. We've talked about some heavy things. Yeah, we’ve talked about some intense feelings and diagnoses and and you make it feel very light.

Kristin Richards:

Thank you.

Spencer Moore:

It's just almost like so it's it's taking the weight off in a way.

Spencer Moore:

So on top of just the, the consultation that you offer, you mentioned your Stan Store which can be found in your link in bio and your Instagram page.

Kristin Richards:

Yes, ma'am.

Spencer Moore:

Which will all be in the show notes. Yes. You also offer some free resources of lipedema and menopause. So I really I mean, you cover all of it. Yeah. For, for women kind of entering this new era. One of them is called, Do You Have Lipedema? The other one is called “Looking To Get A Lipedema Diagnosis?, which we talked about about finding the right doctor. And then you also have “The Lipedema Foundation Patient Self-Advocacy Guide.”

Kristin Richards:

Huge.

Spencer Moore:

I mean, and there were more these are just the ones that I wrote down, there were so many more. So I can't encourage enough to to check out your Stan Store in your Instagram bio. Thank you.

Kristin Richards:

Yes. And it's, it's just pulling all those resources I call it my empowerment spot is, you know, come learn. I'm putting the final touches on a course, that will be at hopefully in the next hopefully couple days. I'm finishing some editing on that, but we're going to lump everything together. So the ABCs of lipedema, weight loss, managing surgery, getting approved for surgery. But I really think that’ll be an awesome tool for women that aren't ready to talk to me one on one, but have questions and need answers. And, you know, so they'll invest in themselves and they'll get to learn at their speed, their rate, but still with me through video in in one on one conversation. So I'm excited. But there's a lot I love shaking going on here. Spencer.

Spencer Moore:

So yeah, it's great. I mean, I, I really when you said the word serve that you serve women and I really that's how I feel. So do you, you know the experiences that I've been through in my life, I just want to pay it forward for the women that have helped push me up that hill. Yes, I want to help push other women up that hill because that's just life is hard. Yeah, and I just think that it's so important to just spread, share the wealth.

Kristin Richards:

Yeah. Spread the knowledge, the joy, all of it. I completely agree, completely agree.

Spencer Moore:

As, as we we wrap up this session, which I'm actually quite sad to do. I know I could talk to you all night. I'm going to kick my feet up and we're just going to start chatting away here. Yeah, right. So I do want to talk about kind of some final thoughts. Final takeaways. For the episode for women. What I'd love to ask is, what would you say are the top three actions that women should take if they believe they're suffering from lipedema.

Kristin Richards:

So the first one that I jotted down is go to my page on Instagram, because I can't summarize all the resources that I've spent a lot of time, a lot of energy, a lot of heart, a lot of emotion. So go to my page, dive through my reels and my stories, and there's just so much information there. So I encourage you to go to my Instagram page first. If you suspect that you have lipedema, go and get you some $20 compressions. It's linked again in my Stan Store. You know, I make literally pennies on the dollar. I don't care about making money off these different prices. Pennies, my friends, affiliate links. They really don't do much trending words. Trust me, I'm not retiring. But I want to get that condition under control and to help mitigate the further progression. So get your legs in compression and then find a doctor to get an official diagnosis. Having that in your record, it's the clock starts. The clock starts officially. So that now if you're interested in looking at surgery or you're interested in looking at, you know, leg compressions or there's then you need some vascular help. I mean, there's so many different components, but having a diagnosis is, is just it's a huge piece of the puzzle. So learn, get your legs in compressions and find a good doctor.

Spencer Moore:

Yeah, I think that's great. And, your Instagram page has such incredible so many incredible resources for women to learn about because like you said, 1% of men suffer from this. Now, I will say though, that in breast cancer, 1% of men suffer from breast cancer. It is a real female led disease. But those men still matter. They still are suffering. So yes, your advice is not just for women. It furthers 1% of men, which is a big number. When you break down the 1%.

Kristin Richards:

Right. Yeah. Yes. Completely agree

Spencer Moore:

And it's the same advice over get in compression, learn about it and find a doctor 100%.

Kristin Richards:

I love it. Amazing.

Spencer Moore:

This has been such a joy to talk to you. I've loved it. I know so much fun. Yes. But I really just want to thank you so much for your time, for your expertise, it's just been a joy.

Kristin Richards:

It has. And thank you for the honor. I'm so. I'm so happy. And, I look forward to hearing it.

Spencer Moore:

I know, right, I do too.

Spencer Moore:

Thanks for joining us on The Hairy Chin Podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, please head over to www.spencerita.com to join our creative community. I'm Spencer Moore reminding you that knowledge isn't just powerful, it's empowering. When you know better, you do better. So stay strong, keep going, and I'll see you next time.