Woman with excruciating swelling condition that made it impossible to put shoes on has defied the odds by becoming a marathon runner and competitive body-builder
- Alison Mahoney, now 32, was diagnosed with lymphedema praecox at 17
- The condition caused her left leg to swell up so much that she was unable to get her foot into a shoe and made her feel uncomfortable to walk
- For years she would try to hide her leg and compression wraps, which made her feel miserable and self-conscious
- But one day she began wearing shorts with pride and took first place in a bikini bodybuilding competition
A Florida woman with a rare swelling condition that made it impossible to even put shoes on threw herself into sport – and has since participated in marathons and a bodybuilding competition.
In 2004, aesthetician, Alison Mahoney, now 32, was diagnosed with lymphedema praecox, a condition characterized by swelling of the soft tissues.
The condition caused her left leg to swell up so much that she was unable to get her foot into a shoe and made her feel uncomfortable to walk.
Her diagnosis made her feel ‘broken’ and ‘ugly’.
For years she would try to hide her leg and compression wraps, which made her feel miserable and self-conscious.
Wearing compression wraps, she took part in two half marathons, a sprint triathlon and an Olympic distance triathlon.
One day, when she was preparing for a competition, she decided she didn’t care about her condition and how her leg looked with compression wraps on.
Alison Mahoney taking part in a bodybuilding competition with her compression band on
Alison, now 32, was diagnosed with lymphedema praecox, a condition characterized by swelling of the soft tissues. As a teen she was embarrassed, but now she wears shorts proudly
She began wearing shorts with pride and took first place in a bikini bodybuilding competition.
It helped her build up her confidence and she has since been sharing her journey on social media to encourage others to embrace their unique traits.
‘Giving up the hiding and just being open about it has brought me so much pride. I received a lot of positive feedback on social media, so that was a major source of encouragement,’ Alison said.
‘Since opening up, I have found other people just like me. I look at others with lymphedema who are positive and living their lives and it gives me a lot of hope every day.
‘We have so much to offer in this world but we just happen to have this disease. I truly wish I had that kind of support when I was seventeen, I probably wouldn’t have felt so alone.’
Alison was 17 years old when she noticed her leg was swollen.
She told her parents about it, saying: ‘I have some weird swelling and I’m not having an allergic reaction, it’s uncomfortable but it doesn’t hurt, and nothing is broken.’
Her skin hurt, her ankle and foot had ballooned, and she could hardly fit her foot into a shoe.
Fortunately, her father is a doctor and my mother is a nurse. ‘They were very connected with all the doctors in town,’ Alison said. ‘I quickly had appointments with a few different specialists.’
‘Immediately I thought I was very sick,’ she said. ‘Then when I was diagnosed with a chronic condition that wasn’t going away, I felt like I was broken. Then when I had to wear big bulky wraps and compressions, I felt ugly and embarrassed.
‘Mostly people didn’t really know what was wrong with me either.’
It was a tough shift in identity for Alison at an age which is already overwhelming.
‘No one was outwardly rude to my face or anything when I was first diagnosed.
‘When I came to school all bandaged up, I was terribly embarrassed, and I just felt like everyone was talking about me behind my back. That was probably not totally true but at 17 I was self conscious.’
Despite years of feeling like her condition has held her back from doing what she loved, she has had a change of heart
As for how she dresses, it took a while to embrace her compressions, taking a painstaking amount of time picking the right clothes that were comfortable but completely covered her up – when, really, she just wanted to wear shorts. Letting go of that angst has been liberating
Despite years of feeling like her condition has held her back from doing what she loved, she has had a change of heart.
She has run two half marathons, one sprint triathlon, one Olympic distance triathlon and she has done one body building competition (the bikini division).
She stays active by walking their two dogs, lifting weights at the gym and she often tries out new workout classes.
‘Fitness and working out has helped build my confidence,’ Alison explains.
‘I love how I feel after I work out. Basically, I think, “OK so you have something wrong, but it’s not like you can’t move”. Plus exercise helps move lymphatic fluid and keeps me healthy so that is a win-win.
‘Some people have no legs and still go to the gym. Mine is just swollen and I have to wear compression, so I can totally do this.
‘Doing the bodybuilding competition really helped me out of my shell and got me to really open up and hold my head high regardless of my disease. The bodybuilding community was also very supportive and encouraging. The day of the competition everyone was so kind, I never felt judged or looked down on for having lymphedema.’
Alison has undergone countless manual lymphatic drainage, a type of massage based on a theory that it will encourage the natural drainage of the lymph, which carries waste products away from the tissues back toward the heart
As for how she dresses, it took a while to embrace her compressions, taking a painstaking amount of time picking the right clothes that were comfortable but completely covered her up – when, really, she just wanted to wear shorts.
Letting go of that angst has been liberating.
‘Wearing compression is part of taking care of myself and keeping myself healthy. If someone judges me for that then that’s on them,’ Alison said.
‘I’m going to wear shorts and just be confident because why not. I lived for a long time being miserable and embarrassed. Outwardly, I was happy, but inside I was hiding and hurting a lot.
‘I feel fairly confident about myself now; I do have my days that I get really down about my leg but overall I feel confident.
‘Living in a small town helps too. Most people now know what lymphedema is and why I wear compression all the time.’
Alison has undergone countless manual lymphatic drainage, a type of massage based on a theory that it will encourage the natural drainage of the lymph, which carries waste products away from the tissues back toward the heart.
She is currently looking into getting a suction assisted protein lipectomy (SAPL) surgery, a procedure that allows safe and dramatic reductions of large amounts of excess fat and protein present in chronic lymphedema.
‘Live your life. Everyone has something wrong with them. Get help, learn to manage it and then get on with your life. Don’t pass something up or give up on your dreams because of this.’
Source: Read Full Article
