Sunniva Grimsgaard is 30 years old. All her life she has struggled with overweight and obesity. Already from the age of 18, the doctors started talking about slimming surgery, but this was not something she wanted to carry out. The 30-year-old would rather try to lose weight on his own. Which would prove to be difficult. – I tried various diets without success, and I had basically given up hope of making it, she says to news. But a few years ago, Grimsgaard discovered what would later be diagnosed as the disease lipedema. This is a chronic condition in the fatty tissue and lymphatic channels. It leads to abnormal accumulation of fat in certain areas of the body. For Sunniva’s part in the legs. The disease also causes a lot of pain. One of the tips Sunniva received was to switch to a ketogenic diet. Something that would turn out to give good results. Sunniva weighed 140 kilos before she managed to reduce the weight. The picture was taken in 2016. Photo: Privat Lost 60 kilos It was only in connection with the diagnosis of lipoedema that the young woman became aware of BMI. She explains how she has been met with this scale countless times in attempts to get health care. – Before I got the diagnosis, I visited my GP. I was then told that it was impossible for the person concerned to confirm the disease until I became a normal weight. There was a lot of focus on being overweight, she says. news has previously written about the BMI scale and how some doctors believe it is too imprecise to use in clinical treatment. As a result, American doctors have been asked to use it less. For Sunniva Grimsgaard, the transition to the new diet was positive – both for the pain and for the weight. Within two years, she had managed to lose 40 kilos. Not long after, she lost another 20 kilos. But even after a weight loss of a total of 60 kilos, the BMI should cause trouble for further treatment. Missing three kilos Naturally enough, Sunniva had a good deal of excess skin after the weight loss. She began researching help to get this removed. – But because I have managed to lose weight on my own, and not via, for example, a gastric bypass, I actually fall outside the systems. This means that I am not entitled to plastic surgery under the auspices of the public sector. But the 30-year-old read up on the regulations and was finally granted surgery to remove skin on the stomach, as well as a lift of the breasts. Now she needs to remove excess skin from her arms and legs. As well as liposuction of the lipoedema. She has been told by health personnel that it will not be appropriate to remove more skin before she has the lipoedema removed. This means that all operations are put on hold due to the BMI requirement. Aches and pains – This results in me walking around with excess skin on my arms, thighs and seat. It causes pain in the lipoedema, because the skin is loose and does not keep the fat tissue “calm”. I also have other ailments and pains associated with the loose skin. However, liposuction of lipoedema is only offered in the public health system to patients who are included in a national study. This study is carried out in all four health regions. Currently, liposuction of lipoedema is poorly scientifically documented. In order to join the study, age, BMI and general health are required. In the study, there is an upper BMI limit of 28. For Sunniva Grimsgaard, this means that she has to lose another three kilos to have a chance of joining by the end of the year. – It may sound small, but I don’t really have much more to take off, says the 30-year-old. For almost a year, she has tried to lose the last kilos, but the weight has more or less remained stagnant. And the lipoedema cannot be slimmed down. – The way I see it, I don’t get the necessary health care because of the BMI scale. The 30-year-old spent over two years losing 60 kilos. This is currently in the process. Photo: Privat The requirements are to protect patients Patients with lipoedema do not have formal rights to surgery in the public sector today. They only have the option of surgery in the public sector through the ongoing clinical study. There are risks associated with this type of surgery, which is defined as experimental. Bleeding, blood clots and infections are among the possible complications. – High BMI has been shown in several studies to be a risk factor for complications during surgery. That’s what Hildur Skuladottir says. She is project manager for Surgical treatment of lipedema in Norway, and leads the study at Haraldsplass. Skuladottir adds that there have been several cases of serious complications after lipoedema operations. – That is why we have BMI requirements in the study, to avoid harming the patients, she says. Hildur Skuladottir is project manager for Surgical treatment of lipedema in Norway. Photo: Privat The results of the study will be used to create guidelines for the treatment of patients with lipoedema. Although it is too early to conclude that surgery is the way to go to treat lipoedema, the project manager says that the experiences so far have been good. – We are aware that we cannot help all patients with lipoedema in the study itself, but the results from the study will form the basis for further treatment of lipoedema in Norway, which in the long run will help everyone, says Skuladottir. A future in pain? For Sunniva Grimsgaard, the future is uncertain. She knows that lipedema that remains untreated can cause great pain. Sunniva believes she herself is the term for the condition lipoedema. – When you google the condition, a picture of me should appear, she says with a laugh. Photo: Private – You read about women with severe pain who become disabled, and who have to take strong drugs, says the 30-year-old. – I’m not bitter about the healthcare system, but I wonder if there aren’t better measuring methods than BMI? It is not unusual for Norwegian women with lipedema to travel to Germany for treatment. But this costs money. – For my part, it is not relevant to use the private one – I do not have the finances for that. I’m not sure what will happen next if I don’t reach the weight goal within the time set, says Grimsgaard.
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Sunniva believes the BMI requirement prevents her from getting the necessary health care – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
