My Journey With Health And Fitness – An Unexpected Change

Ok, today started off a bit odd. It’s Tuesday so that means strength training. Of course the class doesn’t start until 6:30am so I still get up at 4:00am and do an hour walk before heading off to class. Except, I got up, had breakfast, got into my vehicle and headed off to the gym. It wasn’t until I saw the 5:30am instructor show up that I realized what I had done. What the hell, I decided I might as well stay and do the bootcamp class then the strength class. It was a bit of a different way to start the day but I got through it.

About 15 years ago I found a lump in my armpit. It was soft and pliable but still, it was a lump. I went to my doctor immediately and he told me it was a lipoma and not to worry about it, it was completely benign. Still, I watched it carefully and over the years and it never changed. I really stopped thinking much about it a while ago.

So what is a lipoma? Apparently it is just a lump of fat. They are slightly more common in women and usually appear between the ages of 40 and 60 though they can crop up at any age. The general description is that they don’t spread to other tissues, they are painless, tend to be round or oval shaped though usually symmetrical, move when you touch them and smaller than 5 millimeters in diameter. Healthcare providers are not sure what causes lipomas though though they are inherited (can’t think of anyone in my family who has had one other than me). There is no real treatment for lipomas though they can be removed if they are bothering you.

Now why am I discussing this now? Well, the other day I was in my show shaving my armpits (ok, that might be too much information but it is part of the story) when I realized my long time lipoma had just disappeared. When I got out of the shower I checked in the mirror and sure enough it was basically gone. I did some research to see if maybe losing weight or excessive exercise could cause them to disappear but the studies that have been done are inconclusive. Also, it is noted that in most cases lipomas don’t disappear without medical intervention so I guess mine was just special.

I’ve decided my narrative is going to be it is because my upper body is pretty much all muscle and so the lipoma no longer had a comfy home. Not sure if there is any truth in that but I’m going with it anyways.