Farewell stilton legs!
TV star Julia Bradbury on the pain-free varicose vein blaster that finally gave her the confidence to wear skirts... and even take up pole dancing!
She has made her name as the ‘walking man’s crumpet’ and trekked more than 3,400 miles – the distance from Dublin to Washington – during a string of hit television shows. But Julia Bradbury’s current exercise of choice does not require wellies, fleece, or any of the outdoor gear she is normally seen in on TV.
Her latest passion is pole-dancing, and it involves her wearing far more body-revealing attire. Julia has found it’s a great way to tackle stress – yet she wouldn’t have even dared to try a year ago, she says. She was so conscious of her legs that for years she hid them away under trousers or leggings.
Julia was among the 30% of adults to suffer from varicose veins. And hers, according to the doctor who has finally rid her of them, was a severe case.
Julia, 45, says: ‘I’ve been plagued by thread veins since I was in my 20s, but four months into my pregnancy with my twin girls, Xanthe and Zena, who are now 15 months old, varicose veins started to emerge behind my knee and down my calves, and my legs looked like Stilton. They were awful.
‘I feared I’d never be able to wear a dress or skirt again. I’ve always consciously avoided short skirts and shorts and I became the mistress of disguise, wearing leggings and the right shirt, even on holiday.’
Dr John Henry Scurr of the Vein Clinic in Sandyford, Dublin, says varicose veins affect about a quarter of Irish adults. Thread veins occur in about half the population.
Thread veins are tiny blood vessels close to the surface of the skin and look like fine red wiggly lines, while varicose veins are swollen and enlarged, often becoming bulging or twisted in appearance.
Several forms of treatment are available at the Vein Clinic including injections for superficial thread veins, injections using ultrasound guidance for larger veins and thermal ablation – heating treatment – using either a laser or electrically heated catheter. Surgical treatment for very large veins can still be done on an out-patient basis using modern techniques.
In healthy veins, blood flows smoothly to the heart and is prevented from flowing backwards by a series of tiny valves that open and close to let blood through. If these valves weaken or are damaged, the blood can flow backwards and collect in the vein, eventually causing it to become swollen.
Dr David West, who treated Julia at London’s Veincentre Clinic, explains: ‘Genetic weakness is the cause of varicose veins. If your mother or grandmother has them, then you are likely to get them too.
‘In Julia’s case the valves in both big veins from the groin to the ankle were not functioning properly. You can’t mend the valve, so you have to take away the vein that’s causing the problem.’
Julia says: ‘Having been through five gruelling rounds of IVF, I was keen to avoid anything that was particularly invasive or involved a general anaesthetic, which is why laser treatment offered by Dr West’s clinic appealed.’
Dr West, who had to carry out the treatments last year around Julia’s busy work schedule, says an ultrasound revealed: ‘After injecting a local anaesthetic to the area to be treated, a thin laser fibre is inserted into the vein through a needle puncture and this then heats up the vein wall and destroys it.’
Julia says: ‘It wasn’t painful, more like a tickling sensation. The worst part was the burning smell as the laser does its job. The initial session took about an hour and you get used to it.’
At the Vein Clinic Dr Scurr says: ‘All patients undergo a non-invasive Colour Duplex Ultrasound Scan to determine the state of their deep and superficial veins to allow experienced vascular surgeons to select the most appropriate forms of treatment.
‘Treatment of thread veins is carried out in a number of sessions lasting about half an hour and normal activities can be resumed straight away.’
Julia had to wear surgical stockings for a week after each of her six treatments to reduce swelling and pain. She is happy with her results. ‘I can’t boast that I’ve got flawless legs but the improvement is astonishing. I feel more confident about going bare-legged, which is brilliant now the summer is here.
‘I don’t have to think about how best to disguise my legs and can wear dresses and skirts without feeling self-conscious. My legs feel smooth to the touch and I feel sure this is a permanent solution to the problem that has plagued me for most of my adult life.’
As for the 9ft-tall pole in the basement of her house, she admits the idea of pole-dancing can, by some, be misconstrued but she considers it a tough and disciplined exercise.
‘There’s a definite mystique about it, and whenever anyone comes round for dinner the first thing they want to do is see the pole and have a go – but there is a lot more involved than just shinning up it. It can be really punishing on the body but it is great fun. It’s a great stressbuster and puts me in a great mood.
‘I don’t think I would have had the confidence to throw myself into it if I’d not had my veins done, so the operation really has been life-changing.’
See varicoseveins.ie for more