Lipedema Patient Roundtable: September 2023

September is Pain Awareness Month, and the anchors and attendees of the Lipedema Patient Roundtable know all too well the aching associated with their condition. The remarkable improvements Cara Cruz has achieved through surgery and the many patients who have found relief through using the Lympha Press Optimal Plus encouraged all in attendance. The medical expertise of special guest Noah Danesh, MPH, who serves on the research team at Total Lipedema Care, gave excellent insights into the issue of inflammation and its correlation to COVID (and long COVID). He deftly handled a large volume of clinical questions, including treating mast cell activation syndrome, identifying Dercum's disease, and the distinction between lipomas and lipedema. Especially appreciated was his mention of Linda Anne Kahn's brilliant webinar on mast cell activation syndrome and how lymphapress.com offers a wealth of information for anyone seeking more information on a variety of lipedema-related topics. Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CLT, also joined the panel this month and shared what she learned from attending the recent International Society of Lymphology (ISL) World Congress in Genoa, Italy. One very positive note? Lipedema, a condition once overlooked, is now a prominent topic at these international conferences. The importance of how we talk to ourselves was covered as each panelist answered, "What would you say to your little self?" (Yes, during this September "back to school" episode, the crew shared photos from their grammar school days.) Some of the answers? Being kinder and more accepting of our perceived faults; giving ourselves permission to be...ourselves! Not being afraid to take up space (in any way) and permitting real feelings so they don't bottle up were all shared with heartfelt candor. A touching moment was when Kathleen Lisson shared that observing her mother's breast cancer diagnosis in her youth led her to a healing profession. Special thanks to our anchor panelists, moderator, and special guests: Jenny Beaujean (@Jenny_Beaujean) Angelique Charles (@TheLippyButterfly) Pattie Cornute (@LipedemaFitness) Cara Cruz (@PaleGingerPear) Noah Danesh, MPH (@TotalLipedemaCare) Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CLT (@KathleenLisson) Brenda Viola (@BrendaViola_ViciCommunications) The Lipedema Patient Roundtables are brought to you by Lympha Press, which offers effective pneumatic compression therapy to manage lipedema. The easy-to-use Optimal Plus and Lympha Pants as well as upper extremity Lympha Jacket have contributed to reduced pain, increased mobility, and many other benefits to patients. Find out more by visiting www.lymphapress.com. Thanks for listening to the Lipedema Patient Roundtable podcast! You can watch the video recording of this Roundtable on the Lipedema Channel on YouTube, or on Instagram at @lympha_press.