The Lympha Press Podcast

“We can’t keep throwing gasoline on the fire,” emphasized  Dr. Alexandre Amato  during a riveting one-on-one conversation with  Dr. Karen Herbst  at the February Research Roundtable. The fire Dr. Amato speaks of? Inflammation. Everyone has inflammation, but lipedema fuels it differently, and Dr. Amato’s message underscored the importance of patients determining what triggers exacerbate the conditi...

If the January 2025 Lipedema Patient Roundtable is any indication, it’s going to be a very good year. Dr. Thomas Wright , Medical Director of Laser Lipo and Vein Center, joined the panel to discuss everything from why BMI is inadequate when diagnosing obesity to when surgery for lipedema is optimal and advances in research towards a blood test for lipedema. He deftly and graciously answered many q...

The Lymphedema Patient Roundtable welcomed 2025 with special guest  Hardeep Kaur,  who shared her story of living with upper extremity primary lymphedema and her journey from hiding her compression to making it a part of her self-expression. In keeping with the spirit of the new year, panelists and attendees picked their “Word of the Year” to set the tone for the months ahead, and shared some exci...

What happens when two passionate researchers have a meeting of the minds in a live webinar? Riveting conversation and multiple “Aha!” moments for the clinicians and patients attending the revamped Research Roundtable this January. The one-on-one conversation between Dr. Karen Herbst and guest Dr. Sara Al-Ghabhan focused primarily on hormones and their impact on lipedema. This complex issue raised...

Considering the glittery attire at the December Lipedema Patient Roundtable, viewers might have thought they tuned into a New Year’s Eve show! The panelists were sparkling in honor of the UK-based Lipoedema Friends International #Glitter4Lipedema Event, which encourages wearing glitter (or anything sparkly) to shine a light on lipedema awareness. The panel was joined by special guest  Dr. John Chu...

It’s beginning to look a lot like Lymphmas at the December Lymphedema Patient Roundtable! The panelists were joined by special guest  Evy Dominguez , a roller-skating primary lymphedema patient whose positive outlook is as bright as the colorful compression she wears. Panelists and attendees mused on a wish list to “Lymphie Santa” and set their intentions for the new year while answering questions...

A rapid-fire Research Roundtable filled with questions about GLP-1 agonists, obesity, lymphedema, and lipedema were expertly answered by  Dr. Leopold Cobos Salinas , diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and board-certified in endocrinology and internal medicine. Starting with “What are GLP-1s?” and the differences between terzepatide and semaglutide, Dr. Cobos Salinas explained the...

Exploding bacteria, grounding mats, Lympha Press “fill to fit” feature, and sciatica... Just when you think they’ve covered every possible topic over five years, the Lipedema Patient Roundtable serves up a feast of topics for Thanksgiving month! One of the special guests at the table was Dr. Leslyn Keith (@leslynkeith), the Director of Research for The Lipedema Project. She offered an overview of...

The November Lymphedema Patient Roundtable celebrated the theme of "lymphatic gratitude," with panelists and attendees reflecting on the unexpected gifts and lessons learned in their lymphedema lives. The holidays are around the corner, and the panel shared some tips for managing their lymphedema during the changes in routine so they can have a swell time, not a swollen time. The hour continued to...

Hosts  Dr. Karen Herbst  and  Karen Ashforth, MS, OTR, CLT-LANA , are joined by  Jon Doyle , a seasoned medical device representative with experience working within the VA hospital system, and  Maria Long , USMC Retired and Lympha Press VA Contract Specialist, for a panel discussion on caring for Veterans living with lymphedema and peripheral arterial disease. This Roundtable was originally record...

The October Lipedema Patient Roundtable was “buzzing” with good conversation and good humor as the panelists continued the tradition of dressing up for Halloween. From  Cara Cruz ’s homemade iced coffee costume to  Jenny Beaujean ’s sparkly unicorn, the visuals were only surpassed by the quality of the questions asked and answered. A flurry of inquiries surrounding menopause and its impact on lipe...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the Lymphedema Patient Roundtable spent their hour together spotlighting cancer-related lymphedema, from risk factors and symptoms to diagnosis and treatment. The panel also answered questions about fibrosis, wounds, and compression garments. Special thanks to our panelists this month: Karen Ashforth, MS, OTR/L, CLT-LANA  (⁠⁠ @karenashforth_cltlana⁠⁠ )...

Content warning: This presentation includes sensitive images.   Research Roundtable hosts  Dr. Karen Herbst  and  Karen Ashforth, MS, OTR, CLT-LANA , are joined by certified lymphedema therapists  Lesli Bell  and  Missy Baylor  for a panel discussion on breast cancer-related lymphedema and its treatment. This Roundtable was originally recorded live on October 7, 2024, and has been edited for time....

How did Lipedema Patient Roundtable regular attendee  Marcia Witt  finally get her  Lympha Press Optimal Plus ? The September episode “connected the dots” between her desire for a Lympha Press, how she became connected to her local LP representative, how that connection worked with her doctor’s office to ensure proper insurance documentation, and how her device is making life better since receivin...

It’s back-to-school season, and class was in session at the September Lymphedema Patient Roundtable! On the syllabus was Lymphedema Treatment 101 with certified lymphedema therapist  Karen Ashforth , a spotlight on community-building with  Veronica Seneriz , Patient Services Director at the Lymphatic Education & Resource Network, and a session on “being your own guinea pig” with lipolymphedema...

The August Lipedema Patient Roundtable was a star-studded hour featuring exciting developments in the world of lipedema from special guests  Karen Ashforth, MS, OTR/L, CLT-LANA , and  Susan O’Hara . Karen Ashforth introduced plans for exciting and groundbreaking lipedema research she will be conducting alongside Dr. Karen Herbst, and put out the call for subject and research assistant volunteers b...

What's the difference between edema and lymphedema? How about primary and secondary lymphedema? And what exactly does the lymphatic system do? This August, the Lymphedema Patient Roundtable returned to its lymphatic roots with a much-requested primer on lymphedema and the lymphatic system. Special guests Olivia Eggers and Dominique Rogers joined the panel to talk about their recent experience volu...

Every lipedema patient needs a variety of tools to effectively manage their condition, and for many, new options offer new hope. The experiences of two anchor panelists prescribed GLP-1 drugs took center stage at the July Lipedema Patient Roundtable. Though taking two different medications, both  Pattie Cornute  and  Jenny Beaujean  report reduced inflammation and, although it is early in their jo...

From GLP-1 drugs and surgical treatments to getting the courage to wear compression garments in public, it was conversational fireworks at the July Lymphedema Patient Roundtable! The panel was joined by special guest  Dave DiBacco , whose near-decade of experience with Lympha Press has made him a wealth of information on the devices and insurance. Can a compression pump help venous insufficiency?...

The June 2024 episode of the Lipedema Patient Roundtable marked the fourth anniversary of this online gathering that has grown to become a cornerstone of support for the lipedema community. To celebrate, anchor panelists invited their favorite “chatters” who regularly attend the Roundtable and participate in the audience. The anniversary show appropriately coincided with Lipedema Awareness Month a...

June is Lipedema Awareness Month, and the Lymphedema Patient Roundtable spent the hour highlighting this often-painful disease estimated to affect up to 11% of women worldwide. After a quick explainer on the differences — and similarities — between lymphedema, lipedema, and lipolymphedema from certified lymphedema therapist  Karen Ashforth , the Roundtable passed the mic to their special guests to...

“It hurts how people look at me.” This comment served as a jumping-off point for an hour-long conversation devoted to mental health at the Lipedema Patient Roundtable. The panel was joined by special guest  Kenneth Edwards , Executive Director of the  California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors , who presented at the recent  Fat Disorders Resource Society (FDRS) Conference...

With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, the conversation at the Lymphedema Patient Roundtable focused on the intersections of mental, emotional, and physical health when living with lymphedema. Both panelists and attendees spoke candidly about their experiences and shared different coping strategies, including how they reframe treatment time into moments of positive self-care. The conversati...

For the lipedema community, the Fat Disorders Resource Society (FDRS) Conference is an annual highlight. At the April Lipedema Patient Roundtable, host Brenda Viola and Angelique Charles “zoomed” from St. Louis Missouri, where the next few days will focus on the latest research and breakthroughs in fat disorders. Linda Anne Kahn , an FDRS clinical speaker, treated attendees to a sneak preview of h...

Spring has sprung, and the April Lymphedema Patient Roundtable was blooming with conversation around themes of community and support! Special guest Veronica Seneriz from the Lymphatic Education and Research Network walked attendees through LE&RN's robust new Resource Center (proudly sponsored by Lympha Press), and Angela Jones urged everyone to connect with the things that bring you joy wi...