Dr. Herbst explores the mind/body connection and how stress affects the extracellular matrix, which is the support system to all body functions. The role of inflammation and recommendations on how lipedema patients can reduce stress are also reviewed.

Diagnosed with lymphedema as a baby, Blanche Pepitone had her first surgery at 18 months old. Her parents and siblings raised her to live life fully, regardless of her condition, and that has been Blanche's lifelong credo: "You've got to decide how much living you want to do and do what it takes to live that life."

The May Lipedema Patient Roundtable featured a wide range of topics, including venous ultrasounds and the vein connection to lipedema, the differences between lipedema fat and non-lipedema fat, obesogens and toxins that impact our overall health, and the signs of Ehlers-Danlos.

Lap band surgery resulted in the loss of 171 pounds, but why were her calves still 26 inches each? After the successful weight loss, walking 14 miles a day, and eating a very restrictive diet, she concluded: "This was not just metabolic obesity." Her knees were dislocating 7 - 8 times a day. The social lymphedema communities were a tremendous help to Susan - and then she discovered lipedema.

How chemicals make you fat, managing "usable hours" in a day, pain, heart racing and hot flashes, effective breathing, life after surgery, and lots of encouragement are packed into this one-hour Lipedema Patient Roundtable.

It took a cat bite that triggered cellulitis at 50 years old for Jenny to finally get a lymphedema diagnosis and another 12 years for an expert to recognize that she also had lipedema.

From lipedema and the COVID vaccine to using heat vs. ice, the March Roundtable was filled with great advice to educate and encourage.