Black and Blue Ribbons
— Karen Del Vecchio

When I look back at all the physical activities I used to do growing up, it’s hard to believe I was never scared of injuring myself. I can no longer imagine myself in the thick of a physical soccer…

Anyone who rides a horse knows that no matter how careful you are, sometimes you’re going to fall. I had my first fall in a year a couple weeks ago. Cherry has been an exceptionally well-behaved and safe horse…

Well, we’re back to school and we’re rolling! It’s hard to believe that students have been back for nearly three weeks, and I’ve been back for nearly six. I really enjoy my job teaching history and doing college…

It’s that time of year again! Summer just flew by, and before I knew it, I was back at work, which for me is school. As a high school history teacher and college counselor, my downtime is minimal when…

I hadn’t slept well in weeks. I kept doing that whole “wake up, turn over, try to get comfortable” thing, but nothing worked. As someone who manages chronic fatigue due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), this sleep interruption was…

The past few weeks have been busy, yet so much fun. I was recently able to visit my grandparents, who live out of state, for the first time since the pandemic started. Now that they and the rest of…

Summer is in full swing here, and one fun part for me is seasonal allergies, or hay fever. I deal with both indoor and outdoor allergies year-round, but they tend to be worse in the summer. I’ve noticed…

It’s crazy how sometimes time seems to simultaneously crawl and fly by. It feels like just yesterday when I was headed to work as a high school history teacher and a college counselor. On the flip side, I’m certain…

It’s a bit hard to believe it’s already summer. Yet, the blistering heat and lack of rain remind me each morning that, yes, it is actually almost July. This past school year has been exceptionally stressful. While my school…

A few months ago, when I finally returned to the dentist after being fully vaccinated for COVID-19, we talked about redoing my Invisalign. Although I had braces as a teenager, my teeth began to shift again as I got…

As I sit here working on my column, with a heating pad wrapped around my hip to calm down a recent injury, I wonder about the similarities among those of us with…