Black and Blue Ribbons
— Karen Del Vecchio

Like many people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrom, I often have gastrointestinal issues. I was diagnosed with a gut motility issue as a teenager, but I can really trace the problem back to when I was born. My parents have always joked about how I never let them sleep through the…

Well, the past week and a half has been a baptism by fire, to say the least. I currently have nowhere near enough hours in my day to handle everything that needs to be done, and then manage any form of self-care other than riding.

Well, it’s been quite a week. Just two days before school started at the high school where I work, I was asked to pick up a section of Honors U.S. History to teach in addition to my duties as a college counselor and an adviser to international students.

I’ve been back to work at a high school for just over two weeks, and it feels strange. Everyone is wearing masks, keeping far apart, and cleaning everything they touch. I’m lucky to have my own office, where I can close the door and remove my mask for a…

Last week, I returned to work for the first time since late March. It’s been an odd summer, to say the least. I also haven’t been able to get bodywork in months, an essential part of my self-care routine and critical to keeping my pain levels under control. Firstly,…

While the heat of summer unfortunately will continue for weeks to come, summer’s unofficial end is on the horizon as my date for going back to work approaches. As a college counselor in an independent high school, I’m usually off from mid-June to early August. Hence, in coming days, I’ll…

Pretty much anyone who’s read my column knows I work as a college counselor, live on a farm, and have horses. Another thing about me that most might not know, however, is that I love history. I love to read, especially historical fiction, and I was one of…

My horse, Cherry, fractured a bone in her foot in May. She came to me 14 months ago with a variety of physical compensations, which I’ve written about in other columns and have been working to address. Although we’ve made some progress, it’s slow going at times. It’s been…

I wrote last week about how much horseback riding has helped me with body awareness. Another activity that has helped me significantly improve body awareness is Pilates. Pilates also has made me more conscientious while riding, which in turn has had a positive domino effect for me. When I…

Recently, someone mentioned that I seem to have heightened body awareness. I’d never really thought about it, but I guess I do pay attention to how my body moves (or doesn’t), my range of motion, and how different activities affect my pain levels and mobility. I don’t think I…

I rarely wear short-sleeve shirts, but it’s not because of the same reason I often wear pants instead of shorts. Rather, it’s because I sunburn easily. I practically live in sun shirts while working outdoors on the farm. I don’t know how I made it through summer before these…

Some people like summer. Love it even. I’m not one of them. In fact, if I listed the four seasons for their weather attributes, summer would come in a very distant last. I live in the South, where it gets hot, humid, and sticky most of the time from June…