Black and Blue Ribbons
— Karen Del Vecchio

Recovery is such an up-and-down experience. I want to move forward, make progress, and get on with life, but that’s not how recovery works, especially for those of us with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). While my overall trajectory is upward, I’m having a tough time with the setbacks and not-so-great…

Last week, my discomfort and frustration with my recent rib and diaphragm injury reached a tipping point. More than anything, I was frustrated by my reactive diaphragm, which made me often feel nauseous. Physical pain I can deal with — those of us with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) are used…

It’s been an interesting couple of weeks as I recover from broken ribs and an injured diaphragm. I’m trying to be patient with the healing process, but that’s not something I’m good at! I’d hoped to begin physical therapy (PT) for my diaphragm and sore core muscles, but because broken…

Physical compensation can be such an odd duck to tackle. Right now, I’m struggling not only with broken ribs and an injured diaphragm, but also with the way my body is trying to compensate. I have a lot of back and hip pain, and I noticed recently that…

I stood there staring at a container on the top shelf of my kitchen cabinet, debating if I should reach up for it or not. After falling off my horse about a month ago and winding up with a broken and dislocated rib, I’ve been forced to rest…

Sometimes life teaches us lessons we don’t want to learn. This has been the case for me recently as I deal with a broken and dislocated rib and an injured diaphragm. I’m terrible about pushing myself too hard, usually just plowing forward. I don’t do “slow” well, and…

Did you know you can sprain your diaphragm? I certainly didn’t. Although it’s rare, you can injure it like any other muscle. The past few weeks have been extremely difficult for me after a recent fall off a horse. At first, I thought I’d pulled a muscle in my…

As I leaned over to wash my hands in the restroom, I heard an audible pop. Half a second later, I felt a crunching in my back that I quickly realized was bone scraping against bone. In the next moment, I understood that something in my ribs had moved drastically,…

Ever since I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) at age 22, I’ve been told that horseback riding is good for me; it’s the falling that’s not. No one likes to fall, but it’s a part of riding. Injuries are a risk associated with any sport, although some sports…

I wrote a column a few months ago about gaining a ganglion cyst on my right pointer finger when I dropped a six-by-six wooden beam on it by accident. While it thankfully doesn’t bother me much anymore, I know that sometimes gentle compression can help a cyst shrink, or at…

My last column on my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) pain sparked many comments, and one of the most interesting discussions was about whether EDS is progressive. I’m going to share why I say it’s not, but also why I understand those who believe it is. When I said that…

I felt like a knife was stabbing me just above my eyes, and I groaned inwardly in frustration at the realization that my seasonal allergies were acting up again. Recently, I’ve experienced some of the worst allergy symptoms I’ve had in years, and coupled with my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS),…