Black and Blue Ribbons
— Karen Del Vecchio

I vaguely heard a familiar jingle, which in my fuzzy state, confused me. Why was my alarm going off when it was still dark outside? I know I get up early to take care of the animals on my small farm before I go to work, but I don’t…

Do not fall out of a Kubota vehicle. You’re probably thinking, gee, that’s a pretty obvious statement. Yep, it sure is. And despite using four-wheel minitruck vehicles on farms for over a decade, I managed to take my first tumble off one recently. Despite only sliding a few…

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. As a teacher, the end of winter always seems to drag, as cold, gray days and lots of sick kids make for a tough couple of months. I was pretty lucky this year, as I’d gotten only a mild cold back in…

My right shoulder has been causing me problems for more than 20 years, though I’ve made much progress. The original injury happened during a soccer game and has reverberated since then, often as either the cause or a participant in my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) pain flares. I remember…

When I woke up on a Saturday morning a few weeks ago, I suspected that I might’ve slept in an awkward position. I didn’t feel too bad, though, so I got up and started moving. I was hopeful that I just needed to stretch and loosen up. But I quickly…

The rising and falling temperatures we’ve been experiencing lately have been challenging for me. With Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), I already tend to have tight muscles that cause pain. It’s a constant battle, regardless of what month of the year it is or whether it’s hot or cold outside.

I’ve been fighting plantar fasciitis on and off for over a year. While I’ve tried to do some things to manage it, mostly I’ve just ignored it. That’s one of my frequent go-to, but not-so-great, coping mechanisms for physical pain. As a result, my foot pain worsened…

I’m a creature of habit. I like my routines, and while I’m perfectly capable of altering them when I need to, I prefer rhythm and predictability in my day-to-day life. I moved a couple months ago, and while I still live in the same community with the same people (and…

When painful Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) symptoms get me down, I like to imagine that my body’s sore spots have their own personalities. No, I’m not crazy; I don’t actually believe they have their own feelings. But it’s entertaining to pretend they do. I find that joking about it is…

For the first time in years, I didn’t go anywhere at all during my two weeks of winter break from my work as a teacher and college counselor. Usually I visit extended family, but a variety of factors meant that just didn’t happen this year. With a rare stretch of…

I’m pretty sure that my extreme stubbornness is one of the ways I persevere in managing my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, as well as part of the reason I have pain flares. Recently, my life has been crazy busy. I’ve moved and been trying to get all my teacher…

As a teacher, I couldn’t be more ready for winter break. And I’m not alone: Though we still have a few days before we’re done for a while, the students and staff can’t wait, either. I’m overtired, stressed out, and sore. And while I’m guessing many of my colleagues feel…