An avid equestrian and educator, Karen has been a columnist at BioNews — the publisher of this site — since 2019. She was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in 2009 after years of searching for a diagnosis that explained her symptoms. Karen enjoys working with her students, riding and caring for her two horses (Cherry and Spotty), and connecting with others in the rare disease community through her writing.To remove any doubt that summer is in full force, all you have to do is step outside. Like elsewhere across the country, temperatures here in Virginia have soared into the upper 90s, with the heat index climbing over 100 degrees at times. Thanks to living on…
As some of you may know, outside of being a high school teacher and college counselor, my life primarily revolves around animals. I live on a small, private farm where I help with chores and maintenance. That part-time job, this column, and my full-time teaching job allow me to have…
Last fall, I repeatedly woke up quite sore, and it finally dawned on me that I needed a new mattress. Great! Easy fix, right? Well, it should have been — if I hadn’t forgotten to do it. You might be wondering, “How in the world do you forget to…
Every summer, I face the same conundrum: Do I wear shorts and skirts, or not? My answer tends to vary, but this year, I bought myself a few new pairs of shorts that I’ve already worn several times. I’m not sure I had any shorts I actually liked last…
Now that this crazy school year is out and I have a few weeks off, I’ve tried to come up with a plan for the summer to help me reset and recharge so that I can be ready for whatever the upcoming school year throws at me. With COVID-19…
Hello, readers! I’m so glad to be back with you all. I realize that I suddenly vanished from my column last fall, but now that the school year is finished, I’ve returned. This past year of teaching was the hardest one I’ve experienced, and I had to make some tough…
I must have slept funny last week because I woke up one day with stiff and sore muscles in my neck that turned into quite a headache. I sometimes get referred pain in my neck because of a sports injury I sustained to my right shoulder as a…
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 game without also thinking about getting hurt. Back then, I was…
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 for me, but falling is part of riding an animal that…
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 counseling with juniors and seniors, but it can be stressful at…
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