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.
Last weekend, I had a chance to go to my parents’ house for a while. They live only about 45 minutes away, but with everything I’ve had going on at work recently, I’ve been so busy I haven’t made it over there too often. I was hanging out and…
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…
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