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.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),…
Every time I think that maybe I’ve figured some things out with my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), it’s like my body says, Nope! Just kidding. Let me do something completely different! Since EDS generally isn’t progressive and varies for each person who has it, we can have trouble knowing…
As I stood in front of the new students during orientation last week, I tried to ignore my aching knees. Faculty and staff were lined up on the basketball court, where we took turns introducing ourselves to the freshmen and transfer students joining us this year. I tried to stand…
For teachers and students in much of the U.S., it’s that time of year again! As a teacher, I’m back to work already, getting ready for another school year to begin. While in some ways it’s nice to have summers off, I miss the routine that comes with the school…
When I felt the soreness in my back a few weeks ago, I knew it felt different. It was still muscle pain — I hadn’t injured my back in an out-of-the-ordinary way, at least not that I knew — but it didn’t feel the same. Usually with my Ehlers-Danlos…
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