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.The past few weeks at work have been enormously stressful. We school counselors often refer to this month as “Sucktober,” because it tends to be when the honeymoon of a new school year has worn off. Plus, big college application deadlines are looming, and student energy has begun to lag.
Some aspects of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) are just weird. There are the expected symptoms — tight and sore muscles, chronic fatigue, frequent injuries, bruising — but there are also effects that, while related, don’t seem to make much sense. For me, one of those is the…
“Ms. D! Ms. D! Will you come play volleyball with us?” I heard this call on a recent Friday afternoon, when our school’s internet was down and I was supervising kids who were enjoying a little free gym time before heading home for the weekend. If I played, the game…
Last week seemed to drag on forever. Although I was finally feeling better after a rough patch, it got me thinking about how rest is a double-edged sword for me with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). I definitely feel that I need more rest than most people, but I also…
Last week when I finally caught up with my massage therapist, Kim, after a six-week break — I was sick, then she was — I told her she’d get to play a game called “Pick Your Train Wreck,” which had her laughing hysterically. Thanks to my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS),…
The other week, I felt a twinge in my back when I woke up, but I hoped I’d just slept funny and it would soon go away. As the day went on, though, the slight discomfort grew until my back became quite painful. Getting up from a chair was awkward,…
After a rough couple of weeks, the past few days have been an exercise in remembering to listen to my body and take the time I need to heal, as I’ve been recovering from what was likely a case of COVID-19 and a nasty fall caused by the…
Two weeks ago, I wrote that I was struggling to get back into the swing of the school year. It’s always a tough transition, but this year, I was dragging more than usual at my job as a teacher and college counselor. But I didn’t dwell on it and…
Last week, an athletic trainer I was talking to asked why I had kinesiology tape on my leg. I told her I have plantar fasciitis and mentioned something about my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). To my surprise, she said, “Wow, I didn’t know you had that. Actually, I…
After more than 10 years of working in schools, I should be better about managing my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) through the transition from time off in the summer to the academic year in fall. But every year it seems to take me by surprise. Since I love my job,…
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