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.
Here in Virginia, all nonessential businesses have been closed for several weeks. Frustratingly, I’m unable to access my two main therapies — massage and Pilates. Both of these activities are critical to my pain management, as massage helps to relax my tight muscles and Pilates remind my body…
Like everyone right now, my life and my therapies have been upended by the coronavirus. While it’s easy to get bogged down in all the stress and seemingly all-consuming fear (especially if you turn on the television), the forced downtime has some positives if we remember to look for…
In this time of uncertainty, stress and anxiety (a very common co-diagnosis with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) management are critical to my self-care. Like virtually everyone else, my life has been a bit upended recently. But I’m trying to make the best of it that I can, while at the same…
It’s hard to believe that only a week has passed since I wrote my last column. Everything is so different that it feels like months ago, not days. In the interim, COVID-19 has turned everyone’s world here in the U.S.
One of the many unusual issues that come with having Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is the way that I can injure myself and not even know how I did it. That sounds baffling to most people, but for those with EDS, it’s not uncommon to find you have bruises you weren’t…
As I’ve mentioned in previous columns my shoulder is probably the most damaged joint in my body. When I was about 15, I dislocated it, broke my collarbone, tore my trapezius muscle, and…
I love snow. It doesn’t snow very often where I live, but I sure enjoy when it does. We got about 5 inches of snow last Thursday. I work as a college counselor at a private high school, so I benefited from the decision to close school on Friday. A…
Presidents Day is a nice three-day weekend to have in the middle of winter and a good time to recharge. As much as I hate to admit it, the chronic fatigue from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) wears me down. The breaks I get working…
We’ve had a very strange “winter” so far here in the mid-Atlantic. I used quotation marks because we’ve barely had a winter. We’ve only had a few days of significant cold. Otherwise, it’s been bizarrely warm — and wet. My region has had so much rain recently that I’m…
I try hard not to be negative or to complain too much. Overall, my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is not as bad as it could be, and I’ve found ways to manage most of my symptoms. I usually can do what I enjoy with a bit of creativity. Still, I…
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