Black and Blue Ribbons - a Column by Karen Del Vecchio

massage, 2020, finger, fracture, awareness, sign, surge capacity, tension

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.

Farm Chores Are a Unique Form of Therapy

While you likely know by now that I have horses, you may not realize that I live on a small, private, horse-breeding farm. The owner is active duty in the military, so I have my own place on the farm that allows me to help whenever needed. For non-horse…

My Continual Work Toward Managing Stress

It’s been a few weeks since Spotty received his diagnosis. My vet came out to look at my horse and go over ultrasound images taken by my orthopedic specialist at the referral hospital. We came up with a game plan. Although the doctor who diagnosed him advised six to…

Massage Is a Critical Component of My Healing

Sometimes, we may have so many levels of embedded issues that it can be difficult to know where to start. For my horse Arti and me, massage and acupressure were critical to physical recovery. I don’t remember how I stumbled upon my first massage therapist, but I’m thankful…

Learning Patience with a Racehorse Named Artica

To know me, it’s important that you know a bit about my past and the journey to my current style of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) management. So, in my next few columns, I’ll cover my history and how various experiences helped me learn the ways I manage EDS. One…

My 22-year Journey to Diagnosis

Ten years ago, at age 22, I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS). I’d known there was something “wrong” with me long before I was 22, but despite having a doctor in the family who had been trying to figure out the mystery with several colleagues since I was…