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.

My EDS body is acting like it’s opposite day

I feel like my body’s done a flip-flop. Usually my right side causes me the most problems. I have a badly damaged shoulder, hip, finger, hand, and ankle, all on my right side. My left side is normally the “good” one, with only occasional flare-ups. In the…

Sometimes anti-inflammatories are my best option to manage pain

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with anti-inflammatories. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. For someone who daily manages chronic pain, courtesy of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), I’m surprisingly bad at it. Sometimes I don’t manage…