Columns

A few months ago, when I finally returned to the dentist after being fully vaccinated for COVID-19, we talked about redoing my Invisalign. Although I had braces as a teenager, my teeth began to shift again as I got older. While it wasn’t too bad yet, my dentist told me…

Before I was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), I underwent an ultrasound of my carotid arteries to rule out blockage as the cause of my pre-syncope. My arteries were clear, but an incidental finding of a suspicious thyroid nodule…

As I sit here working on my column, with a heating pad wrapped around my hip to calm down a recent injury, I wonder about the similarities among those of us with various rare disorders. Of course, someone like me…

As I often do, I had an interesting discussion with my rock-star massage therapist Kim last week. She’d been on vacation for a few weeks, so I’d missed a session and was feeling quite sore. My hip, which I injured a few months ago, recently decided to get…

Well, it’s official. The COVID-19 school year is officially complete! For students, at least. As faculty, we still have a few weeks left, but I still can’t believe it’s over already. This year has felt both like it’s lasted an eternity and gone by in a flash. There have been…

Shoes and I have an interesting relationship. I’ve said before that I seem to be much more susceptible to blisters, but my flat feet are a different issue. Like many people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), I’ve always had flat feet. That was one of the many things doctors…

Although sleeping helps me feel my best, it is also my greatest adversary. Like many people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, chronic exhaustion is a constant battle. No matter how much sleep I get, I’m always tired. Add the fact that it’s crunch time at the end of a school year,…

Living independently with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is possible. So is living with a partner. Both require some thought and adaptation. Developing and maintaining healthy relationships requires a great deal of work, regardless of physical health. Using a little common sense and vetting your prospects before committing can help you…

Sometimes I wonder how much of my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is visible to others. Apart from the obvious things, like my bruising, I think much goes unnoticed. This is partly because I have more moderate EDS, so I don’t have as many visible features as those with more severe cases.

Several years ago I learned an important distinction about positivity. For a long time, I had thought that positivity meant ignoring what was upsetting or not going right so that you could “pretend” to be happy. I had always thought that was somewhat ridiculous, because pretending that the negatives don’t…