Columns

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…

When I was new to the idea that I may have an Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, I was convinced that I needed a firm diagnosis before I could receive treatment and finally find some relief from problems that had plagued me for years. I believed I had to “name it before I…

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…

Change happens. I have had many roles in my life, including being a daughter, wife, and mother. I’ve also been a student, artisan, neighbor, patient, and advocate. You probably have had similar experiences. Roles have come, and roles have gone. It’s part of the natural waxing and waning of life.

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…