Posts by: Karen Del Vecchio

Karen Del Vecchio

June 15, 2021June 15, 2021

It’s Time for Invisalign, Round 2

COVID-19 Columns, Ehlers-Danlos News 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, ... Read more

June 8, 2021June 8, 2021

Thanks to the Rare Disease Community, I Feel Less Isolated

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

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 ... Read more

June 1, 2021June 1, 2021

Which Came First, the Injuries or the Compensation?

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

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 ... Read more

May 25, 2021May 25, 2021

I’m Ready to Recharge After an Unusual School Year

COVID-19 Columns, Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

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 ... Read more

May 18, 2021May 18, 2021

Finding Comfortable Shoes Can Be Difficult With Flat Feet

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

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 ... Read more

May 11, 2021May 11, 2021

Balancing Responsibilities and Sleep During a Busy Month

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

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 ... Read more

May 4, 2021May 4, 2021

How Visible Is My Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

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 ... Read more

April 27, 2021April 27, 2021

Not All Positivity Is Created Equal

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

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 ... Read more

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

Moving Past the Unknown Causes of My EDS Pain and Injuries

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. As part of my job as a college counselor, I’m working with high school seniors to help them make college decisions. As ... Read more

April 13, 2021April 13, 2021

Are My Unique Massage Reactions Related to EDS?

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

I know I write frequently about my massages, but that’s because they are the only treatment available to me, and they keep my pain level under control. This is one ... Read more

April 6, 2021April 6, 2021

Reducing My Pain Allows Me to Break Through Chronic Fatigue

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

After almost six weeks of being unable to get a massage because my therapist was injured, I finally got back in last week. I really needed it, as I’ve been ... Read more

March 30, 2021March 30, 2021

My Compensatory Pain Can Escalate Quickly With EDS

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

I haven’t been sleeping restfully this week. I’ve been doing that whole wake-up-and-roll-back-over thing seemingly a dozen times a night. I’ve been dealing with a pain flare since I got ... Read more

March 23, 2021March 23, 2021

Traditional Orthodontic Retainers Are Insufficient, Thanks to My EDS

COVID-19 Columns, Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

Last week, I went to the dentist for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. I had my regular cleaning just before everything shut down last year, and ... Read more

March 16, 2021March 16, 2021

Sunlight Helps to Ease My Stress and Anxiety

COVID-19 Columns, Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

Throughout the past week, the weather has been gorgeous. After weeks of seemingly endless rain, terrible mud that’s taken a real toll on me physically, and generally depressing weather, it’s ... Read more

March 9, 2021March 9, 2021

To Reduce Anxiety, I Remind Myself That Pain and Stress Are Related

COVID-19 Columns, Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

This week has been busy. After all the rain we’ve had in the mid-Atlantic region recently, the ground is soaking wet, but we’ve finally had a few days in a ... Read more