Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

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 9, 2021April 9, 2021

What Playing the Piano Has Taught Me About Living With EDS

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

The initial pandemic shutdowns last spring brought my family’s very busy schedule to a grinding halt. We decided to use the time to improve our emotional and physical well-being. We ... 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

March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

Your Health Is Not Defined by a Diagnosis

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

After recently honoring Rare Disease Day on Feb. 28, I’m contemplating the obvious: A person is not defined by a diagnosis. This usually means they don’t allow a condition to ... Read more

March 2, 2021March 2, 2021

5 Small Steps That Have Made My Busy Weeks Easier

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

This school year has been unique, to say the least. As a high school teacher and college counselor, I’ve been lucky to work at an institution that has made an ... Read more

February 23, 2021February 23, 2021

Staying Warm Is Critical for Maintaining Limber Muscles

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

Is it spring yet? Like for many people in the U.S., the weather in Virginia has been less than stellar lately. We’ve had record-breaking rainfall, and while I’m thankful we’ve ... Read more

February 16, 2021February 16, 2021

A Knee Pillow Provides Me With Pain Relief While Sleeping

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

Over the years, the position in which I’m most comfortable sleeping at night has changed. For most of my life, I could only sleep on my stomach. After I was ... Read more

February 9, 2021February 9, 2021

Massage Therapy Helps Manage My Pain, but Insurance Won’t Cover It

Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

I’m so lucky to be able to have massage therapy every other week. While I wasn’t diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) until I was 22 and didn’t start regular massages ... Read more