If you are among the many people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) who also have dysautonomia, summer can feel less like a season to enjoy and more like something to survive. Research suggests that dysautonomia affects approximately 80% of people with hypermobile EDS, making it one of the most common comorbidities associated with the condition. For […]
Celebrating My Two-Year Stoma-Versary I used to feel like I couldn’t say, “my ostomy bag saved my life,” because I didn’t get my ostomy bag for the same reasons a lot of people do. Some of the most common reasons people need ostomies are for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), acute infections like diverticulitis, or colon […]
Like many people, my hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) was diagnosed after a steep and sudden decline in my health. I had been navigating fatigue, pain, and fogginess for years, but in April 2020, I became bedbound for months following an incident during a Zoom call where I began blacking out and twitching. I had been […]
Going off to college is an exciting time, filled with new adventures and much more freedom, both personally and academically. However, it can also come with numerous challenges, particularly for students with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and related conditions. On the positive side, increased independence means students with EDS may be able to manage some […]
We wanted to end EDS Awareness Month by spotlighting the lived experiences of four individuals with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD). Through these perspectives, we aimed to tackle a few of the many myths surrounding these conditions. We also wanted to offer a glimpse into the reality of living with EDS/HSD, including […]
Many timesI have been called resilient. A title inflicted on melike a brilliant,gleaming badge of honor. But it was one that I never asked for.Worn without choiceor the ability to claima different perspective,a different name. I give myself a new description,a title that encompassesthe pain and infliction. I am persistent. Resilience is to bendand not […]
I live with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and Sjogren’s. Over the years, I’ve undergone more than 40 surgeries, including spinal fusions and brain surgery, many performed while raising my son alone. My son was born 11 weeks early and spent 63 days in the NICU. We […]
We didn’t plan it this way, but the release of our documentary film, Complicated, on Apple TV in May feels almost fated. Between Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Awareness Month and Mother’s Day, the timing reflects the very heart of this project that we started nine years ago. To see it come to fruition has been incredible, and I […]