When you’re doing okay, it can feel like a high, a return to normalcy even. It is hard to figure out the level of functioning that is going to allow you to get things done without making your symptoms send you into another flare. It’s a tiny little fine line between doing too much and […]
Pacing techniques, such as the “spoon theory,” can be incredibly helpful for managing energy levels and preventing overexertion. This involves breaking activities into smaller chunks and taking breaks as needed to allow for rest and recovery. Sounds easy enough, right? UGH- NO!! You kinda need to plan to do this successfully to know which spoons […]
For our January newsletter, journalist Karina Sturm spoke with rare disease advocate Nthabeleng Ramoeli. Ramoeli was born in Lesotho, a country encircled by South Africa, and lives with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and many other comorbid conditions. The young woman relentlessly fights for improved access to health care for rare disease patients in her home country and […]
For January’s Chronic Pain Partners post (our monthly newsletter), journalist Karina Sturm spoke with author and fellow EDS warrior, Jessica MacLean. Despite never being able to hold a pencil correctly, MacLean was first published during high school, and she became a writer. The Arizona native’s recently published book, Arizona Rain, tells the stories of her […]
Many people with chronic illnesses, like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) or other disabling or deteriorating conditions, are often afraid of the possibility of “ending up in a wheelchair.” It is a real fear. But what if we changed our thinking? Wheelchairs provide freedom; they aren’t the end, but empowering and enabling for the user. And sometimes, […]
Let’s be blunt: chronic illness and pain sucks. Many of us don’t only live with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), but also have a variety of comorbid conditions such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), affectionately known as the EDS trifecta. Living with all of these takes ‘chronic illness and pain’ […]
This time of year, it can be hard for anyone, especially those with a chronic illness like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), to gear up for the holiday madness. The pressure to shop, cook, wine, dine and be fine is too much! You might not be able to travel or gather with loved ones for various reasons, […]
Doctor & patient communication