Ehlers-Danlos

Four colorful walking canes decorated with charms lean together in a corner, used as mobility aids for someone with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS).

What Helped You After an EDS Diagnosis?

Being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can feel like a major feat to some. Maybe you’ve been advocating for a diagnosis for a while, or maybe this was a shock to you. In both scenarios, sometimes you get to the other side of the diagnostic process and realize it doesn’t just stop there. Now is the […]

Minimalist illustration of a male and female figure shown back-to-back, with highlighted joints and overlapping circles representing shared and differing features of hEDS and HSD.

Does EDS Affect Men Differently? What a New Study Tells Us About Sex Differences in hEDS and HSD

Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), and the closely related hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), are commonly thought of as conditions that primarily affect women. Walk into any EDS support group, online community, or clinic waiting room, and the overwhelming majority of people there will be female. But does that mean men are truly less affected, or does […]

Minimalist illustration of a student wearing a knee brace, shorts, and a backpack walking toward a school with other students in the background.

The Other Back-to-School Checklist: Redefining a Successful School Year for Kids With EDS

As a mother of three children living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, the start of a new school year has always brought a certain amount of anxiety. While many of my mom friends and their kids were shopping for new clothes and school supplies, excited about the possibilities of a fresh start, my back-to-school “to-do” list often […]

Paper-cut side profile of a blue human head with a rainbow infinity symbol over the brain and pink squiggles around it.

Getting Tested for Autism as an Adult: What I Learned Going Through It

If you’ve landed here, maybe you have been quietly researching traits of autism, looking up screening questionnaires, and wondering if you could be part of the recently reported 39% of autistic patients that have co-occurring Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD). Before I ever sat across from an evaluator, I spent months reading, […]

Novelty disguise glasses with bushy eyebrows, a large plastic nose, a small mustache, and a drawn frown on a white background.

The Pressure to “Perform Wellness”

There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that has nothing to do with the joint pain, dysautonomia flares, or GI symptoms. It has everything to do with how you’re expected to present those things to other people, specifically your healthy, able-bodied friends or coworkers or strangers on the street. If you have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) or […]

Minimalist graphite sketch of five towering stacks of administrative forms, folders, and clipped papers against a plain white background.

Beyond the Medical: Why Disability Is an Administrative Experience Too

For most of my life, other people told my story. As a teenager, I saw my story appear in newspaper articles, documentaries, and conference presentations, focused on my rare genetic condition, scientific discovery, and perseverance. The stories helped other families find answers and gave people hope, and I remain grateful for the community they created. […]

Illustration of a young Black woman coughing during a meal while holding her throat, with a bowl of soup containing a spoon and a glass of water in front of her, representing swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD).

Why Is Swallowing So Hard? Dysphagia in EDS and HSD 

If you’ve ever coughed while eating, felt like food got stuck in your throat, or found yourself avoiding certain foods because they’re harder to swallow, you’re not alone. Many people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) describe these experiences, yet swallowing problems are often overshadowed by other symptoms like joint pain or […]

Minimalist illustration of a woman surrounded by symbols of love, happiness, anger, sadness, and other emotions, while a band of fog obscures her eyes, representing emotional numbness and difficulty accessing feelings.

Understanding Emotional Numbness in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

Living with EDS often comes with navigating an ongoing cycle of injuries, fatigue, symptom flares, medical appointments, unexpected setbacks, and uncertainty about what your body will do next. For many people, EDS-related stressors are cumulative, where each new experience adds to an already heavy emotional burden. Over time, this constant state of stress and adaptation […]