Ehlers-Danlos

Overhead view of multiple blister packs containing different prescription medications and tablets beside medication bottles and a tissue on a white surface, representing the complexity and emotional burden of starting and managing medications with chronic illness.

The Fear No One Talks About: Starting a New Medication When Chronically Ill

  “What if it causes anaphylaxis?” “What if it makes me sick?” “What if it doesn’t work?” “Once I take it I can’t undo it.” For most people, starting a new prescription is routine – pick it up, get generic instructions from the pharmacist, take it, then report back to your doctor in a few […]

Medical illustration of the torso showing the stomach, liver, small intestine, and colon in their normal anatomical positions. Fine blue dashed reference lines and a curved pelvic line indicate anatomical landmarks used to illustrate organ position when discussing visceroptosis (downward displacement of abdominal organs). The organs are rendered in a soft pencil-sketch style with subtle beige and pink tones against a light background.

The Condition Medicine Forgot: Visceroptosis

This article explores the history and current research surrounding visceroptosis, a condition involving the downward displacement of internal organs. While some forms of organ prolapse, such as rectal and pelvic organ prolapse, are already recognized features of Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), the possibility that connective tissue laxity may also affect organs higher in the abdomen […]

Cover of the Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation 2013 Learning Conference welcome brochure. The cover reads "2013 Learning Conference" and lists the Rhode Island Convention Center and The Omni Providence in Providence, Rhode Island, with conference dates of August 1–3. A nighttime photograph of the Providence skyline appears at the bottom of the cover.

Ten Years and a Time Capsule: What Changed, What Didn’t, and What’s Next

July is a busy month in the Ehlers-Danlos world. The EDS Society’s Annual Global Learning Conference takes place in Allen, Texas, on July 24-26. It will feature a great lineup of esteemed physician speakers, patient organizations, advocates, and presentations covering this year’s theme: “Exploring Comorbidities in EDS & HSD.” It is also the Ten-Year Celebration of the founding of the Ehlers-Danlos […]

"Graphic for Disability Pride Month featuring the Disability Pride flag with diagonal red, yellow, white, blue, and green stripes on a dark gray background, overlaid with a black accessibility wheelchair symbol in the center."

Disability Pride Month: The World Works Better With Us

  Every July, the disability community marks Disability Pride Month: an annual celebration tied to the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. The ADA was a landmark civil rights law that prohibited discrimination against disabled people in employment, public accommodations, transportation, and government services. It was the result of […]

Tayler sits on white stairs wearing a green sleeveless top and ripped jeans, with an ostomy pouch visible at her waist. Small white flowers are tucked into the waistband of her jeans around the ostomy pouch. She looks toward the camera with a calm, confident expression, portraying everyday life with an ostomy.

My Ostomy Saved My Life

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 […]

Collage with different portraits. Going clockwise: Professional headshot of Jeevan Mann smiling outdoors, wearing a navy blazer and light blue button-down shirt against a softly blurred background Headshot of Krista Brack smiling at the camera indoors, wearing glasses and a white top, with informational displays blurred in the backgroun Portrait of Jacqueline Teti wearing a blue jean dress with large brown curls, smiling against a green leafy background Portrait of Kaleena Deshawn outdoors wearing colorful braided hair and bold green makeup, smiling slightly while wearing a green Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome awareness T-shirt with awareness ribbon graphics and text about chronic illness experiences

Beyond the Myths: Four People Talk About the Reality of Living With EDS & HSD

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 […]

Minimalist pencil sketch of a woman with long dark hair and a calm, contemplative expression, facing slightly to the side. Subtle abstract shapes and a faint anatomical heart appear behind her. Soft handwritten text in the background reads, “Survival is not resilience. It is grit.”

Persistent

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 […]

Illustration of a disabled single mother resting in bed while holding her child, viewed from behind, with soft neutral tones and minimalist design elements. Text reads: “Horizontal Parenting: 5 Strategies I Used After Surgery as a Disabled Single Mom.”

Horizontal Parenting: 5 Strategies I Used After Surgery as a Disabled Single Mom

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 […]