Managing Ehlers-Danlos

An illustration of several surgeons with masks and hats.

Surgery Prep: Meeting Your EDS Hospital Stay Needs

How to be prepared & stay safe when having a hospital stay with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) This article will give an overview of ways you can prepare for a hospital stay when you have EDS, as well as tips on surgical prep and your own patient advocacy. People with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) often need surgery […]

Dr. Lilian Holm on EDS & Physical Therapy. Dr. Lilian Holm, a woman with shoulder-long brown hair and bangs, is sitting in her office, which is a large room with a turquoise wall behind her and an open fireplace. She sits on a beige chair and wears a black shirt and a delicate golden necklace. In the background is a treatment bench in the foreground two red flowers.

EDSed Episode 2: Dr. Lilian Holm on Physical Therapy & EDS

EDSed is our new series of full-length interviews with international EDS experts. These educational interview series with journalistic (news) quality is complementary to our webinar recordings and another free resource we provide for our community. All films are produced by journalist and We Are Visible filmmaker Karina Sturm and sponsored by Chronic Pain Partners. You can […]

An image of a beach at sunset in the background with a quote int he foreground: Be kind and loving to yourself. Wrap yourself in a blanket of love. You deserve it!

Wrap Yourself in a Blanket of Love: How to Foster Self-Compassion

Self-compassion (and self-care) are sometimes misunderstood as selfish, self-cherishing, or self-indulgent, but this couldn’t be further from the truth, especially when you live with chronic illness or chronic pain such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). Self-compassion is the act of offering ourselves the same care and compassion we would give to others. It is simply the […]

Black and white photo of a woman with long blonde hair and a white dress. In the background are illustrations of different clocks.

Surviving the Rollercoaster of EDS and Chronic Fatigue: Tips and Tricks for Managing the Boom-and-Bust Cycle

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 […]

Two legs with red gym shoes close to the water.

The Six Steps of Proper Pacing

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 […]

A black woman with long black hair. She is looking to the side and has beautiful brown eyes and silver earrings.

Advocate Nthabeleng Ramoeli on her EDS journey, EDS care in Lesotho, and why she established an NGO to help all rare disease patients

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 […]

Ryann, a person with short brown hair and a black nursing outfit is sitting in a red wheelchair proudly holding her arm up high with her mouth open. She wears a stethoscope around her neck and several tattoos are visible on her arms.

The Road to Recovery Was Paved By Me and My Wheelchair: Q&A With Ryann Mason

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, […]

A collage with several images on white background with a zebra-striped top. A Zebra’s Holiday Gift Guide: Body Back Trigger Point tool, fav shirt, portable hydration, Prism glasses, comic relief coloring book, walking stick combo pop up chair, ice packs for pain, aloe socks, microwavable slippers, inflatable travel pillows.

The 12 Gifts of Blissmas: This Holiday Season’s Gift Guide for the EDS Warrior

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’ […]