The Gift of Empathy this Thanksgiving
Recently I was asked to write a piece about what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving. My first reaction was, "Oh God, Thanksgiving is actually here again?" I don't have…
Recently I was asked to write a piece about what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving. My first reaction was, "Oh God, Thanksgiving is actually here again?" I don't have…
“The patient network is incredibly important,” Lina Williamson, PhD, explained to me. You see, in her childhood, Lina experienced a number of seemingly unexplainable symptoms: severe and sometimes debilitating leg…
Patient Worthy was a media partner at this year's NORD Living Rare, Living Stronger Patient and Family Forum. This is an annual event hosted by the National Organization for Rare…
Click here for part 1! At this point my joint pain was severely impacting my quality of life, so I looked for other sources of help. I joined a…
The story of my disease journey will be very familiar to many patients around the world. I was born and raised in a third world country where quality medical care…
In a recent press release, pharmaceutical company Acer Therapeutics, Inc. ("Acer") announced the publication of data on celiprolol for patients with COL3A1-positive vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (vEDS). The article, published in the European…
To read part 1 of Nikole's Holiday Confession, click here. I feel guilty when my limitations force others to have to alter their holiday expectations. Like, how do I tell…
Pumpkin pie, ginger-bread cookies, candy canes, and chocolates. Oh what a sweet season! A few nights ago my kids and I spent a few hours crouched over the wafting smells…
Crystal Goodwin, from South Portland, Maine, was diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) back in 2011. A rare disease diagnosis can turn one's life upside down, and Crystal is…
When I was 12 years old, following my mom’s sudden cardiac arrests, I was diagnosed with a rare, genetic sudden arrhythmia death syndrome called congenital long QT syndrome type 5.…
Arterial Dissection Arterial dissections refer to the tearing of the inner wall of an artery. Pregnancy creates stress on the body's blood vessels and in rare cases dissections can occur.…
According to a story from Youth Today, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was first passed 30 years ago, in 1990. This historic law helps protect people that live with…
For Emma, the worst part of receiving her diagnosis with ankylosing spondylitis wasn't adapting to the constant pain, losing her breath over five minutes of standing, being too exhausted to…
In Prohealth, Marlane Quade Cook draws on her own experience with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome to question whether the medical community has enough information and education to properly diagnose all 13 subtypes…
Continued from Part 1 The surgery was over 12 hours long. I have two rods and 26 screws holding my spine and had nine ribs cut and reduced in…
I was born in 1974 in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Italian immigrants. I was born with a rare genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome kyphoscoliosis type, but it was not diagnosed…
'What you can't see can't hurt you.' It's a classic and well-intentioned phrase, but we know it to be quite untrue; especially if you ask any one of the millions…
I wanted to invite the invisibly disabled community to join the screening of ‘We Are Visible’, my film about people living with an invisible condition (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) all around the…
In a story from Medical Xpress, the authors of a recent study declared that maternity care for pregnant women with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is in dire need of improvement. Ehlers-Danlos…
‘The future is here, it’s just not very evenly distributed’ William Gibson These days there’s much more literature about mal de debarquement syndrome (MdDS) and this resource gives excellent information…
According to a story from news.yale.edu, Yale alum Jordan Plotner began experiencing his first symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome when he was a sophmore. He experienced episodes of brain fog and…
Talk about a bittersweet symphony! Published on Yale University's online paper, recent grad Jordan Plotner -- who is living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) -- organized a virtual musical ensemble with other…
A study record from clinicaltrials.gov is investigating the appearance of lung problems in patients with disorders affecting connective tissue. While prior research has documented the appearance of interstitial lung disease…
According to a publication from People, Sara Geurts, a 28-year-old model with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, has been bedridden for several weeks due to complications linked to her condition. Geurts, a Minneapolis…
According to a story from globenewswire.com, the pharmaceutical company Acer Therapeutics recently announced the release of data from a long-term observational study of patients with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS). All…