by Sara | May 6, 2017 | Blogging, Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Disability, Dysautonomia, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, MedEd, Migraine, Self-Care, Undiagnosed
Another member of the Chronic Illness Bloggers’ Network – Kali at This Spoonie Speaks, created a Blog Challenge for EDS Awareness Month after looking for one to participate in and not being able to find one! I have decided to catch up in order to...
by Sara | May 5, 2017 | Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), MedEd
This May, in order to spread awareness of EDS, I will be sharing some facts about the condition as layed out in the new diagnostic nosology that was published in March of 2017 in the American Journal of Genetics. The Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes are a collection of genetic...
by Sara | Apr 15, 2017 | Anxiety/Depression, Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Disability, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Migraine, Relationships, Self-Care, Zebra Hacks
Although I live with nearly 20 forms of chronic illness, most of which are related to my Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), I have never felt comfortable when someone says that I “suffer” from any one of them, and I have never used that language...
by Sara | Apr 6, 2017 | Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), MedEd, Migraine
I’ve been a little quiet, and the reason is that I am recovering from my second cervical facet radiofrequency ablation (RFA). The procedure is one that I first had at the Michigan Headache and Neurological Institute (MHNI) after doctors there discovered that I...
by Sara | Mar 19, 2017 | Blogging, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
One year ago today I started Zebra Writes, which makes today my 1st Blogiversary! It’s both an exciting time for and a time, and a time for reflection. March 17th of last year was the date of my Hypermobile EDS Diagnosis, which means that I’ve had a year...
by Sara | Mar 12, 2017 | Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Migraine, Zebra Hacks
Full Disclosure: I have been given access to PatientBank.us as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company. Early on in...
by Sara | Feb 27, 2017 | Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Disability, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), MedEd, Migraine, Undiagnosed
Did you know that rare diseases aren’t really rare at all? 1 in 10 Americans has a rare disease! A rare disease or condition is one that is seen in fewer than 200,000 Americans (or 2,000 Europeans). Rare disease is difficult to diagnose, and patients may wait a...
by Sara | Feb 23, 2017 | Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, MedEd, Migraine
In the last week, I have been reminded what a wicked disease migraine can be. I had finally adjusted to always having some level of pain and aura, when I quite suddenly lost the majority of the feeling on the right side of my body. It’s happened before, but...
by Sara | Feb 10, 2017 | Dysautonomia, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, MedEd, Undiagnosed
Photo is of a mild MCAS reaction while on an anti-mediator regimen. It shows flushing/rash on the face and chest If you know me personally, you probably know that I have a lot of “allergies” and sensitivities to foods, medications, and environmental...
by Sara | Jan 30, 2017 | Anxiety/Depression, Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Disability, Migraine
Lately, I’ve been completely overwhelmed. The unpredictability in the weather is making some of my more troublesome neurological migraine symptoms re-emerge. Rebuilding the blog is harder than I anticipated (surprise!) and I spend a lot of time that I would like...