1000+

I have over 1000 views! What a great way to start out 2013! I've only had this blog for a short period of time to raise awareness and provide some tools and personal experiences for EDS-ers and non EDS-ers alike. I couldn't do it with out you all. Thanks again. Praise be to God.
-Stay blessed.

Gifts for EDS-ers

Okay, so Christmas just passed us (and this post might have been more relevent about a month ago) but it made me start thinking of the people who shop for EDS-ers. This might seem easy until you have to actually shop for one.

Good Ideas!

• Braces - If you are close with an EDS-er, ask the person if they currently need any braces. People with EDS often have support braces for nearly every part of their body but they can run up a hefty bill. It might come as a surprise but this might be an EDS-ers favorite gift of the season.
• A Donation - There currently isn't much known about our condition so making a donation to EDNF (the Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation) would not only benefit us in the long run but would also benefit our friends and family.
• Pampering Items - Basically anything you might find at Bath and Body Works would be practical and boost our spirits. Body soaps, bath salts, or bath bubbles will be nice on days when we just ache all over and basically spend the day in a hot bath. Lotions are good when need to rub out our muscles or have the winter dry skin. And let's be real, what girl doesn't like a little smell-good.
• A really soft blanket - When you're sore, having a really soft blanket to wrap up in is like having a big ol' hug from your best friend. 
• Gift cards to do something fun! -  Yes, we aren't always the most reliable friends but we do enjoy the time we get to spend with you! Slip a gift card into a card and write something like "hey! I'd love for you to be my date to (insert movie title) some time this week!" That way they can still enjoy friend time but with a bit more flexibility in the schedule.

Bad Ideas :(

• A Massage - This might seem like a wonderful idea but many of us already go to therapeutic massages on a regular basis - if we can tolerate them at all. I have heard people that swear by them and people that were made worse by them. I would steer clear of them as a gift just in case.
• Video games, knitting tools... - Everyone with EDS is different so some of us can do activities with fine motor movement of the hands. However, some of us can't. If you notice that the person you are buying for has pain with things like writing or typing, try to avoid things that require repetitive small movement of the fingers.
• Tickets to a specific event - As I've previously mentioned, EDS is a very unpredictable condition. I could be chipper and walking up a flight of stairs one hour and be on the couch exhausted with a dislocated hip the next. That makes making plans for a specific date and time difficult and frustrating. There's nothing more infuriating to me than when I know I should be having the time of my life but either can't enjoy it or had to skip it altogether. 
  
  
  *If you would like to add to this list please leave a comment :)

Fight like Mike Tyson

I think getting an EDS diagnosis - or any chronic diagnosis comes with a solid pair of balls attached. It has to or it will eat you alive. You have to fight for everything - insurance coverage, medication, diagnosis, and apparently the ability to qualify for graduation! Thank you God Almighty that I have some good advisers that worked with me at my school. I'm nearing the end of my time spent in classes and nearing my internship. Currently the qualifications for getting a Recreation degree with a TR concentration require a 40 hour per week internship. They are aware of only one exception ever being made and it wasn't for a TR student or for disability reasons. I spent the past week or so figuring out if I spent all of this time and money to not be able to get my degree. They decided to make an exception to the rule so that I can go 20 hour weeks but over double the time span. I also had to call the testing company to figure out if I would even qualify for the certification afterwords. I suppose this is a victory but I feel as though it shouldn't have to be. I shouldn't have to fight tooth and bone for every small thing in life. It amazes me how little the world knows. Obviously they can't be informed on every disability out there but at least be accommodating to an extent. Show some love or compassion instead of being intimidated or stern.

If you want to help in this fight for EDS-ers in the US, sign the petition to help it become a Nationally recognized disability...

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/recognize-ehlers-danlos-syndrome-create-awareness-have-eds-recognized-disability/FFWRj66T

Stay blessed.