31 Days of EDS/HSD: Day 15- Childhood & Teen Years in Hypermobile Life

I am taking part in #MyEDSChallenge and #MyHSDChallenge with the Ehlers Danlos Society. Since May is EDS awareness month, every day I will be sharing something about myself and my EDS journey to drive further awareness and community.

Day 15- Childhood & Teen Years

Like a lot of mini zebras, I was told that my joint pain was just “growing pains” and I would grow out of it. I also started having unexplained bladder pain and other weird pain issues starting around then. I remember asking my mom why I was always so tired. And I had presyncope all the time as well as a few black out episodes here and there when my heart rate got too high.

My skin was very smooth, my teeth were a crooked hot mess and I always had unexplained bruises. Other than those small red flags, I had a pretty normal childhood and adolescence. I played tennis, figure skated, and I continued to wonder why the hell I couldn’t keep up with normal folks. Or why I felt so different. I had no idea the road that lied ahead of me.

I always wonder how different my life would have been if a doctor recognized something in me and educated my parents. I hope someday no child or teen has to go without knowing no matter how mild or severe their symptoms are.