EDS and an Amazing Life

Some thoughts from Rachel Gold

Rachel Gold is the author of Being Emily, the first young adult novel written from a transgender girl’s point of view.[1] Currently an award-winning marketing strategist and sought after public speaker, Rachel also spent a decade as a print reporter in the LGBT community. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Religious Studies from Macalester College and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from Hamline University. She is a self-described geek with a passion for all things technical and innovative; when she’s not teaching people how to express their brand or working on her novels, you can often find her playing online.

Rachel is one of the most intelligent, thoughtful and deeply kindest people I know. And she is hypermobile. In addition to “the normal pain of hypermobility,” Rachel has worked with her gut-related issues for years. She calls herself bendy, easily tired, not athletic, with digestive issues. She suffers through the second half of her cycle as progesterone loosens her ligaments. Just like the other people with EDS I know personally, she does not complain much about pain, just kind of notes it. Just before the pandemic hit Minnesota, we sat down to have lunch and she gave me these gifts.

“Try everything that is recommended and keep what works.” Like me, Rachel has tried many remedies to help her body keep up with her ideas and plans. She has received a lot of advice over the years, and that in itself can be wearing. Some works, a lot does not. But she remains open to trying new things.

“Try one thing at a time and notice what works.” Rachel knows that hypermobility makes us a bit more fragile. Don’t throw every vitamin or plant at your symptoms at once. Try new things in small doses for a month or more and notice what is happening, if you feel better or worse and if you personally think there are side effects. Although you should look most herbs up on WebMD and get cautions for each, I personally feel that I am more sensitive than most to lots of things. Pay attention and go slow.

“I take a crap-ton of magnesium.” While magnesium may not be a panacea for everyone like Rachel, it helps me sleep. It is most effective at interrupting a cycle of not sleeping. I take a magnesium called Natural Vitality Calm and also enjoy a bath with epsom salts.

“I take a shower before working out.” We both laughed at this comment. You really have to think out of the box to come up with that. But for people who may have frozen joints from chronic dislocations, this makes sense to me. We are uncommon people so common wisdom just does not always work for us! I just had never thought of it before because it goes against conventional wisdom. Now I do it all the time and enjoy my workouts so much more.

“I am going to be a strong person who naps a lot.” This offhand comment is profound. How we define ourselves has such a direct impact on how we experience our lives. I love how this definition is both strong and real.

This information is not intended to take the place of personalized medical counseling, diagnosis and/or treatment by a trained physician. Herbs and other botanicals are presently classified by the Food and Drug Administration as foods, not as medicines.