Hello! May is EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome) awareness month! As a person with suspected EDS and with chronic symptoms, this is a very important topic to me. EDS is hard to diagnose, and many patients fly under the radar of healthcare professionals which can cause them to suffer lack of treatment and forces them to live with their painful symptoms.
More Information about EDS and associated variations has been attached below and the infographs were originally found on an instagram account that I follow at the username the_chronic_chronicles
- scratching my back is really easy because I can contort my spine and elbows or whatever pretty easily to reach the itch
- I have a lot of great party tricks. My classmates are very impressed with me I think. Or afraid idfk.
-can crack my neck/back/knuckles with inhumane volume to assert dominance over everyone else
- I know how to re-locate most of my joints by myself
- I can fold my body into spaces that look impossible for someone my height during hide and seek so nobody even thinks to check them (cabinets, a pizza oven one time, a bookshelf, a hamper, under a couch, a cardboard moving box, the list goes on)
- I can rotate multiple of my limbs almost completely backwards with very little discomfort
(I've been in such a crappy flare up lately, so excuse the self indulgent Bobby fic, but a girl's gotta comfort herself somehow. Loll. Not proofread and kinda stupid. I hope y'all enjoy anyway!
You and Bobby had been sent together for a business trip by Robert in Washington. He'd handle things in Vegas so you and Bobby could handle business elsewhere. You were his assistant, so it was expected you'd be going with him like always. And you were! You liked going on these little trips with him. It was fun to complain about everyone while drinking together in the hotel room and enjoying whatever food you grabbed from nearby restaurants. You think you two would be more...social? Nah, you're already wasting enough energy socializing at these meetings and events.
You two would go explore the city though sometimes if neither of you could sleep. Bobby caught you alone outside once and disapproved heavily...so now you weren't allowed out without him even though nothing happened.
And you two have both shared beds and slept in separate ones. Neither of you minded sleeping together since you were just so damn comfortable with one another. You have been working together for nearly ten years after all. Sometimes during the night, you two would end up intertwined or leaning against one another, but never full out cuddling. Not yet...
You two arrived at the hotel at some time in the afternoon, settled in, and got dressed for the stupid meeting you two had to go to. You matched subtle details of your outfit to the color of Bobby's tie, as always. You both actually did that often, usually without even realizing it. Nothing too bold or tacky, but rather something subtle and elegant. As for the meeting...it was long and uneventful. Very boring too. You had to keep yourself from yawning several times, still jet lagged from the plane ride over.
Bobby noticed your lingering drowsiness and kept you present by holding your hand beneath the table or resting his palm against your thigh while you took notes. You two kept communicating in silent glances and subtle morse code, whether that be through tapping each other's hands beneath the table or clicking/tapping your pens at each other. No one else in the room noticed of course, you two have learned to be very discreet over the years, but it got you two through that deluge of useless information.
Once you two finally returned to the hotel room, you realized there was only one bed. Alright, no issue, you two could sleep together. There weren't many pillows though and well...you often had to sleep hugging things. It was a comfort thing since sleeping on your sides occasionally messes with the joint of your shoulder...but you're a side sleeper. It'll probably be fine! Right...?
Wrong. Once you two got changed into pajamas and wound down and laid down for the night, after watching TV and just chatting, you found yourself shifting and moving every few moments trying to get comfortable. Ugh, you'd be tossing and turning all night at this rate. Bobby was exhausted, and he could easily block out your squirming and fall asleep if he wanted to, but he was still worried for you...hence why he was still awake. Barely.
You were currently laying on your right, your back to Bobby. You were uncomfortably tense, trying to find a better position. Damn your joints for constantly overextending. You felt an arm over your waist, Bobby guiding you to face him. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" He asked, his deep, soothing voice cutting through your internal distress.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I've been keeping you awake, haven't I-...?" He gently silenced you, setting his hand over your mouth. You saw his gaze soften and knew he wasn't upset...then again, he seldom had issues with you. "My concern for you has, not yourself." He assured, letting his hand fall from your mouth. "What's bothering you? Is it something I can fix? I can sleep on the couch if you'd like more room." Oh, he's so sweet...you smiled at his attentiveness. No, he couldn't fix your hypermobility, but it was nice he cared. "Well, no...not really. Uhm, I'm a side sleeper, but I usually sleep while hugging something since my shoulders and arms have a habit of over extending or getting cramped up." You explained.
Bobby nodded, suddenly understanding what had been bothering you. Of course it was your body...it seemed like your immune system and your own limbs were your worst enemies some days. "I've noticed." "You have?" You inquired, genuinely surprised. Though perhaps you shouldn't be...he noticed everything. So did House...it was kind of unsettling at times. Like how he guessed the exact day you'd get your period once, and it was on a past business trip...so he packed pads for you. Honestly a life saver because you hadn't thought to do so yourself.
"Mhm...elbows shouldn't bend like that, dear." He said, gently correcting your current range of motion so your arm wouldn't be straining itself anymore. You sighed, not even realizing your arm had been doing that. "Do you want to use a pillow?" He asked, offering a solution. You frowned and shook your head. "I mean, that's what I usually do...but I already have these pillows set up like this for a reason, since if I move them the rest of my body will hurt from a lack of support." You explained.
He nodded once more, racking his brain for anything he could do to help. He hated seeing you in pain. "Would you like to use one of my pillows?" He tried again. "No, I don't want you to be uncomfortable too. That's very kind of you though." You replied, shifting to lay on your back...which cracked as you did so. You saw the look on Bobby's face and chuckled. "I'm okay." You promised, "My joints just crack often..." He didn't believe you at all, and rightfully so. He saw the way you cringed at the way your bones cracked and settled.
He nodded skeptically, then propped himself up on his elbow as he simply thought for a few moments. He soon laid back down, shifting to be totally on his side so he could face you, and met your gaze. "C'mere." He said, his words slurring due to sleepiness. You raised an eyebrow at that, wondering what he was planning. "What?" "Come here." The man repeated, slightly more awake now.
And when you did, he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you closer. He then carefully adjusted your body, not wanting to hurt you. Your leg rested over his hip, since he noticed you typically slept with one leg bent and extended like that. He further maneuvered you and let you adjust yourself until you were comfortable against him...and thanks to the way he was holding you, most of your body was supported, and you were far too tired to think about how odd it was to be cuddling with your coworker right now. Besides, you two have gotten very close to snuggling before. Might as well finally do it, right?
"Is this alright?" Bobby asked quietly against your shoulder. You hummed in response, confirming it was indeed alright. "Mhm." You felt cozy and lazy, and being wrapped up in the arms of a man who made you feel safe was quite enjoyable. You practically melted as he rubbed your back, soothing away any tenseness stored away in your muscles. It wasn't long before you were dozing off.
Bobby stayed awake a little longer, though his body was fighting him, but he wanted to make sure you were comfortable. He finally joined you in sleep...the warmth and tiredness practically seeping off you quite infectious.
After 23 years of struggling and medical gaslighting, my condition and struggle is finally recognised and I'll be able to get everything I need. I'm so happy I could cry
Fellow disabled, chronic pain, or hypermobile individuals,,,
What the fuck do I do when I get flare-ups?
Like my shoulder is killing me rn and I am not in the position to be able to take pain killers,,,, what do I do :’(((
Edit: thanks to everyone who has commented, I will keep this recommendations in mind for when this happens again, it’s great to know there will be people who know what to do when it comes to this stuff :’)
