When you hear Mattie’s story, I hope you heard how hurtful it was to her that providers doubted the legitimacy of her condition.
There were many times when she was made to feel like it was her fault that she was not getting better because she wasn’t trying hard enough.
Many others made it seem like hEDS was not a big deal; one stating, “everybody in the circus probably has EDS and they are fine”.
As more people are being diagnosed, there seems to be a growing perception in our area that hEDS is now over emphasized.
Remember, that mild hypermobility and hEDS are not the same. Regardless, we should never dismiss any patient in this way.
I hope you were able to consider your own biases toward people with chronic illness and chronic pain. I also hope hearing Mattie’s story will help you understand how our attitudes as healthcare providers can positively or negatively affect our patients.