Recognizing Illness: How Did You Know Your Body Was Sick?

I was always in the nurse to the point I never needed a hall pass, all admins knew who I was and where I was going. This went from 2nd grade to graduating. I also used to make my own compression braces out of socks? At some point I saw someone with a cast and said I needed one too so I made braces and looking back I realized it's because my wrists and ankles always hurt, the slight support helped instability haha I was always walking during the "run" portion of gym class or would wear the wrong shoes/not get changed so I could sit out. Also laying down on the floor after doing any strenuous activity lol

I knew my body was sick and not like everyone's around me when I was 8 and dislocated my knee for the first time. Nobody believed me when I dislocated it because I popped it back in by myself

I always had issues in school during physical activities, had multiple dislocations for seemingly no reason. My eyes also were a big factor

The point that such out was when I dropped a gallon of milk from muscle weakness. I've always been considered on the stronger end of things and it was a depressing eye-opener

I've always been disabled, I just didn't know it was EDS until I started dating my partner, who has EDS (along with his mother and one of his brothers). The first time a doctor saw how far my elbows bend and went ??????????? is what really cemented the idea in my head lol

Took me a really long time and still a struggle. I've always had pain. I remember now understanding why my friends on the playground could run so well. I thought they were just pushing through the pain. I also got sick Everytime I ate a bakery cookie or other foods too but the cookie stands out. I'd always just eat it because again I thought everyone felt that way. I was 8 when my mom took me to a new craft store in town (always loved to create) and halfway through the store I said my legs hurt so bad I wanted to go home. First time I complained and my mom took me seriously. Took four years to get the wrong diagnosis of fibromyalgia. I finally got the eds diagnosis at 27. But again, I sometimes second guess myself like it's not that bad right? Lol but I guess I really understood at about age 12 when I got a name of something no one else had. College hit hard too. Walking with a cane when no one else did.