Who am I, and why would you want to read my blog?
That is a great question! The last thing I want to do is waste anyone’s time. Chances are, if you’ve found your way here, there is a reason. You or your loved ones are likely familiar with the terms “spoonie” and “zebra” when talking about those afflicted with certain medical conditions, and you know that all energy is precious and not to be wasted.
My name is Heidi Hash, 42 at the time of writing this, and I am living with a rare, genetic connective tissue disorder known as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hypermobile type) (EDS), and its many comorbid conditions such as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Fibromyalgia, Migraines, IBS, Insomnia, and the list goes on. I have had a very long and difficult ongoing journey, as many of us have, in figuring out what is going on with me, all while working as a dental hygienist (probably the worst thing I could have chosen to do with these conditions!) in order to keep a roof over my head at the same time. I am now 6 years and probably at least 18-24 doctors and therapists deep into trying to diagnose, treat, and understand all of my conditions. I have been living in terrible pain for over 17 years at the time of this writing, with worsening and new symptoms showing up every year. Pain meds don’t touch my pain and leave me with other unwanted and equally debilitating effects, not to mention the doctors are all too scared to prescribe anything these days even to those who need it the most, and so I don’t use them. Numerous other symptoms I’ve dealt with my whole life. Unfortunately, the doctors I was seeing at first had no idea what they were looking at with me, and ultimately I had to figure out my own conditions by doing much research, and then found my way to the right doctors to confirm my suspicions. I’ve learned that we have to be our own advocates.
As much as I am involved in my own battle, I am here to offer help when I can, or at least let you know you’re not alone, by telling stories of lessons learned from my life experiences, expressing my own opinion on subjects, products, and therapies, and recommending products or services you may be interested in as a fellow warrior. I have an open mind to Alternative medicine, and in fact have had some of my best success with energy healing that I do on myself. I will share more information on that in future posts. Although it is useful at times, Western medicine has mostly failed me so far, and I am learning to take my health into my own hands.
Join me on this journey, and please share your own experiences in the comments sections of the posts they relate to. Thank you!
I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.
-Jimmy Dean
Zebra Warrior 