All In The Family
My sister is a sufferer of Ehler-Danlos Syndrome, Types I & II. She has arthritic pain, velvety skin and she bruises easily. She gets nose bleeds all the time, which causes fainting spells, and she can hardly use her hands anymore from stiffness. Her party tricks used to be the overextension of her wrists and ankles as she could turn her feet right round to the back.

It is hereditary, and the doc thinks there is a good chance I too am a sufferer- with different symptoms. I have tendonitis in my thumbs (I thought it was from years playing the string bass), aching joints (my impression was aging- and it is worse with cold weather), bad circulation (my hands lose sensation constantly- I thought it was a symptom of living in a freezing, drafty house as a child), consistently cold extremities (the few people who have slept in my bed with me can attest to jumping out of their skin the minute their foot accidentally touched mine)- and of course my ankles which twist and strain regularly, and occasionally sprain. The test to make certain is $1,000 and I have a $1,000 deductible. There really isn't any treatment other than having a surgery where they inject collagen into your joints- which will most likely have no long-term effect whatsoever. I've been advised to wear ankle braces for the rest of my life.

Funny, but I always got along fine not knowing that what I experience had a name. And since there isn't anything that can be done about it, I choose not to fret. My sister, however, has cancelled all plans till the day she dies. Seriously.