Hello =]

Hi everyone! 

I'm Johnna, and I'm a 19-year-old in Michigan. I have a collagen disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Basically, I dislocate and sublux a large amount of joints every day. Also, my skin rips, tears, bruises, scars and stretches very easily, and my internal organs and blood vessels scar easily as well.

Like most people with EDS, I also have Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, along with Adrenal Insufficiency (I don't make enough of my own Cortisol), and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (my immune system attacks the proteins in my thyroid gland, causing goiter and low levels of thyroid hormones). 

I used to be very underweight because of my adrenal problems, but now that they have that under control, I am having a hard time adjusting to eating normal amounts of food rather than the huge meals every three hours that I was eating before just to survive. I was 110 lbs at 5'6" and I was eating constantly... way too little weight. I worked very hard to get up to 140 lbs... and was overjoyed when I finally got there. However, I am now at 165 lbs and can see myself heading down the same path that my mom took to being overweight.

When you have EDS, being even slightly underweight or overweight can lead to more pain, so I am trying to catch it now before it becomes out of control, and am trying very hard to get back down to 140 lbs. I am not one of those teenage girls that's like "OH MY GOD! 120 lbs is so fat!" I feel that 140 lbs would be a very reasonable weight. What do you all think?

So yeah... that's my story. It's nice to meet you all. =]

-Johnna