Growing up with Hypermobility or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) can present a variety of unique challenges and experiences. Here are some signs that might indicate you grew up with these conditions:

1. Extraordinary or even moderate Flexibility compared to your friends: You could perform “party tricks” with your joints, like bending your fingers backward or touching your toes to your forehead.
2. Frequent Bruising: You often had bruises without remembering how you got them.
3. Joint Pain with Activity: Physical activities like running or jumping caused joint pain.
4. Frequent Joint Dislocations: Simple activities sometimes resulted in sprains or dislocated joints.
5. Poor Hand Strength: Writing caused hand cramps and pain.
6. Endurance Issues: Holding your arm up in class, managing to keep up in sports lessons or running was exhausting.
7. “Growing Pains”: Constant leg pain was often dismissed as normal growing pains.
8. Toe Walking: You often walked on your toes, leading to sore feet.
9. Discomfort on Long Car Rides or sitting at school: sitting for extended periods caused hip or back pain.
10. Frequent Falls and Clumsiness: You were always tripping or bumping into things.
11. Popping Joints: Your joints frequently clicked or popped.
12. Foot Pain in Unsupported Shoes: Certain shoes made your feet ache intensely, or you were born with club feet or hip issues.
13. Digestive Problems: Issues like bloating, nausea, and reflux were common.
14. Constant Fatigue: You felt exhausted after minimal exertion.
15. Chronic Body Pain: Pain in various parts of your body was constant.
16. Sensitivity to Touch: Certain fabrics or clothes irritated your skin.
17. Strange Sitting Positions: Sitting normally was uncomfortable, so you adopted unusual positions.
18. Frequent “Butterfingers”: You often dropped things and struggled to hold objects securely.
19. Blood Vessels and Bleeding: Minor scrapes took a long time to heal, and your skin bruised easily.
20. Knee and Ankle Pain with Running: Running led to knee pain, shin splints, and rolled ankles.
21. Delayed Milestones: You experienced delays in walking and crawling due to joint hypermobility.
22. Chronic Pain Misdiagnosed: Chronic pain was often mistaken for growing pains.
23. Difficulty with Fine Motor Skills: Tasks like tying shoelaces were challenging.
24. Balance Issues: Joint instability affected your balance.
25. Dental Issues: You had dental problems like overcrowding and weak enamel.
26. Frequent Subluxations: Partial dislocations were common, especially in shoulders, hips, and knees.
27. Stretchy Skin: Some people with EDS have unusually stretchy skin.
28. Chronic Fatigue: Constant effort to stabilize joints led to fatigue.
29. Coordination Difficulties: Poor proprioception made coordination challenging.
30. Handwriting Issues: Writing was difficult due to joint instability and muscle fatigue.

These signs highlight the diverse and often challenging experiences of growing up with hypermobility or EDS. If you have any more questions or need further details, see our detailed articles and references at….