Years of off and on-again pain
not being able to walk far
without each step carefully planned
in case ankles give out again
hands barely able to type
fatigue and muscle spasms
bloodwork, many exams, no real answers
body flexible yet broken
no one knows the frustration
or why even the diagnosis
seems to not bring empathy
if people can’t see it
it must not exist
when in reality
it’s a hidden disability
handed down in the DNA
after little to no relief
one specialist hands you
a pamphlet mentions
a genetic condition called
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
Hypermobility
clarifies that your body is a vessel
and your tissues are too flexible
that clicking, popping, slipping
out of place is just one of the symptoms
of a plethora of issues
with no cure to date
rather than give up you find a new passion
to educate others about this
life changing diagnosis

Dr. Nina Padolf taught college-level writing and literature courses for over 20 years. Her book of poems, Uprooted, (Kelsay Press, 2021) explores being adopted. Her current project is co-editor of Wag the Dog, (Mainstreet Rag) a political anthology of poems forthcoming November 3, 2026. Her poems are featured in over 25 journals.

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