Why “Life as a Zebra”?

I have been told I am now a zebra.

Why a zebra?

In medical school, students are taught to diagnose patients based on the condition that’s most likely. This idea goes along with the saying: \”When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras.\” The horses are the likely explanation, while the zebras are less likely. A medical zebra, then, is a person with a rare medical condition.

I think this is why I spent months seeing doctors. Most were thinking horses, rather than zebras…until finally I found myself in Fort Wayne where a doctor realized I was truly a zebra rather than a horse.

I was then sent to a few more doctors, where I was finally diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.

I will forever be thankful for the doctors who were willing to think outside of the box, and recognize my stripes.

Zebras Make Hoofbeats Too.™