I am a 25 year old divorcée with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. Both diagnoses came after I was an adult and complications arose related to these illnesses. I am a child of two divorces with a half brother. My mother left me with my father at the age of 4 and we did not reunite until I was 15 years old. My father who was mentally, emotionally, and physically abusive raised me till I was 14. After that I went to live with my Christian conservative grandparents. In high school I met my ex husband and married him at 19. In this marriage my personality and sexuality were suppressed to keep him comfortable. Emotional manipulation was a big part of our disagreements and I had to learn out to navigate and set up boundaries and walls to protect myself and my feelings. Since my separation life has shown me how kind and supportive it can be when you're looking in the right places for the right things