Freedom From Pain: Declare Independence from Flare-Ups

A Zebra’s Guide to Breaking the Chains of Chronic Pain (With Dr. Bluestein's M.E.N.S. PMMS Plan)

Happy 4th of July Zebras! Today, I’ve got a special recap of a recent talk from the Thrive Summit held last weekend in DC with a great talk from Dr. Linda Bluestein. Read the wrap…

If you're a bendy-bodied, brain-fogged, adrenaline-flushed EDS warrior navigating life with floppy collagen and full-body chaos, this Independence Day, we're throwing a revolution—for your nervous system.

Dr. Linda Bluestein rolled into the Thrive Summit (virtually, of course—zebras don’t fly well) and dropped one of the most liberating, no-B.S. truth bombs we’ve heard all year: Your pain is real. Your suffering can be soothed. And no, you’re not too complicated to treat.

Why Integrative Care is Your Declaration of Health Independence

Dr. B put it bluntly: the healthcare system is a dumpster fire of silos, dropped balls, and 7-minute appointments. Most of us are walking around with diagnoses that overlap like Venn diagrams on acid, seeing 14 specialists who’ve never once talked to each other. And guess what? We’re somehow the ones labeled noncompliant when we can’t coordinate all the follow-up.

But here's the revolutionary truth: fragmented care is not your fault. What you need—and deserve—is a coordinated, root-cause focused, whole-person approach.

That’s where Dr. Bluestein’s M.E.N.S. P. model comes in, and let me tell you, this acronym slaps.