illmarks

this is what long covid feels like [CW: body horror illustration, occasional art nudity]

Diagnosis: Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

the figure in the manila bookmark has iridescent blue zebra stripes, which like a real zebra are smaller and tighter on the limbs and larger on the torso. Within the zebra's white spaces are green ink with blue sparkles, representing points of injury or trauma which have healed 'imperfectly' or had lasting trauma due to the connective tissue disorder -- the left (mirrored) leg, right inner knee, inner thighs and outer hips, some on the hands/fingers, and a splotch on the chest. The bottom leg which is very dark green has golden reconstructive hardware drawn on

Diagnosis: Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

After self-diagnosing, I got an official diagnosis. The victory of the official diagnosis was upstaged by the foot trauma two days previously, which I now know is a broken bone. However, at lest it’s in the same limb as all my other orthopedic trauma and severe arthritis. That’s really my saving grace right now — it’s a familiar injury. Adding another new mystery set of symptoms would be less welcome than rehatching an old burden.

Anyway, back to the art. I love some of the light interactive properties here that are hard to capture in a scan so:

 

close up photo of the bookmark showing off the properties described in the caption

Reflective properties close up, gold paint in the eyes, green metallic reflection for the dark around and in the eyes. The shimmer (ultra fine glittering particles) in the green ink are vibrant blue, and in the blue zebra stripes are color shifting, right now a rose.

the close up on the feet and les, showing mostly the reflections in the lower limb, cool green ink with blue shimers and gold metal paint pen of two metal plates and multiple short and long metal screws.

Metallic version of the hardware in my leg — I looked at my own x-rays for reference!

this close up is on the hips and hands. within the zebra white space the green/blue shimmering ink makes small thin lines resembling skin stretch marks and other scarring shapes

Final close up.

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