A few data points:

[conuly]

1. When I was a child, my knee used to lock up sometimes if I had my leg bent. I couldn't open it, and it felt like it had slid out of joint. I still get twitchy if I have to crouch down for more than a few seconds. The last such incident probably occurred in my 20s.

2. I've always had weak ankles, prone to twisting.

3. A few years ago I sat down in the Bronx Zoo and when I stood up again I popped my hip, causing periodic recurring pain and aches - notably this week, where even sitting still on the bus was too much.

4. My sister used to be able to clasp her hands behind her back and bring them above her head to her front without letting go.

5. Yesterday I witnessed my mother casually bringing her foot up to her face to demonstrate that she could. She does that periodically, and at this point I suddenly put together points 1 - 4 and realized - THIS IS ALL HER FAULT! She's got some sort of freaky hypermobility genes, and she passed them on to us, and she and Jenn got the fun parts* while all I got were the twisted ankles and the hip pain! That's utterly unfair, and I told her so right then and there, too. I got completely cheated somewhere.

Edit: I'd forgotten, but well into my teens I used to enjoy sitting with my legs in a W because it was fun, and likewise I can still catch my foot in my hand behind my back while leaning over. (Though not right now, because my hip is owie.)

* Jenn's flexibility isn't all fun and games, but I'm fairly certain that our mother hasn't suffered one day over this. She doesn't even appear to have any arthritis, and I know that runs in her family.

Comments

[cactuswatcher]

For I guy, I had hypermobility, nothing like some of the girls in the family, but was very flexible.

Into my teens my ankles would occasionally bend under while I was walking, and I'd accidentally take a step on the side of my shoe.

Using my other hand I could bend my fingers backward 90 degrees without pain. Demonstrating it made other people wince. Contorting my hands was no problem. If something got trapped in a odd space I could often reach in with my hand and get it when others with smaller hands couldn't even get through the opening. Playing the guys' game of trying to squeeze the another guy's hand in a handshake till it hurt, I always won. I'd let them squeeze as hard as they could, (it never hurt me much despite how much my hand got twisted), wait a moment for effect, then spread my fingers sideways and come down hard with them outside the other's hand. They would always quickly yelp.

I could sit in a tight W (ankles next to butt) into my 20's but not a spread one, which hurt. The tight W hurt less than sitting on my ankles.

I've got arthritis now and my fingers won't bend like they used to. I can still bend them backward, but not as far. Sometimes doing ordinary tasks my hand will get in an odd shape and painfully lock up, and I have to try over and over to get the task done without recreating that painful shape.

[conuly]

Into my teens my ankles would occasionally bend under while I was walking, and I'd accidentally take a step on the side of my shoe.

Been there, done that.

I'm sorry about the arthritis, though :(

[alatefeline]

>> my ankles would occasionally bend under while I was walking, and I'd accidentally take a step on the side of my shoe. <<

Same!

>> I'm sorry about the arthritis, though :( <<

Agreed.

[marahmarie]

Yeah, been there, done that too - ouch. I still remember what it feels like, and was surprised to sort of outgrow it (my ankles still twist all the time but don't bend under since, I want to say, my late teens or so).

There's a fix for that.

[flamingsword]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/555704911/eds-hypermobility-arthritis-swan-neck?ref=pla_similar_listing_top-3&sca=1

My cousin has a set of those for writing and cooking.