I am a sufferer of Hypermobility and have been really flexible all my life without knowing what I was doing to my body.

Hyper mobility is a condition where the connective tissues such as ligaments are not as stong and can be extremely strechy and dont protect the joints very well making it easy for people with the condition to substain injury. It can be passed through families or through stress of exercise such as gymnastics, ballet where you really push your body. There is different verisions, some people are just bendy, some are bendy with painful joints or a lot of clicking and some people have it serverly where it can damage internally.

I have danced for many years from the ages of 8 doing ballet, street, tap and modern and more recently pole dancing. During the later years of my short dance career when I was really getting serious and preparing for auditions at dance school to get my professional dancers qualitfications at the age of 16 I was doing a dance exam when the examiner noticed my hip bones poping out during a flexible movement and she stopped the exam. At that moment I dont think I had ever felt so scared, she examined me and asked if this happened often I said yes and thats when it all changed!

My hip bones, shoulder joints, and ankles had been popping in and out for years and I jhad many twisted, strained, fractured ankles and only when I was diagnosed did it all make sense. Popping my hip bones out used to be a party trick, even though it hurt, as a kid it was great to make everyone groan in disgust!

Looking back at activities in my life things begin to make more sense, when I was swimming as a child breast stroke used to be a chore because I could never turn my hips out properly to do the stroke. When I had growth spurts at the age of 11-12ish I could never walk long distances without terrible pain in my hips and a horrible clicking feeling in them.

When the examiner stopped the exam and explained what she thought was going on at the age of 16 I thought I was untouchable and thought my dance career was ahead of me. So I honestly didn't believe anything could be wrong, I knew I clicked and my joints popped in and out but I never imagined this was a real problem.

I went to the doctor a few days later, was referred over and over to access the extent, it wasn't good. I was advised to stop dancing and had to go physio sessions all the time. I know it sounds silly at such a young age but my dream of being a dancer something I had wanted forever had disappeared so quickly but I am pleased to say I picked myself back up again and channelled my energies elsewhere.

There is life after being dignosed just careful, I tried dancing again do street and pole but it was more of a painful reminder and too soon for me. I now swim and take step aerobics class.

I have to be careful with what I do and there are more complications as you get older, but this could be so so so much worse. My life is not in danger, I still have my spirit, determination and drive. Any young girls or boys or adults out there with this condition just concentrate on looking forward, looking after yourself and enjoying everything you have.

I wish i could give this condition 0 stars because it really hurts!