49: Parenting w/ Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome & Perimenopause: The Birth of Self-Care Karen

Ft: Karen Kossow, disability advocate, neurodivergent parent, and co-founder of Faircare Idaho

What happens when parenting, disability, hormones, and burnout collide — and the systems meant to support you quietly disappear?

In this episode, we explore:

• Brain Fog + Burnout = Breaking Point

  Sarah gets vulnerable about worsening brain fog and fatigue, opening a larger conversation about perimenopause, disability, and survival under constant strain.

• Late Recognition & Reframing Expectations

  Karen talks parenting autistic kids, navigating Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and the loss of access of familiar coping mechanisms during perimenopause.

• The Reality of Caregiving Without Support:

  Why paid family caregiver programs matter, what happens when they’re cut, and how unpaid labor props up broken socioeconomic systems.

• Develop Self-Care Rituals:

  Learning to read non-verbal body signals, prioritize finite energy, and practice nervous system rest & regulation instead of pushing through.

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. How do I know I’m doing too much?

2. Why are families expected to survive without real systemic support?

3. What practical nervous system grounding tools actually help when you’re already overwhelmed & over-scheduled?

Resources Mentioned:

Karen Kossow’s Substack — Self-Care Support Squad https://karenkossow.substack.com/

Faircare Idaho (family paid caregiving advocacy) https://faircareidaho.substack.com/

Connect With Us

⁠https://www.ndreportpod.com/

⁠Follow @ndreportpod on your social platform of choice