Most people don’t think twice about taking a walk, bumping into a table, or even scratching an itch. For Rachel Buyle, those everyday moments can leave behind painful blisters and open wounds.
Buyle lives with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare inherited skin condition that makes her skin so fragile that even minor friction can cause it to tear.
Highlights
- Rachel Buyle shared how living with the Epidermolysis Bullosa means even simple movements can cause painful blisters and wounds.
- She spends hours each day changing dressings.
- Although there is no cure for EB, Buyle hopes a power wheelchair will help reduce injuries and improve her independence.
Recently, she opened up about what life with the condition is really like, from spending hours changing dressings to carefully planning every movement she makes.
Her story has also sparked curiosity about the rare disorder, which affects only a small number of people worldwide and still has no cure.
A woman shared how even walking around her home takes planning because of how fragile her skin is
Rachel Buyle was diagnosed with Epidermolysis Bullosa shortly after she was born.
Doctors became concerned when they noticed that her skin tore unusually easily while cleaning her after birth.
Speaking to UNILAD on August 10, she opened up about her daily life and explained that almost every activity has to be carefully planned to avoid creating friction on her skin.
"Aside from the dressings, I have to be careful moving around the house, making sure I don't do anything that causes extra friction to my skin, including excess walking,” she said.
She further added that she regularly stops to rest before her feet begin blistering.
Outside the house, she relies on a wheelchair to reduce the amount she has to walk.
However, even that isn’t pain-free.
"Even though my current chair helps my feet, the bumpiness while riding in it still causes pain, wounds, and blistering to my thighs and my bottom."
Buyle is now raising money for a power wheelchair, which she hopes will make getting outdoors much easier.
She believes a smoother ride would prevent many of the injuries caused by her current chair and allow her to spend more time outside with her husband and their dogs.
Rachel Buyle also shared that despite dressing wounds taking hours, she refuses to stop living life
Buyle says the hardest part of living with EB isn’t only the pain, it’s also the amount of time the condition takes every single day.
"The most difficult part of living with Epidermolysis Bullosa is that it is time-consuming."
She explained that much of her day is spent changing dressings or attending medical appointments.
Despite those challenges, Buyle has refused to let the condition stop her from enjoying life.
She has even been skydiving, something many people with the condition would avoid because of the risk of injury.
"I've gone skydiving, so I typically do things that aren't recommended."
Instead of avoiding every adventure, Buyle says she prepares as much as possible.
"I try to take precautions to prevent injuries by using padding and modifying things. If my skin tears, I will fix it afterward because the pain was worth the adventure."
Although there is currently no cure for EB, Buyle shared she chooses not to spend her life waiting for one.
"There are a lot of treatments to help; maybe someday there will be something more successful, but I don't live my life waiting for that."
Rachel Buyle isn’t the only person surviving EB, as another family shared how they live with the conditions
Buyle isn’t the only person sharing what life with EB looks like.
Jennifer, who also lives with the condition, said the illness affects almost every part of daily life for both her and her son, William.
William now uses a wheelchair, funded by charities DEBRA and Whizz Kidz, to help him get around on family outings.
Whenever they travel, the family has to pack large amounts of specialist bandages for both of them because suitable dressings aren’t always available where they go.
Jennifer said many families living with EB receive the wrong dressings or lower-quality alternatives because healthcare providers aren’t always familiar with the condition.
Earlier this year, DEBRA asked the UK government to introduce clearer guidance so doctors follow recommendations from specialist EB treatment centers when prescribing dressings.
Jennifer says one of the biggest challenges is that people often don’t realize what those living with EB go through every day.
"It's hard because we don't always look like there's anything wrong – people don't realize what it's like day-to-day, the pain, the dressing changes, it's really tough."
The rare condition can cause blisters from something as simple as heat, rubbing, or scratching
According to Mayo Clinic, Epidermolysis Bullosa is a rare inherited condition that causes extremely fragile skin.
Even small amounts of friction, heat, or scratching can cause painful blisters.
In more severe forms, blisters may also develop inside the mouth, throat, or digestive system, making eating and swallowing difficult.
Symptoms can include skin that blisters very easily, blisters inside the mouth and throat, thick or missing nails, hair loss caused by scarring, painful, itchy skin, tiny white bumps called milia, and dental problems and difficulty swallowing.
The National Library of Medicine explains that EB is caused by inherited changes in genes responsible for keeping the layers of the skin attached.
When those proteins don’t work properly, the skin becomes extremely fragile, leading to repeated blistering, wounds, and scarring from even minor injuries.
There is still no cure, but treatment focuses on preventing injuries and helping people live as comfortably as possible
At the moment, there is no cure for Epidermolysis Bullosa.
Instead, treatment focuses on preventing new blisters, protecting wounds, relieving pain and reducing the risk of infection.
Doctors often recommend using soft, non-stick dressings, avoiding friction, keeping the skin moisturized and protecting children from bumps and rough surfaces. Swimming is also encouraged for some patients because it allows them to stay active while placing less stress on the skin.
Some forms of EB can also lead to serious complications, including infections, problems with nutrition, difficulty swallowing, joint contractures and an increased risk of aggressive skin cancer later in life.
Researchers are continuing to look for better treatments, and newer options, including topical gene therapy, have recently been approved for certain forms of the condition, offering hope that future care may become even more effective.
"Looks so incredibly painful," wrote one netizen
