Does Menopause Affect Rheumatoid Arthritis?Aging is a natural part of life. Now that I can no longer say that I’m slowly approaching that age, I am interested in learning about what happens during the...Reactions0reactionsComments14 comments
How to Balance Arthritis and CyclingFour years ago, I bought a bike. Sounds simple enough. Although I hadn’t ridden on a real bike in decades, it seemed like a fun way to be more active...Reactions0reactionsComments13 comments
Can You Feel the Seasons in Your Joints?My rheumatoid arthritis is behaving itself for the most part lately, but I have noticed a few things popping up in recent weeks. During a routine follow-up appointment with my...Reactions0reactionsComments10 comments
Do Treatment Outcomes Differ Between Seronegative RA and Seropositive RA?My diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis was not immediate upon reporting vague symptoms to my primary care doctor as early as 2004. The main reason is that my laboratory results did...Reactions0reactionsComments14 comments
Ten Things I Wish I’d Known When Diagnosed with Rheumatoid ArthritisRheumatoid arthritis has become such an integrated part of my life that it is hard to believe it’s been 13.5 years since I was diagnosed. Fortunately, I’ve learned a few...Reactions0reactionsComments16 comments
My RA Hands: Shades of Pink, Purple, Red, White, and BlueAbout three years ago, I was diagnosed with Raynaud’s syndrome as secondary to rheumatoid arthritis. My hands can get really cold and alternate between turning whitish to purplish. My feet...Reactions0reactionsComments18 comments
The Never-Ending Sinus InfectionLiving with a chronic disease is a bummer. Taking medications that leave you immunosuppressed is a bummer. But when those medications keep the chronic disease from progressing, that’s PRICELESS!! Sometimes...Reactions0reactionsComments11 comments
A Little Vitamin D on My RAnniversaryTime for celebration. It’s my 13th RAnniversary!! My disease is a teenager now. However, it’s likely older than that. Like a stray cat, we’re not exactly sure how old my...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
Little Things Make A Huge Difference: The Story of Twelve Vials of GoldWhoo Hoo!! Little things can make me so happy. After leaving the local pharmacy, I just had to take out my medication and capture a photo to document the source...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
A Crash Course in CaregivingLiving with a chronic illness often dramatically changes the way you manage routine activities and responsibilities. You might need assistance to keep up with home chores or may need accommodations...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Can Being Sick Affect Your Blood Work?Last month I came down with a horrible virus of some sort. It caused a high fever and made my body feel very tender and achy. Felt like the flu...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
If Not For RA Would I Still Be Childless?When I was around 20 years old, I had hopes that I would complete college, marry my sweetheart, and that we would have 3 kids before we turned 30. It...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Giving Your Loved One a Cold is a Gift You Wish You Could Take BackOh man, now I really feel bad. My husband had to stay home from work today...sick. He’s finally caught whatever crummy bug I’ve been dealing with over the past several...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Evaluating the Doctor’s Office: Who Do You Talk To About Laboratory Results?Earlier this week I was meeting a new rheumatologist to possibly replace my doctor who has retired. Ahead of time I picked a few questions to help determine if we might...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Who Can Help Me Get My Next RA Fix?Tuesday morning I had a routine 6-month appointment with my rheumatologist. It seems that time flies between appointments and our main priority, besides seeing how my RA is doing, becomes...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Six Assistance Programs RA Patients Need to KnowDisclaimer: Some of the programs mentioned below have been discontinued. We're in the process of updating this information. Managing a chronic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can be made more...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Getting Ready for Infusion DayIf you are anything like me, you often take one day at a time. This is great for most situations; but when an event is on the horizon that would...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Vitamin D: The Sunshine Hormone and RAToday is a glorious, sunny day. Sure, it’s still cold. Brrrrrrrr. But more than one living creature in our household is finding treasured sunny spots in which to lie and...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Protect Your Skin from Photosensitive ReactionsThis summer has been glorious; not too hot and less humid than usual. Rob and I have spent more time outside this summer than we have in the past few...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Seronegative RA, the Piano Player, and a Delayed DiagnosisBy the time I finally received the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, it was not an unexpected surprise. I had experienced strange symptoms for years. “My hands just don’t feel right,”...Reactions0reactionsComments12 comments
