Understanding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)If you – or someone you love – live with a chronic illness, you may eventually need to take time off from your job to focus on a health issue... By Mariah Z. Leach4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Over-scheduled!A Greek food festival. A chili cook-off. A professional soccer game. A play with friends. A movie in the park. A trip to California. A weekend getaway with my husband... By Mariah Z. Leach2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments7 comments
RA and Workplace AccommodationsLiving and working with rheumatoid arthritis can be a real challenge. Luckily, the Americans with Disabilities Act (or ADA for short) requires most employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” to qualified... By Mariah Z. Leach2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Invisible Illnesses & Handicapped ParkingEver since the day I was first issued my handicapped parking placard, I have been waiting for someone to give me a hard time about it. I’ve heard horror stories... By Mariah Z. Leach2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
The Importance of Patient FeedbackOur healthcare system can be extremely complicated for patients to navigate. And, all too often, it seems like patients are a captive audience, with little to no power to influence... By Mariah Z. Leach3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Is RA Hereditary?Editor's note: This article was first published in May 2015. Since then, more research has been conducted to understand the role of genetics in rheumatoid arthritis. Read this recent study... By Mariah Z. Leach4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments8 comments
How To Try A New Medication In 100 Easy Steps! (Because If We Don’t Laugh, We’ll Cry)Ready to try a new medication? Just follow these 100 easy steps and you’ll be giving it a try it in no time! (Since this is only a slight exaggeration... By Mariah Z. Leach3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments8 comments
There Must Be A Better Way6:45 am: My current RA treatment isn’t working. I have an appointment with my rheumatologist next week to figure out what to try next, but in the meantime I am... By Mariah Z. Leach4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments12 comments
Things I Want My Sons To Learn From Having a Mom With RABeing a mom sure isn’t easy. Sleepless nights. Endless diapers. So very much crying (and sometimes the baby isn’t the only one crying!). Wearing yoga pants that are covered in... By Mariah Z. Leach2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
World Arthritis Day 2014When I first learned that October 12th is World Arthritis Day, I have to admit that I initially felt a bit confused. My immediate reaction was this: why on earth... By Mariah Z. Leach2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
New Study Brings Hope: Scientists Discover How to “Switch Off” Autoimmune DiseasesThe beginning of September has brought with it some very exciting news for those of us living with rheumatoid arthritis! Scientists have made an important breakthrough in the fight against... By Mariah Z. Leach2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: Balancing Acts & Difficult DecisionsThe RA Pregnancy Chronicles is a series of posts that share my experiences being pregnant while living with RA. This post was written during Week 30 of my second pregnancy.Life... By Mariah Z. Leach4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Social Security Disability BenefitsWhen I was diagnosed with RA at the age of 25, I was right in the middle of law school and had not yet started my career. However, many people... By Mariah Z. Leach4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
Kids Get Arthritis Too! July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month!What do you think comes to mind when most people hear the word arthritis? Do you think the average person picture someone like me – a young mother who has... By Mariah Z. Leach3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: The Post-Birth RA FlareThe RA Pregnancy Chronicles is a series of posts that share my experiences being pregnant while living with RA. This post was written during Week 32 of my second pregnancy... By Mariah Z. Leach4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: RA Friendly Baby GearThe RA Pregnancy Chronicles is a series of posts that share my experiences being pregnant while living with RA. This post was written during Week 18 of my second pregnancy... By Mariah Z. Leach5 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: Pregnancy-Safe RA ReliefThe RA Pregnancy Chronicles is a series of posts that share my experiences being pregnant while living with RA. This post was written during Week 14 of my second pregnancy... By Mariah Z. Leach4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: The Magic R-WordThe RA Pregnancy Chronicles is a series of posts that share my experiences being pregnant while living with RA. This post was written during Week 12 of my second pregnancy... By Mariah Z. Leach3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: Morning Sickness and Other UnpleasantnessThe RA Pregnancy Chronicles is a series of posts that share my experiences being pregnant while living with RA. This post was written during Week 9 of my second pregnancy... By Mariah Z. Leach3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Love Your BodyYour body is completely amazing. Every single day your joints and muscles and organs and glands and nerves work together to keep you going. Each individual part of your body... By Mariah Z. Leach3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments