Mary Sophia Hawks

"Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!" Do you ever feel that way? Sometimes I feel like my ride is a never-ending roller coaster with twists, turns, and...

I have been absent for a while. I am sharing my experience in the hopes that it helps each of us recognize symptoms and needs that MUST be addressed. I...

In August 2022, I started having pain in my middle fingers on both hands. Of course, it was worse in my dominant hand. I also could not straighten those fingers...

I remember the first time I noticed an advertisement about rheumatoid arthritis medications. The patients were smiling and doing everything they wanted! I thought I had failed when my medications...

My apologies to those of you who cringed at the grammar. My southern is showing! We deal with so many issues related to a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. Pain, joint deformity...

Do you ever feel like trying to match your symptoms to causality and treatment is a game? Someone has taken the ordered deck of cards, shaken it, then played 52...

We are all aware that rheumatoid arthritis can bring along ”friends” such as Sjogren’s, fibromyalgia, diabetes, etc. However, we sometimes forget that rheumatoid arthritis affects our entire body, including our...

I turned 60 years old on April 2, 2022. Somehow it does not seem possible. Although many days I feel much older due to my rheumatoid arthritis, there’s something about...

Do you ever feel like the dots are not connecting, the pieces are not lining up, or you are missing something? Odds are, you are focusing on the little stuff...

How do you handle work with your rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis? That is a recent question from one of our newer members. How do you choose a job you can do...

Who sang along with me to the tune of Nat King Cole’s "Unforgettable"? It’s hard not to sing along because otherwise, we might cry. While you never get used to...

When people ask how I am, I often say, "I’m managing." Acquaintances will say, "Great," and move along. Friends will say, "Managing well or just barely?" These are the golden...

I have been a caregiving type of person my whole life. When I was young, I would bring the neighborhood children to my mom when they were hurt. As I...

The dreaded fatigue. We all get it, we all hate it, and we all understand that it is part of living with rheumatoid arthritis. It can be present all the...

Rain, rain, go away! Don’t come back another day. You make me ache and hurt so much I want to take you out with a punch! There are puddles everywhere...

I just found out that my beloved rheumatologist is retiring at the end of 2021. While I knew it was coming, I was not prepared. This is the doctor who...

This week is difficult. I’m having a small flare and a few more things. Mother’s Day is in a few days. My mother died 3 years ago. I do not...

I am a good patient. I work with my rheumatologist and follow my treatment plan. The first call I made when COVID-19 appeared in my state was to my rheumatologist...

Recently, I have seen several articles reviewing gizmos and gadgets that help people with rheumatoid arthritis. A couple of these articles have been written by folks with rheumatoid arthritis, but...

"What was I thinking?" How many times do we say this to ourselves? Never about the same things though. With rheumatoid arthritis and its companions, it is never the same...