Living

I've had a few chances recently to reflect on my diagnosis of RA and lupus. Most of this has surfaced because I'm starting classes again, and when asked to introduce...

I walked with Sheryl on New Year’s Day at our favorite local park. We like this park because it is a leisurely walk with some moderate uphill terrain, but the...

The other day, I was in my closet organizing and found myself sitting on the floor on an extra dog bed. When it was time to get up, I felt...

As I am writing this article, it is a very cold winter day. I am inside as the wind is howling and snow is blowing with zero visibility. My city...

Guess what? Chronically ill and disabled people have lives. Gasp! It’s true! We drink milk and we date, and we stub our toes at night and curse the very universe...

Should our rheumatoid arthritis always get the final say in every decision we make? Before I commit to pretty much anything, I always have to check in with my rheumatoid...

Successfully managing the use of electronic devices intended to make our lives easier and more efficient can be neither if we are not careful. It seems to me it is...

"Grief and hope can coexist." -Rebecca Solnit I recently saw a meme posted on social media that caught my eye and attention. I quickly took a screenshot of it and...

It's the start of a new year, and with that comes the same stuff we usually hear around this time about how someone is going to change their life, their...

For over a year, rheumatoid arthritis has not been my biggest health concern. (I know, right?!) My biggest health issue has been anemia; severe, debilitating anemia. Do I know why...

My sincerest hope is that your 2022 was a better year than mine. Don’t get me wrong, there were many moments of happiness and fun. However, overall, 2022 was very...

I recently needed to get both a cervical MRI and knee x-rays. For better or worse, I asked for the reports so that I could have them for my records...

At a recent visit to a new spinal doctor, I learned that my top couple of vertebrae have become "naturally fused" as a result of my rheumatoid arthritis (RA). He...

Until my own episode, I never realized RA could affect your eyes. Joints? Sure. But eyes? It seemed far-fetched in a disease like RA. I was aware of the need...

When someone thinks of a person with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), they don't think of me — for a variety of reasons. I'm young (a majority of patients with RA start...

"Travel brings power and love back into your life." -Rumi Hallo aus Köln, Deutschland! (Hello from Cologne, Germany) I'm writing this from my friends' house in Cologne, Germany, where I've...

In a perfect world, I’d be able to afford to have someone come in and clean my house for me. But as we are all painfully aware, we do not...

I am the proud mom of a 7-year-old, 20-pound cat named Luka. He is no ordinary animal; he has been deemed my emotional support animal by my physician. Through my...

I remember the first time I saw a rheumatologist, he asked me a simple question: Do you experience any stiffness? Promptly, I said no and I was telling the truth...

With winter approaching, time seems to be accelerating and slowing down at the same time. Shorter days make me feel like I must rush to get things done, but less...