Conversation of the WeekWe're continuing an initiative designed to connect you with our RA health leaders! Resuming in June 2023, each week a different RA Health Leader will lead a discussion in the...reactions5comments
Accessible RA ClothesOne aspect you might not hear discussed a lot when you have RA is how inaccessible clothes can be, especially when you experience joint damage from RA. You don't realize...reactions16comments
The Mask We Wear with RAI was looking through some old photos the other day of me from childhood. I was posed very proudly in an all-plastic, full-body Halloween costume. The costume came with a...reactions40comments
Voting with Rheumatoid ArthritisVoting is a fundamental American right, but it has special meaning for people with disabilities or health conditions. Until federal laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) were enacted...reactionscomments
Music Makes the Medicine Go DownWhen I was a kid growing up with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (now called juvenile idiopathic arthritis), I spent a lot of time in the car being driven to medical appointments...reactions2comments
Medical GaslightingI just read an interesting and very relatable article in the New York Times. In the article, experts share tips on how to advocate for yourself in a healthcare setting...reactions73comments
Accessible Alternative Short-term Pain Management OptionsYou need many options when you are battling varying degrees and types of pain on a daily basis. Whether it is stabbing, throbbing, on fire, or frozen, pain always comes...reactions3comments
Accessible Alternative Long-term Pain Management OptionsThese alternative pain management options (often) take a longer time to see any noticeable changes in overall pain and fatigue levels. These aren’t my “go-to” options for immediate pain relief...reactions3comments
4 Things You Don't Need to Apologize for With RABeing a newer member of the RA community (I just recently passed my 2-year diagnosis-versary), I have learned a lot about what it means to live with RA and the...reactions22comments
What I Thought Was Eczema Turned Out to Be ShinglesEditor’s Note: This article was written by Patient Leader Cora Lyn Sears and originally appeared on our partner site AtopicDermatitis.net. She describes her experience of having shingles while living with...reactionscomments
I Love and Hate My LifeRheumatoid arthritis has caused a real dichotomy in my life. It caused so much turmoil but also some wonderful things. More often than not, I want to curl up in...reactions25comments
Emotionally Preparing for SurgerySurgery – a necessary part of living with RA, unfortunately, and a major event in a patient’s life. Since this is part 2 of a 2-part series on preparing for...reactions5comments
Preparing For Surgery - A GuideSurgery. For many of us with rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic illnesses, surgery is as much a part of life as fatigue or blood tests or having to make a...reactions2comments
Oppression Days/DazeI’m coming to grips that some days are just not good ones. It’s not just the pain, fatigue, or joint limitations from rheumatoid arthritis, it’s the days when the fight...reactions14comments
Meeting Fellow Chronic Illness WarriorsI had a recent experience that I wanted to share with everyone in this community. My aim is to showcase the importance of community when it comes to having a...reactions5comments
My Shingles SurpriseRecently, members of our community discussed shingles. Shingles symptoms are uncomfortable, and can be more severe when combined with autoimmune diseases. It is always an unwelcome surprise when shingles erupt...reactionscomments
The Ticker Tape Parade of RA SymptomsYesterday I was relaxing in the afternoon and I started to feel my left ankle throb. Feeling surprised, I looked down and thought, “What now?” I know by now I...reactions31comments
Advocating for Pain Relief and Breastfeeding with RAAs a woman and a twice-over-mama, I have realized an unfortunate dichotomy among breastfeeding your child and choosing other things in your life. For example, for many women it’s all...reactions4comments
The Caterpillar, the Biologic and Rheumatoid ArthritisI recall my grandfather looking at a Caterpillar bulldozer sitting in his yard at the lakefront property he owned. No one lived at the cottage. The cottage was used on...reactions7comments
Brain Fog in a Multitasking WorldThe pressure in our society to do everything in the least amount of time is overwhelming, to put it mildly. The pressure on the average, healthy person to keep up...reactions9comments
