Living

Voting 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...

When 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...

I 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...

You 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...

These 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...

Being 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...

Editor’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...

Rheumatoid 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...

Surgery – 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...

Surgery. 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...

I’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...

I 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...

Recently, 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...

Yesterday 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...

As 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...

I 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...

The 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...

Heading into an appointment with your doctor can be overwhelming or stressful. You also may not always know the right questions to ask, even if you've been living with RA...

Finding someone. Dating. Relationships. When you have rheumatoid arthritis or any chronic illness, being in a relationship comes with extra challenges. If there’s anything relationships don’t need – it’s more...

This was a difficult article to write, weirdly. Many of the incidents happened soon after I moved to a new state, but I felt guilty writing about them. Where I...