Living

My general stance on the pandemic: things are challenging for everyone and we are all just trying to figure it out. So when my local pool re-opened without any plans...

Well, that’s it; the title says it all. Thanks for coming, please leave your praise in the comment section below! Ha! There’s more, of course, which you probably already knew...

Since I was diagnosed at age two more than 40 years ago, the condition has changed names (from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis to juvenile idiopathic arthritis), the treatments have greatly improved...

When you have a chronic illness — and more specifically, a rheumatic illness — your rheumatologist is your eventual first point of contact after working with your primary care doctor...

I have been fortunate to have had some really talented and outstanding physical and occupational therapists to work with over the years I have had rheumatoid arthritis (RA), so I...

Recently the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) released its recommendations for autoimmune patients (including rheumatoid arthritis) for the COVID-19 vaccines. Their conclusion was that although there is limited data, autoimmune...

In my last article, I talked about developing a support system and finding ways to boost your self-confidence. Today, I have two more suggestions for you. Just like any relationship...

Pfizer reported results from a new post-launch study on the safety of the drug Xeljanz (tofacitinib), finding more major adverse cardiovascular events and cases of cancer when compared to TNF-inhibitors...

As technology has become a bigger part of our daily lives, its uses in healthcare have also grown. Thanks to improvements in technology, there are many options for accessing healthcare...

As an autoimmune disease patient living with Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis, I have a long standing relationship with infusions. From inpatient hospitalizations to doctors' offices, infusion centers to home...

My hands hurt.  One thing that RA/RD has impacted is my hands. My fingers regularly swell and small object manipulation is nearly impossible.  I practice doing these manipulations by building...

I recently got a full-time job as an Assistant Director with an office of research down in Florida. This was such a great opportunity, and I’m incredibly excited to begin...

In my last article, I described some of the helpful physical accommodations I use at school. In this article, I will detail the technological assistance accommodations I use for class!...

Sleep should be a time for the body to heal. Yet, poor sleep is linked to greater pain sensitivity. Unfortunately, people living with rheumatoid arthritis face this theft of sleep...

It never ceases to amaze me, even after nearly 25 years since my diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, how circuitous the RA journey remains. Just when I think I have a...

I’ve written about my experiences with brain fog multiple times. You know, the fuzzy feeling, the memory loss, and the brain fatigue? Brain fog is that annoying third wheel companion...

Joint pain, swelling, redness, and stiffness have plagued me for a long time. From high SED rates to waking up during the night screaming in pain as a child, I’ve...

Well, it's here: part 2 of the hotly (yeah, right) anticipated guide to what to expect when you are expecting RA. In part 1, we covered some of the mental...

Adaptability as an idea is very interesting to me. It constantly amazes me how easily animals adapt to new surroundings (as soon as two days, really). People always say that...

It seems like with my rheumatoid arthritis that one little thing going wrong can cause a cascade of negative consequences. It’s like setting up a trail of dominoes: knock one...