Living

It’s now several weeks that I have been staying at home to protect my immunocompromised self from exposure to COVID-19. As rheumatoid arthritis patients, we’re accustomed to worrying about our...

I recently injured my index finger on my non-dominant hand. I have to splint it for a few weeks and let it heal on its own. While the pain is...

Last year for Christmas, my best friend gave me a book of inspirational quotes about gratitude. I keep it on my coffee table, and every few days I open it...

Not everyone in the RheumatoidArthritis.net community has children of their own at home, but I know there are many who have grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or who act as godparents...

The world has turned upside down around us. It’s like we’re actually living in one of those low budget, high-intensity apocalyptic movies. Now, I honestly never anticipated writing about the...

Everything in life happens for a reason. That’s what “they” tell us anyway. In the context of RA, I don’t believe that, at least not anymore, because no specific reason...

So, one thing I did not consider about the journey with RA, was the pain of the various tests we are subjected to. We all know about the pain of the...

Exhausted, fatigued, wrung-out, worn-out, emotionally exhausted, physically exhausted, mentally exhausted, maybe spiritually exhausted also. Do any of these apply to you? I know the answer, but if you want to...

I am a firm believer that making some small but meaningful changes in our daily lives can often have significant impacts over the course of our lives, well into the...

One of the ways I cope with rheumatoid arthritis is by having fun with words. Creative naming can go a long way to defanging something scary or unpleasant. Sometimes it...

It all started with a cold. It seemed to last forever. I could not shake it off. The stuffed nose, the constant pressure in the front of my face. Some...

It’s that time of year. We wonder if spring is ever coming. Spring comes in fits and starts in the Southeast. We get a few days of high 60 degrees...

I am grieving the recent death of my sister, and have been initiated to a world of emotional pain I’d previously only seen from a distance. Walking with this level...

A little while ago I wrote about changing my daily routine. I had a full topic for an article because I had to consider my condition. An able-bodied person would...

Ever since I was first diagnosed with RA 22 years ago, I've had problems--big and small--regarding communication with my healthcare providers. Or maybe a lack of communication is a more...

The expertise and skills of medical specialists are crucial for managing rheumatoid arthritis and related conditions. A perfect example is that when I was diagnosed as a child, it wasn’t...

Living with rheumatoid arthritis can be challenging. Debilitating fatigue. Swollen, painful joints. Reduced mobility. It can sometimes seem as though rheumatoid arthritis is controlling your life. And we are here...

Most people don’t worry about having enough surgeries. But I have reached the point of four decades of accumulative, aggressive joint damage from rheumatoid arthritis and I wonder: “Did I...

I'm having a hard time believing that it's now the year 2020, despite what the calendar says. I can still clearly remember gathering with my family (Mom, Dad, sister, aunts...

All morning sitting in my chair at my desk I felt a creeping but clear pressure growing in my chest. I thought, "Perhaps I worked out too hard this morning,"...