Living

My husband and I really enjoy travel. We visit family, friends, and take trips to different places to see the sights, enjoy the food, and discover new experiences. I’ve felt...

I was recently at a meeting that included a number of other RA patient advocates. Over lunch, conversation turned (not unexpectedly) to various treatments and side effects. One of the...

Below is a screenshot from my phone. It shows a recent night of sleep tracking from my Fitbit. The red parts are when I was awake. It’s pretty easy to...

We have all heard about how certain events or changes in our lives can produce stress.  Marriage, divorce, the death of a loved one, a new job, moving to a...

It was a dream job. One of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to do meaningful work you enjoy with people you respect at a generous salary. Those jobs are rare to begin...

I recently found myself suddenly in the middle of a heated debate about opioids and pain treatment via an E-mail thread, surprisingly made up of other patients and patient advocates...

When was the last time you pushed yourself too far and suffered the consequences of extra pain, stiffness and disability? My arms and legs screamed in pain. I felt the...

Marc Ian Barasch is someone I discovered about ten years ago when I came across his books, The Healing Path, A Soul Approach to illness, and Remarkable Recovery, which he...

Sometimes I get angry with the mirror. I feel it doesn’t reflect how I am feeling—specifically, how I am feeling on a bad RA day. There’s the saying: “It is...

The ribs are an important part of our bodies. They protect our lungs and hearts and other organs like the spleen. They help us breathe by aiding the lungs and...

Between driving to doctor’s appointments, picking up prescriptions, and getting to therapy, you have plenty of places to go, in addition to work/school, family responsibilities, and/or social activities, driving is...

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how what I have learned from my father has helped me to live with rheumatoid arthritis. Actually, it’s not just really about the RA, but...

Is weakness a state of mind? A feeling? Is it physical or mental? Can I control it? The definition of "weakness" is lacking in strength, feeble or slight defect so...

Last December, I made the switch from taking methotrexate and a biologic injection to a new medication: Xeljanz. Methotrexate had worked well for me for many years. When paired with...

Until the recent passing of our beloved dog, Leah, I had not really considered the parallels between her situation and mine, in terms of the intensity of care required for...

As I have moved through the years of my life I found myself, at times, looking back.  I like to think this is a good way to take lessons learned...

I grew up a tomboy. I never cared too much for makeup. I only wore sunscreen during the summer or long periods outside. I had oily skin and some blemishes...

The doctor who just performed my reverse shoulder replacement is new to me. He is in the same practice as the excellent surgeon that did my other shoulder replacement and...

Raise your hand if you’ve ever brought up fatigue with your physician? Raise both hands if there was not a lot they could do to help you? Yup, me too...

Resilience is the ultimate life skill. We are all innately resilient; life on earth wouldn't prosper without it. Take a walk outside and you will see resilience everywhere you turn...