Living

It has been my experience that humans tend to be harder on themselves than others, to the point that we often become so enveloped in our negativity, we are paralyzed...

About this time a year ago I wrote about how I was changing to a different biologic as my first medication was no longer working as well. I had had...

We’ve all heard it over and over (and over and over) again: it’s so important for people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to exercise. Physical fitness can be extremely useful...

This greeting has become so commonplace in our day-to-day interactions that somehow it has lost its true meaning. That is, to actually inquire how a person is doing. I know...

As I’ve mentioned before, I dislike New Year’s resolutions. They’ve always struck me as another mental self-beating-in-the-making when I can’t live up to them. But I’ve been thinking about it...

The New Year is a time filled with promise and hope. It's also a time for reflection, thinking about the year that has passed, celebrating your achievements and switching gears...

Pets are so lovely when I'm having a Rheumatoid Arthritis flare. They lift my spirits, they take care of me, they’re the reason I don’t tear my hair out every...

Why don't you just give up gluten? Why don't you just stop eating sugar? Why don't you just go to the gym? Why don't you just start taking probiotics? Why...

For four years running (2014 Goals, 2015 Goals, 2016 Goals, 2017 Goals), I’ve taken the time to review goals set for the year, examine how I did, and set goals...

Depending on the nature of an individual’s chronic condition and how it impacts their daily life, they may or may not want to be in the workforce. Additionally, and depending...

I finally started seeing a new psychologist after years of feeling conflicted about "firing" my old one. I've technically seen him three times now, but the first appointment was many...

Over the years of contending with RA I have come to realize that there is a need to utilize the skills associated with will power.  The thought of practicing will...

Most people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience joint stiffness. But did you ever notice you are more stiff in the mornings? Morning stiffness has been defined as “slowness or difficulty...

Tis the season for flu, colds, and other nasty critters shared via coughs, handshakes, and sneezes. I start getting twitchy on public transit when I see uncovered coughs and hear...

OK, everyone. Christmas is just behind us. Although it’s supposed to be a holiday filled with joy, giving, and cozy evenings playing checkers with family and friends, sipping hot cocoa...

As many of our community members know, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects everyone differently. The feet are one of the most common places where RA causes pain. When RA affects the...

"Every limbo boy and limbo girl...all around the limbo world" I have that silly Chubby Checker "Limbo Rock" song in my head right now, mostly because the word "limbo" popped...

In a recent op-ed in The Hill, a Washington, DC newspaper, Dr. Lynn Webster, MD, past president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine and the author of The Painful...

Sometimes I struggle with the fundamentals. I get so involved with the advanced treatments and trying to stay on top of rheumatoid arthritis flares, that I forget the basics. The...

Sometimes it’s hard to get in the holiday spirit when you’re achy and stiff from rheumatoid arthritis. I admit that this year is a little tough for me because I’ve...