Living

I wake up and I’m afraid to move because I know it’s going to hurt. I slowly take a peek at my elbows and knees- just as I thought, they...

I usually see it in their eyes. They feel uncomfortable and don’t know how to behave. Maybe it’s my wheelchair or my crooked finger joints or stiff arm gestures. I...

A few months ago Rheumatoidarthritis.net compiled the results of their RA in America 2016 survey. Surveys like this are so important, especially for those of us living with rheumatoid arthritis...

As I explained in a previous post, about a year ago my sex life was really suffering – partly as the result of having two very young children but also...

"Please keep the politics bs off this page. There are other forums for that." -- My Facebook troll I got "trolled" recently on my RA Facebook page by an angry (and rather...

I’ve been fighting an annoying rosacea flare since November last year. It’s sort of fun (and sardonic) to blame it on the outcome of the presidential election, but I doubt...

He begins the Rousing every day in the early morning gloom. Most days he uses his new-found voice, but other times he opts for a bag, a box, or possibly...

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is a professional organization committed to improving the care of patients living with rheumatic diseases. Each year, ACR hosts a meeting attended by rheumatologists...

The ability to connect with people, information, organizations, etc. online can be one of the most important things you consider while dealing with RA. It can make your life so...

Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis is often a subtle masquerade of appearances: a smile when one is in pain, the forced buoyancy of energy when one is exhausted, the illusion of...

Though it isn’t often talked about, I think most people living with RA would agree that RA can have a very negative impact on a person’s sex life. Pain and...

I get a flu shot every fall, usually after a routine rheumatologist appointment. The VA medical center where I get my care offers them to all vets, and they keep...

Communication is an essential part of maintaining a healthy relationship – it’s how we share our thoughts, ideas, feelings, and desires with our partners. But, in a relationship where one...

My entire professional life has been deadline driven. There were usually dire consequences if deadlines weren’t met: contracts could be lost, governing bodies could impose fines, disclosure regulations would be...

Have you ever stopped to think how important the notion of smallness is to managing RA? As strange as this may sound I am convinced that remembering to keep it...

The journey of the lone protagonist, forgotten and consigned to oblivion, is the plot of innumerable movies, dramas, novels, and historical narratives. Something about a single individual, whether stranded and...

When you’re diagnosed with RA you become a member of an exclusive club. To quote the iconic comic, Groucho Marx (and others to whom the saying has been attributed), “I...

There are aches, and then there are pains. The frequency of both have proliferated in my life since being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. As a young athlete in extreme sports...

I have never had an easy time with my hair, but rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has made it even more of a challenge. From the time I was a little girl...

Modesty is sometimes an undervalued characteristic in people and health care professionals in particular. When I was a child, it was confidence and authority that you sought in a doctor...