Living

What’s your first thought when someone tells you they’re sick? What if they say they’re chronically ill? I ask this because describing such things to others is full of potholes...

Among the many ongoing decisions associated with wisely managing Rheumatoid Arthritis, arguably the most crucial one is who to turn to for treatment.  First you must decide which medical professional...

I’m a regular user of Twitter--I love being able to talk to other people who share my interests or, in particular, people like me who cope daily with chronic illness...

The stage was set for a romantic evening. The kids were spending the night at grandma’s. The house was blissfully empty and quiet, with the whole evening ahead of us...

One of the many challenges we face as we move through the years managing a chronic disease like RA, is finding the balance between being vigilant about our health and...

Growing up, I learned early on that some families are plagued with health problems. When I was five years old my sister was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes, and our...

If you – or someone you love – live with a chronic illness, you may eventually need to take time off from your job to focus on a health issue...

A Greek food festival. A chili cook-off. A professional soccer game. A play with friends. A movie in the park. A trip to California. A weekend getaway with my husband...

When I graduated from college, I got a job in Washington, DC, and moved there with a friend. We took a day trip from the campus and visited a lot...

Here’s a thing: expecting others to know we’re in pain if we don’t tell them. Here’s another: feeling frustrated or angry with them because they don’t. How can they know...

This is kind of embarrassing and not very ladylike to mention and write about, but unfortunately it's a reality--a reality I'd rather not have to deal with, honestly. Once again...

After having the same rheumatologist for an entire decade, I switched doctors a little over a year ago. It was a bit scary to make the change, and I’ve gone...

Recently I’ve gone on a couple trips requiring airline travel. While I have no problem flying, my poor motorized wheelchair encounters a lot of turbulence. I’ve been flying more than...

I have always enjoyed clothes.  Shopping for them, selecting outfits, wearing them, etc.  It may seem strange but the fact is RA effects everything associated with dressing.  Years ago, I...

RA is not only painful, but can also take up a lot of time! We wanted to find out how people in our community spend time when it's not devoted...

Having rheumatoid arthritis means that there will always be days where it feels like I’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed. It doesn’t matter how much I...

Periodically during my life with rheumatoid arthritis, people have exclaimed to me: “You’re a hero!” I remember this happening even when I was a young child, limping along with my...

One must always be careful to not automatically attribute any new medical symptom with RA. There are, however, many comorbid (occurs alongside) conditions with an autoimmune disease like RA. These...

Living and working with rheumatoid arthritis can be a real challenge. Luckily, the Americans with Disabilities Act (or ADA for short) requires most employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” to qualified...

According to new research published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, a positive attitude can help rheumatoid arthritis patients. Patients with a more positive attitude experienced less pain and fewer...