The Hostess with the Mostest... Hip PainI bustle around the kitchen prepping food. It’s my daughter’s birthday, and we’ve invited several families over for a backyard barbecue to celebrate. The guest list was made and invites... By Tamara Haag4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Getting engaged is delightful at any age!So the final E in my EEE approach to RA management is Engaging (the first two E's can be found here and here.) . By that I mean simply staying... By Nan Hart3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
A Smoother CycleAs a very active kid, exercise wasn’t a chore; it was the means to a great time. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that running and playing started to... By Tamara Haag4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Wasted WeekendI came home Friday feeling wrecked from the week. My bag was full of work to catch up on over the weekend and I had a long checklist of personal... By Kelly Mack3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Suiting Up . . . for a Day at the OfficeMost people familiar with rheumatoid arthritis understand that mornings are tough. Those of us with RA tend to experience morning stiffness, so we need more than a cup of coffee... By Tamara Haag3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments14 comments
The Joker in the DeckLike thousands of other aging boomers, I’m caring full time for my elderly mother. She’s 83 now, and while she’s doing fairly well at the moment, she’s been on the... By Wren4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Passing JudgmentPeople who cope with chronic pain--the kind of pain that comes to live with you forever--are very good at hiding it. I know. I do it all the time with... By Wren4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Those were the days....You would think that after nearly 20 years, my memory of the onset and diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis would be at best faded and at worst deposited into a long... By Nan Hart4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
That's a Fail!As a rheumatoid disease (arthritis) patient, I’m used to feeling like a failure. After all, the pain, fatigue, malaise, and disability it causes make me fail at all kinds of... By Wren5 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
“Mean Mommy”When I was a nanny in college, I vowed that when the day came when I had kids of my own, I would be a fun mom. I would be... By Tamara Haag5 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
How Do We Comfort Our Healthcare Providers?At my last rheumatologist appointment, I had a somewhat bizarre experience. When my doctor orders labs, one of the nurses comes in and does them right there in the same... By Leslie Rott3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
How slow can you go?I have learned through the years of association and friendship with others with Rheumatoid Arthritis that many of us were used to living in the "fast lane" pre-RA. By that... By Nan Hart2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Eating the ElephantRheumatoid disease (arthritis) is sometimes overwhelming. The frequent pain, fatigue, niggling low-grade fevers, and feeling ill and foggy are a lot for anyone to cope with. Add it to all... By Wren4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
To Exercise, or Not to ExerciseEvery morning I wake up and dread the first movements of the day. I hate waking up and I’m the worst at it (just ask my amazingly-patient husband). I don’t... By Kelly Mack3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Wake Up ReminderI received shocking news recently that I'm still trying to digest and accept. A family friend--a 61 year-old wife, mother, and grandmother--was found lying dead on her kitchen floor. When... By Angela Lundberg3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Holidays on IceThe summer after I completed my master’s degree, I decided to celebrate by seeing the world and improving my Spanish via a couple of months spent in South America. Planning... By Tamara Haag5 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Breastfeeding With RAI have long understood the benefits of breastfeeding. My mother was the leader of the local La Leche League chapter, so she touted the positive impacts of breastfeeding, in addition... By Tamara Haag5 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Shut the front door!I have always lived with the credo that as one door closes another one opens. This has proven true on so many levels throughout my journey with RA. For instance... By Nan Hart3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
Generally speakingWhen I stop to consider some of the challenges RA folks face over time one has popped up for me just this past week. It involves sorting out the difference... By Nan Hart4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
Getting Ready for Infusion DayIf you are anything like me, you often take one day at a time. This is great for most situations; but when an event is on the horizon that would... By Lisa Emrich4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments