Living

Most 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...

Like 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...

People 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Rheumatoid 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...

Every 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...

I 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...

The 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...

I 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...

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...

When 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...

If 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...

Recently I had a big meeting at work, with a presentation to give to the higher-ups in our school district. I prepared my data, reviewed points I anticipated questions on...

Editor's note: This article was first published in May 2015. Since then, more research has been conducted to understand the role of genetics in rheumatoid arthritis. Read this recent study...

Here’s a common scenario: I’m feeling pretty good and am up for a task I’ve been putting off, such as painting a room, reorganizing closets, or stripping and waxing the...

The irksome earworm I’m stuck with this morning keeps singing the tune to “Bad Boys” in my head.  Except instead of “bad boys,” it’s chanting “Bad hands, bad hands, whatcha...