Living

I am definitely an extrovert, but that doesn't mean that I don't need and enjoy alone time and "me-time." Living with chronic pain and RA is exhausting, which anyone who...

A bit of advanced planning and preparation before shoulder replacement surgery can help with the recovery process. Although every individual is different, there are considerations that can be helpful for...

“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it...

Whenever I play the "if I had a million dollars" game in my head, I always have one thing at the top of my list - regular massage. Over the...

I’ve had rheumatoid arthritis for 10 years now. When my elbows first swelled up like little balloons, I was only 15. My mom and I were referred to a rheumatologist...

If you can believe it, I was actually in the Netherlands in December 2022. This was a personal vacation that I took, and with free flights. I couldn't pass up...

I am a planner, and I always have been. When I was 15 years old and had my hips and knees replaced, I thought about how I may need to...

As we approach and enter a new year, I tend to contemplate my life and journey with RA. This year, one thing that has really resonated with me is the...

Now that, for pretty much everyone else, the recent pandemic is clearly in the rearview mirror of life, I’d like to take a closer look at what the pandemic should...

Tomorrow afternoon, I have a Zoom meeting scheduled with the Associate Director of Recruitment and Admissions at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health. I'm excited to meet and...

I am grateful for many things related to health, in general, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA/RD) in particular. I try to regularly take time to think about the many things for...

I recently shared an article about an unexpected, rather emergent surgery I had to repair a ruptured disc in my back. The injury, subsequent quest for surgery, and recovery shook...

I've been in therapy for a while now--probably since I was in high school. I've also tried multiple modalities of therapy; cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, group therapy, etc...

Isolation. Loneliness. Separation. All of these basically have the same meaning to the “man on the street,” “Jane Q. Public,” and the laymen out there, but to those of us...

When you live with RA, relationships of any sort are, at best, challenging and, at worst, nearly impossible. While open communication is a must, I often find it difficult to...

It’s seared in my memory: sitting in my wheelchair across the desk of my school guidance counselor with my mother sitting beside me, talking about my goal to go to...

I’ve struggled with my hearing for as long as I can remember. It’s been something that has caused me feelings of isolation and embarrassment, especially when I was younger, because...

In part 1 of this article, I discussed my history with abnormal menses. In this article, I discuss my options and next steps. We were at a total loss. Why...

I recall years ago that trying to dress while dealing with RA was at best difficult and at worst impossible. The clothing fabrics all seemed tight and confining, shoes were...

"I was reminded that having extra needs does not make you too difficult, too time-consuming, but worthy of compassion and love." -Chanel Miller I found this quote I had saved...