What Are Digital Therapeutics?Digital therapeutics (DTx) first entered clinical discussions in the 1990s. The idea was that technology could improve healthcare access. It could help overcome barriers of location, time, and resources. This...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Addressing RA FatigueIn recent years, it feels like more attention is being paid to understanding fatigue experienced by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Rheumatology Advisor recently published a summary article about the issue...Reactions0reactionsComments12 comments
Foot Pain & Rheumatoid Arthritis: Things I Wish I Knew When First DiagnosedOn the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation website, Ailsa Bosworth wrote: “Something like 90 percent of people with rheumatoid arthritis experience pain and problems with their feet and footwear is a...Reactions0reactionsComments118 comments
Potential Thyroid Problems and RAGuess what? There's another autoimmune disease on the horizon right now for me — potentially - as I'm still waiting for my doctor for an official diagnosis. But, I'm struggling...Reactions0reactionsComments18 comments
What Is Seropositive RA?Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is often called seropositive or seronegative. Seropositive refers to the presence of RA autoantibodies in the blood. Seronegative means these autoantibodies are not in the blood. Both...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
The 1918 Pandemic: Lessons Not Learned?I read a terrific book recently titled The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John Barry. It was originally published in 2005; however, I suspect it...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
I Don't Have Time for This!This week is difficult. I’m having a small flare and a few more things. Mother’s Day is in a few days. My mother died 3 years ago. I do not...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Symptoms and Diagnosis: RA Tells a Complex StoryThis May, we are raising awareness about rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during Arthritis Awareness Month. RA tells a different story for everyone living with the autoimmune disease. Throughout the month, we...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
RA Tells a Complex Story: Arthritis Awareness Month 2021May marks Arthritis Awareness Month! Awareness of life with rheumatoid arthritis is important for caregivers, healthcare providers, and those living with RA. It is also important for everybody else! We...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Monica’s Tips for Handling MorningsI’ve never been a morning person. For that matter, I’ve never been a night owl either. I guess I am an all-around get-as-much-sleep-as-possible person. Anyways, mornings were always hard for...Reactions0reactionsComments35 comments
Time Passing Me By - Kids and RA?"Passing Me By". It’s a song by The Pharcyde from back in the day, but it’s also something that’s been on my mind lately. Just like the sample from that...Reactions0reactionsComments14 comments
How Not to Be Dismissed as a 20-Something Female with RA (Part 2)Recently, I wrote about my personal experience of being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. While I began displaying concerning symptoms during my childhood, I was not taken seriously by a physician...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
Springtime and Renewal During the Continued PandemicThirteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic, how are you doing? Although people are getting vaccinated at an impressive rate around the country, I’m wondering when the constant worry of exposure...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
Working Through the Night When You Have Rheumatoid ArthritisLately, I’ve had a few work and personal deadlines that I’ve had to meet, some that required working into the night — much later than I usually stay awake. The...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
There’s Got to Be a Better Way to Buy WheelchairsHonestly, it’s only gotten worse during the about 30 years that I’ve needed a wheelchair. It keeps getting harder, more crooked (as in fraud), and less efficient. More and more...Reactions0reactionsComments13 comments
The Boogie Monster of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Anger (Part 1)Having lived with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for 50 years, these days, not much surprises me RA-wise. I’ve lived through a lot, and changed over the years as a result. The...Reactions0reactionsComments24 comments
Tiny Toys Are Not Joint-Friendly (And Other Parenting Qualms)“Mommy, can you open this?”, my 3 and a half-year-old requests, moving a teeny tiny toy into my vision. “I’ll try, bud,” I reply, feeling as though I might admit...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Is It RA Yet?Among those of us who have been “officially” diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there is always discussion about how long it took from the onset of symptoms to get that...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
How to Make a Cozy Bed That Does Not Aggravate Arthritis PainFour out of five people with arthritis-related conditions suffer from poor sleep. We’ve already discussed the pros and cons of mattress and pillow options. This time, we’re talking about sheets...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Amplifying Black Voices: How Healthcare Providers Can Better Serve the CommunityFor our Amplifying Black Voices series, we are exploring how bias in healthcare affects the quality of life for Black people living with autoimmune conditions. Science shows that biases and...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments