Articles

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...

This 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...

May 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...

I’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...

"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...

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...

Thirteen 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...

Lately, 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...

Honestly, 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...

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...

“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...

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...

Four 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...

For 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...

As rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, we constantly have to cope with the disease wearing at our joints and the damage that can occur. It can be slow and constant, like...

Lately, I’ve been feeling like my rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been stopping me at every turn. Like a hockey goalie who drank too much coffee, this stupid illness seems to...

Something I've never thought could possibly be related to rheumatoid arthritis (RA)?? Stretch marks. I've had this recent cropping-up of stretch marks on my stomach and across my legs. I'm...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the BFF none of us want. This disease sticks to us like glue, never leaves us alone, and affects every decision we make. Just like with...

This is a topic that I'm intimately familiar with because it's part of the reason why it took me forever to seek help for my rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Even when...

Although I’ve struggled with joint pain since childhood, it didn’t lead me to seek additional testing or a second opinion until shortly after college graduation. In the midst of developing...