What’s Next?…the medication saga continues! This past December (2020), we didn’t see any improvement with the Orencia so my rheumatologist and I decided to switch to another medication. I fully stopped...Reactions0reactionsComments15 comments
RA - The Time BanditTime. It’s something all of us only have a limited supply of and there’s nothing on Earth, short of a DeLorean going 88 miles per hour, that can give you...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
RA and Plantar Fasciitis: What Do Lacrosse Balls and Bottles of Ice Have in Common?Ever since I was in my 20s, I’ve always enjoyed a really good foot massage. Not just a light-handed rubbing of the skin, but a massage with pressure that digs...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
The Pillow Dilemma: Making the Smart Choice When You Have RAEditor's note: This article belongs to a three-part series on getting better sleep with rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritis-related conditions. Check out the first article on choosing the right mattress...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
CF and RA: From One Abbreviation to AnotherMy official diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) came quite out of the blue. RA was never expected to be the cause of my chronic pain and joint issues I have...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
What Did I Do In Navigating My RA DiagnosisReceiving a new diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not ideal, nor is it fun in any way. If you’re in the process of getting diagnosed or you have just...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Meow, Meow, Purr, Purr: Tips and Tricks for Little KittyI’ve previously written articles on how to care for your pets when you are flared. But I realized, in my most recent one, I only talked about dogs! As someone...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Amplifying Black Voices: Finding CommunityWhen you live with a chronic autoimmune condition, finding a community that understands is powerful. And, science backs this up. What is community? It is a group of people with...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Caution: How to Sort Through Medical Advice for RA PatientsThis is a rather challenging topic, but one that I think bears some consideration for those of us who must sort out and often make life-changing decisions with regard to...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
Infusion RecoveryWhen I was first prescribed a biologic administered via infusion, I felt overwhelmed. I had so many questions and, nowhere could I find all of the answers in one place...Reactions0reactionsComments11 comments
Trusting My Body with RA: Can I?Can I trust my body? It's something that I ask myself almost every day. Why, you might ask? Because realistically my body has turned against me. It was healthy one...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Is the Pandemic Making Me Weaker?Like most people, I’m just trying to get through the pandemic crisis (mostly) intact. I expect we’ll all be changed, we’ll all have to recover in various ways, and the...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
The Value of UncertaintyHere is my premise. We need uncertainty for medical professionals to get our diagnosis right and, even when they have it right, we need them to be uncertain going forward. Without...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
The Medicine HopperIt doesn’t surprise many people when they learn that I change medications frequently. I’m a little flakey and I like fast results. Barring the last few years, I was never...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Aging with RAOld. Over the hill. Out of date. Starting to rot... Call it what you will but, as my grandfather said, getting old isn’t for the faint of heart. The thing...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
Which RA Door - 1,2, or 3?As a kid, I loved to watch the show "Let’s Make a Deal" because the surprise aspect of it was very intriguing to me. Contestants were asked to select, sight unseen...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Take the Chronic Dry Eye In America Survey!*Update: As of Wednesday, April 28, 2021, the Chronic Dry Eye In America survey is now closed and will not be reopened. It is estimated that more than 16 million...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Insomnia + RA - A Vicious CycleI used to think I couldn’t sleep because I had too much on my mind. Then, I thought I couldn’t sleep because of how much my knees hurt. To confuse...Reactions0reactionsComments22 comments
The Medication Side Effect Dance of Rheumatoid ArthritisHere I am again. Feeling the effects of my body trying to adjust to a medication, and it’s not fun. I’m reminding myself that my bad mood is just temporary...Reactions0reactionsComments10 comments
Monica's Tips for Staying OrganizedOrganization is a big thing for me. Because of the mixture of rampant brain fog and medication side effects, my memory is not particularly reliable anymore. I tend to forget...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments