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...reactions1comment
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...reactionscomments
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...reactions4comments
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...reactionscomments
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...reactions6comments
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...reactions11comments
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...reactions4comments
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...reactions4comments
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...reactions1comment
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...reactions4comments
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 Out of date.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...reactions3comments
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...reactions2comments
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...reactions1comment
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...reactions22comments
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...reactions10comments
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...reactions3comments
Starting Humira as Treatment for RAIn May 2019, I took my first injection of Humira. It was the first time I had been on a biologic for treatment of my rheumatoid arthritis. Previously, I had...reactions6comments
Tonsils and RA?It was about this time last year that I had one of the worst sicknesses that I’ve ever experienced: a combo of strep throat and tonsillitis. My tonsillitis were so...reactions3comments
Prednisone Mood Swings and Rheumatoid ArthritisFor some, prednisone is a miracle medication. For others, it is the slingshot that has launched them down a course in their life that they will never recover from. But...reactions7comments
Quick Tips to Manage Nausea for RA PatientsAs an RA patient who also lives with a GI condition called Crohn’s disease, I am unfortunately too educated and experienced when it comes to dealing with nausea, upset stomach...reactions15comments