No. 6 - Ask for HelpThis is the sixth of ten things I’d like to go back and tell my newly diagnosed self about living with RA. Let’s face it, life can be challenging. Balancing...reactions4comments
Video: Finding The Humor in RAKelly Mack talks about the importance of humor in coping with rheumatoid arthritis...reactions2comments
No. 3 - Find a Rheumatologist You TrustThis is the third of ten things I’d like to go back and tell my newly diagnosed self about living with RA. One of the first things that happened soon...reactions5comments
Is It Me or My RA?Lately, I’ve been having some cranky days. I really do take seriously my emotional state and how it influences my rheumatoid arthritis. Perhaps it is silly, but I feel staying...reactions12comments
No. 2 – Do Research, Don't PanicThis is the second of ten things I’d like to go back and tell my newly diagnosed self about living with RA. Mae West has been credited with saying, “Too...reactions2comments
Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me That?On a recent visit to my rheumatologist, we were sitting with a medical student when my doctor asked me to explain how I was two years old when diagnosed. “See...reactions18comments
You Can Raise AwarenessRaising awareness about RA may sound intimidating but it really is quite simple and very valuable!...reactionscomments
Owning "My" RAHave you ever noticed that you refer to your own Rheumatoid Arthritis disease as “my RA”? It did not start out that way, but I think this sheds some interesting...reactions3comments
A Crash Course in CaregivingLiving with a chronic illness often dramatically changes the way you manage routine activities and responsibilities. You might need assistance to keep up with home chores or may need accommodations...reactionscomments
Where Would I Be Without Self-Advocacy?I’m riding a crowded train home from work and a woman behind me sets her bag on my head. I’m sitting in my wheelchair, so I guess it makes sense...reactions5comments
Better Safe than SorrySeeing your doctor when you start with a "routine" illness is the sensible and safe way to go....here is why....reactions1comment
Coping With ItI turned off the dryer and reached in, burying my hands in the deep-heated load of towels that had just finished the dry cycle. Oh, that felt so good! For...reactions4comments
The Importance of Oral HealthDid you know that oral health and rheumatoid arthritis have the common link of inflammation? Recent research has found that people with RA experience gum disease at a much higher...reactions7comments
What it is That Grips Us (Part 3)The evaluation of the symptoms of a major depressive episode is especially difficult when they occur in an individual who has a general medical condition. — The Diagnostic and Statistical...reactions4comments
So what?It seems each year, around my birthday, I tend to reflect on purpose; more so now as I approach my last 18 months of full time work. That said, I...reactions3comments
When RA Severity Is Off the ChartsFirst, let me start by stating that every person with RA is unique and must grapple individually with pain, stiffness, joint problems and all the complexity of the disease. No...reactionscomments
Lisa Learns to Ride, Part IIOur riding adventures began last spring when we wheeled Lisa’s new bicycle out of the local REI store and into our car. Before that moment, Lisa had tested several bikes...reactions1comment
Press pauseOver the years, especially since the onset of Rheumatoid Arthritis, I have come to deeply appreciate slowing down over the course of each day and “pressing the pause button” whenever...reactions2comments
What it is that Grips Us (Part 2)With my voice revealing the nervous tension seated somewhere in my rib cage, I stood in front of a classroom full of undergraduate students for the first time in the...reactionscomments
What the ACA Has Meant to Me: Dependent Coverage and No Benefit CapsPart III of a three-part series. When I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), I was taking what was supposed to be my final semester of college. As it turned...reactions2comments
