Laying Off Opioids, Part 2: Adjusting to ChangeNote:If you haven’t read my earlier posts, “The War On Opioids Comes Home” and “Laying Off Opioids: Part 1,” you might want to now. They’ll give context to this post... By Wren5 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments10 comments
Why I said I DoI just got married, for the first time, at the age of 47. Growing up with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (now called juvenile idiopathic arthritis), I wasn’t sure this would ever... By Kathryn Elton, OTR4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
RA Is Not A CompetitionSeeing Instagram or Facebook photos of fellow RA sufferers, my "Spoonies," running in marathons or completing triathlons is amazing and inspiring. Running, mountain-climbing, hiking, biking very long distances at a... By Angela Lundberg3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
New Study: Different RA Joints May Have Unique Genetic MarkersEver wonder why the RA drugs you take only seem to affect certain joints? Or why the drugs might be literally life-changing to one person with rheumatoid disease, but have... By Wren2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Unhelpful ComparisonsMost people are surprised when they hear that I have rheumatoid arthritis. This is in part due to RA being an "invisible disability," meaning that I may look fine on... By Tamara Haag3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments14 comments
Reading Without HandsI’ve loved to read since I learned how as a little girl. Reading has always informed and even transformed my days, my nights, and my life. With a book in... By Wren3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Questions for the DoctorLiving with a chronic condition like rheumatoid arthritis requires my active engagement in managing my health. I have learned that being knowledgeable and inquisitive about my care and maintaining my... By Kelly Mack3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
One Is the Loneliest NumberDespite the fact that I, and many of us, have terrific support, there is still a strong sense of loneliness that accompanies RA. At first glance, one may think that... By Nan Hart3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
I'm Losing My GripI am losing my grip. I don’t mean my grip on reality (although that’s a possibility). I mean the physical grip in my hands. When I was diagnosed, there was... By Carla Kienast2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments9 comments
Pain Management: What Works?Like many of you out there, I have some degree of pain every single day. The last time I had a completely pain-free day was sometime in early 1997, I'd... By Angela Lundberg3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments7 comments
I Am So Tired of FatigueOf all the things about rheumatoid arthritis I hate (and there are too many to list here), fatigue has to be one of the worst. RA-related fatigue is not being... By Carla Kienast3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments32 comments
Dry as a DesertMany of us with RA have other challenges to contend with that are not always so overtly related to the disease. One of those is dryness. I mean dryness of every... By Nan Hart3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
If it were easy, it would already be doneIs our mind separate from our body? Do we have mental control over the prognosis of disease? Have you ever been told that rheumatoid arthritis is all in your head? If... By Michael Booth3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Putting the “Me” in “Time”As a working mother of two young children, I constantly feel like there’s never enough time to accomplish all my tasks. There are always dishes to wash, baskets of laundry... By Tamara Haag3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Negative emotions and their impact on RANegative emotions can drive RA down a path we do not want or need! How can we manage them? I have some ideas... By Nan Hart1 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Fatherhood, Philosophy, Uncertainty, and Rheumatoid Arthritis"When we are self-indulgent and uncritical, when we confuse hopes and facts, we slide into pseudoscience and superstition.” - Carl Sagan We had to speak loudly to be heard above... By Michael Booth6 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
If the shoe fitsI recently had a discussion with my rheumatologist about footwear and RA. For most of us with RA, foot pain and general discomfort are part and parcel of the RA... By Nan Hart2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Poison Ivy and the Immune ResponseA few weeks ago I felt incredibly lucky to be doing yard work. I usually leave outdoor chores to my husband, as I have rheumatoid arthritis. This means there are... By Tamara Haag4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
30 Days with RA!Exciting news! I finally got the ball rolling with a project idea I've had quietly brewing in my head for several months. What is this mysterious project? Well, since I... By Angela Lundberg5 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments9 comments
Young Warrior Meets the Great Adalimumab: A Dark ComedyThe beast of polyurethane and springs weighed me down, my spine sinking, my joints aching, my mind shouting in a clamor, "don't let this fluffy piece of furniture get the... By Michael Booth11 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments