Articles

Taking a look at RA from the perspective of the good, the bad and the ugly reveals some interesting insights worth sharing. Let's start with the good. For me the good...

January 1st is usually a date that's welcome and met with hope and enthusiasm, a chance for people to meet goals and better their lives in the new year. Not...

I went to Washington, DC over the summer to visit some good friends of mine. I spent one of the days wandering around by myself, checking out many of the...

As a care-giver, I feel both happy and fortunate to see my wife responding well to her medication, Rituxan. Over the past six years, Lisa’s Rituxan infusions have brought her...

Colder weather can hit with full force - and mornings, especially winter mornings, can be a challenge for many people with rheumatoid arthritis. So we asked our Facebook community: What tips do...

When I was a little girl, I hated getting shots. Annual vaccinations for school were bad enough but when you were sick and had to go to the doctor, it...

Hopeful news from a study reports that modern treatments work to minimize the need for assistive devices (like jar openers, long-handled reachers, raised toilet seats, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and others)...

Earlier this week I was meeting a new rheumatologist to possibly replace my doctor who has retired. Ahead of time I picked a few questions to help determine if we might...

Periodically and unexpectedly, I come down with fevers. Sometimes they come with other symptoms like coughing, congestion, or headaches. But more often, they arrive and depart mysteriously. Over the years...

A recent article in TheNew York Times took me by surprise the other day: "Minorities Get Less Pain Treatment in E.R." Although, sadly, maybe I shouldn't be that surprised by it?...

I read and write about these things frequently: I even nag, cajole, and encourage others, like you, to adopt them into your lifestyle because of the all-around good they can...

Chronic pain is so different from temporary pain. The ephemeral pain that can be brought on by injury or sickness garners a certain level of respect. Used to feeling well...

I’m sitting in my wheelchair, minding my own business, while taking the elevator and BAM! Someone decides I look like furniture and grabs my handlebar or starts to lounge on me...

I’ve had a nagging thought, a theory really, that only becomes more persistent as I communicate with more and more people with autoimmune conditions. The thought is this: Are people...

What’s life with RA really like? As with many chronic conditions, particularly those considered to be “invisible illnesses”, the full impact an individual’s life can be difficult to assess. While...

I can’t get excited about the holidays this year.  It all just feels like too much.  And ask anyone I know, I am a master gift giver and love bringing...

Side effects from medications can sometimes be just as uncomfortable and miserable as the condition for which a person is taking them. It's one of the challenging Catch-22 situations of...

When I had my first joint replacements, I remember telling a friend that I was worried about the lifespan of my joints. My doctor said that the new joints were...

Almost five years ago, I talked with my rheumatologist about altering my treatment plan so that my husband and I could try to start a family. Though my rheumatologist was...

Today I made my Christmas list for Santa. Don’t those sound great? Yep, but here’s the reality: I already have a four-year-old Kindle Fire. It works great on airliners and...