Articles

When does someone's "friendly" advice cross the line and turn unhelpful or even hurtful? Is unsolicited advice really an effort at friendship and support, or is it bossiness and ego/arrogance...

In recent months, I’ve been struggling with an inflammation of the eyelids called blepharitis. Warning: this is gross! I wake up with yellow crusties on my eyelids and a sticky...

Living with rheumatoid arthritis can feel like a nightmare, which sometimes leads me to daydream about things that would make this journey a little easier. Sitting in my car in...

Our healthcare system can be extremely complicated for patients to navigate. And, all too often, it seems like patients are a captive audience, with little to no power to influence...

When I returned home from my last knee replacement surgery I had nurse visits, home rehabilitation with a physical therapist, and also occupational therapy (OT) for helping me adjust to...

So the other day I was at my computer. I was researching an article, surfing the Web for credible background, reading, and taking the occasional note. It wasn’t particularly pleasant...

This past weekend, I traveled with Lisa for a 1-day patient blogger conference held in Chicago, IL. The event, hosted by a pharmaceutical company, was arranged to gather feedback from...

The RA diagnosis and disease management journey can often feel overwhelming, especially when the number of your symptoms increases over time. Are you curious to know how your experience compares...

I can imagine that at first glance the notion of laughing about a chronic disease borders on absurdity. But let me make a case for why laughing can actually improve...

Recently I went to pick up my kids from preschool, and was feeling really achy. There had been a series of storms and temperature fluctuations all week, and the shifts...

I have a new dermatologist. It wasn’t really a choice. My previous dermatologist of many years passed away and the practice was sold. My records weren’t even in the system...

When I was young, I thought rheumatoid disease (arthritis) was something only old people had. Then I got it myself. I was only 31. I learned that there were other...

It’s always a gamble, a guessing-game to get the medications right. I think of it as a delicate balance. Enough of the drugs to reduce the inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis...

I bustle around the kitchen prepping food. It’s my daughter’s birthday, and we’ve invited several families over for a backyard barbecue to celebrate. The guest list was made and invites...

So the final E in my EEE approach to RA management is Engaging (the first two E's can be found here and here.) .  By that I mean simply staying...

As a very active kid, exercise wasn’t a chore; it was the means to a great time. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that running and playing started to...

I came home Friday feeling wrecked from the week. My bag was full of work to catch up on over the weekend and I had a long checklist of personal...

Most people familiar with rheumatoid arthritis understand that mornings are tough. Those of us with RA tend to experience morning stiffness, so we need more than a cup of coffee...

Like thousands of other aging boomers, I’m caring full time for my elderly mother. She’s 83 now, and while she’s doing fairly well at the moment, she’s been on the...

People who cope with chronic pain--the kind of pain that comes to live with you forever--are very good at hiding it. I know. I do it all the time with...