Managing Other People’s Perceptions About RAFrom the youngest age I can remember, I knew I was different because people looked at me differently. The cause was my juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. I looked sick—often pale, limping... By Kelly Mack3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: The Post-Birth RA FlareThe RA Pregnancy Chronicles is a series of posts that share my experiences being pregnant while living with RA. This post was written during Week 32 of my second pregnancy... By Mariah Z. Leach4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Does Not Adhering To Medication Regimens Make You A Bad Patient?For most of us, prescription medications, whether oral, injectable, or intravenous, are key to treating RA. Some of us are lucky enough to find a medication that works, and then... By Leslie Rott2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Do You and Your Doctor Agree on the Severity of Your RA?We’d like to think that medicine is cut and dry and always based upon objective science. We get a blood test, take a drug, and get better. But most diseases... By Andrew Lumpe, PhD3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments9 comments
Disease and DisabilitySince I’ve had rheumatoid arthritis for more than 35 years now, I have accumulated a lot of physical damage from this disease. A lot of my joint deformities, contractions and... By Kelly Mack3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
You Know You Have RA When . . .We know that the typical signs and symptoms associated with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include joint stiffness and swelling as well as a number of positive laboratory test... By Editorial Team 3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
10 Common RA SymptomsNearly 1,000 people participated in the 2013 Rheumatoid Arthritis in America survey telling us about their initial RA symptoms as well as the most common and frequently experienced symptoms. Learn... By Editorial Team 1 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: RA Friendly Baby GearThe RA Pregnancy Chronicles is a series of posts that share my experiences being pregnant while living with RA. This post was written during Week 18 of my second pregnancy... By Mariah Z. Leach5 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Beer Reduces RA Risk for Women?A new study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology has recently come out claiming that beer can help reduce the risk of women getting rheumatoid arthritis. Really? Beer? This sounds a... By Angela Lundberg3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Another Weather RantI know, I talk about the weather a lot on here, but the truth is, it really impacts my RA in a negative way. I know that there are some... By Leslie Rott2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Release the Hounds!One of my persistent complaints about being a chronic disease patient most of my life is the lack of coordination of my care. Looking back, I think my parents began... By Kelly Mack3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Differences between Rheumatoid Arthritis and OsteoarthritisMay is Arthritis Awareness month and RheumatoidArthritis.Net is joining in the recognition. “Arthritis” is a general term and, according to the American College of Rheumatology, is used for over 100 diseases... By Andrew Lumpe, PhD2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: Pregnancy-Safe RA ReliefThe RA Pregnancy Chronicles is a series of posts that share my experiences being pregnant while living with RA. This post was written during Week 14 of my second pregnancy... By Mariah Z. Leach4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: The Magic R-WordThe RA Pregnancy Chronicles is a series of posts that share my experiences being pregnant while living with RA. This post was written during Week 12 of my second pregnancy... By Mariah Z. Leach3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
Chronically Ill Patients and Legislated Health Insurance ChangesToday I received a rather long email from the Director of my Human Resources department carefully outlining the options for health insurance for the new fiscal year that begins July... By Andrew Lumpe, PhD3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
What to Expect When Getting an Infusion Medicine for RANeedles and RA go hand-in-hand. When patients are prescribed injectable methotrexate or one of the first line biologic medicines like Enbrel or Humira, they tend to stress over the fact... By Andrew Lumpe, PhD4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
When People Just Don't Get ItRecently, my boyfriend and I had plans to go to the movies with another couple. I hadn’t felt good all day. I alternated between napping and feeling awful, but managed... By Leslie Rott3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: Morning Sickness and Other UnpleasantnessThe RA Pregnancy Chronicles is a series of posts that share my experiences being pregnant while living with RA. This post was written during Week 9 of my second pregnancy... By Mariah Z. Leach3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Talking to MyselfThere are so many things I would like to tell myself as a child. If I could write a letter to my younger self, I feel like I could share... By Kelly Mack3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Love Your BodyYour body is completely amazing. Every single day your joints and muscles and organs and glands and nerves work together to keep you going. Each individual part of your body... By Mariah Z. Leach3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments