Jaw Pain and Rheumatoid ArthritisThe temporomandibular joint (TMJ) encompassing the jaw is one of the most complex and misunderstood joints in the body. There are multiple muscles, bones and soft tissues involved in motions...Reactions0reactionsComments10 comments
Showing Off My ScarsThroughout the years I’ve accumulated quite a collection of scars. If I were a painted canvas, I would be an original, abstract piece of modern art. Instead, I’m a walking...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
10 Green and Red Fruits & Veggies to Eat When You Have Rheumatoid ArthritisRheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation and pain for those that have the disease. Eating foods high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce inflammation and pain. The color of the...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Stand Up Or Get OutBy now, you’ve probably heard of the now infamous Kanye West incident, in which he refuses to continue a concert until everyone in attendance was standing up. One fan had...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Top 15 Anti-Inflammatory FoodsRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease. If you’re one of the 1.5 million American adults with RA, you know that what you eat might affect how often or how...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
World Arthritis Day 2014When I first learned that October 12th is World Arthritis Day, I have to admit that I initially felt a bit confused. My immediate reaction was this: why on earth...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Seize the DayI regularly fight the pull and tug of fatigue. My body saying “I don’t want to get up,” “I don’t want to exercise,” “I don’t want to go out and...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
A unique partnership for RA researchThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently established an exciting new research funding partnership. Over $230 million will be invested over the first five years of the network. Alzheimer’s disease...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
When You Can’t But You Do AnywayIt was Thursday about lunchtime. I’d decided I could no longer ignore the flare. My main RA treatment had quit working and even though I’d started on the replacement drug...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Financial Crisis to Caregiving: An Unexpected OutcomeBeyond the many concerns and questions of being a caregiver I shared previously, I don’t have much experience dealing with the healthcare system. Lisa is quite independent and so she...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
You Know You Have RA When...There are rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms you may experience every day that are not part of a doctor’s work-up. Here's what the community had to say about the reality of...Reactions0reactionsComments16 comments
“At Least It’s Not Cancer”“At least it’s not cancer.” Have you heard this before? In the fourteen years since my diagnosis, I have heard this statement countless times from well-intentioned people who are trying...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
When RA Seems SecondaryWhen I was diagnosed with lupus and RA in 2008, I never imagined that anything worse could ever happen to me. It seemed like being diagnosed with multiple incurable chronic...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
Educating People Is ExhaustingI am a firm believer in teachable moments, and helping people understand the ins and outs of rheumatoid arthritis. But lately, I’m frustrated. I’m feeling really sick and tired of...Reactions0reactionsComments15 comments
Protect Your Skin from Photosensitive ReactionsThis summer has been glorious; not too hot and less humid than usual. Rob and I have spent more time outside this summer than we have in the past few...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Switching RA Medicines – Don’t Wait Too Long or Try Too ManyI’ve been on 7 - count them - 7 different biologic medicines since being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I started with several anti-TNF biologics and then moved to several others...Reactions0reactionsComments12 comments
New Study Brings Hope: Scientists Discover How to “Switch Off” Autoimmune DiseasesThe beginning of September has brought with it some very exciting news for those of us living with rheumatoid arthritis! Scientists have made an important breakthrough in the fight against...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Ready, Set, Jab!Man developed survival instincts for a reason, and stabbing yourself with a needle runs counter to all of them. A few months after I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Off the SpectrumI never really knew where to place myself on the spectrum of rheumatoid arthritis. When I was a small child, I didn’t know anyone else with RA so I couldn’t...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Thrown into the Deep End: Concerns of a Novice CaregiverAfter that painful, sleepless night in the fall of 2006, Lisa finally received a diagnosis. What caused the pain and discomfort in her extremities? It was rheumatoid arthritis. Although the...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments