Articles

When I was diagnosed with RA at the age of 25, I was right in the middle of law school and had not yet started my career. However, many people...

About the time I first ventured into a rheumatology clinic after being referred by my general practitioner, I had been battling a nasty case of hives for the previous year...

After a long day at work, I got on the bus recently and took a seat at the front of the bus. Several other people got on after me and...

By the time I finally received the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, it was not an unexpected surprise.  I had experienced strange symptoms for years. “My hands just don’t feel right,”...

I was diagnosed with RA in mid-2008. Like many people, my rheumatologist began my treatment plan with methotrexate along with an NSAID and pain relievers. In the six years since...

I have the travel bug. Whenever I have saved enough funds and vacation time, I look for opportunities to travel. Rather than fading with age, the lure of travel beckons...

May is both arthritis and lupus awareness month. But while I’ll be trying to spread awareness behind the scenes, I won’t be participating in walks for either disease. Why? There...

During high school I worked really hard—physically and academically—towards the goal of going to college. My parents encouraged me every step of the way, fully expecting that although I grappled...

What do you think comes to mind when most people hear the word arthritis? Do you think the average person picture someone like me – a young mother who has...

From 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...

The 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...

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...

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...

Since 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...

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...

Nearly 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...

The 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...

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...

I 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...

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...