29 y/o female with questions!...I'm a 29-year-old female living in Alaska. I was diagnosed with RA in April of this year. I woke up one morning with swollen feet, ankles and knees so I...reactions13comments
The "Get Out of Flare Free" Card...Living with rheumatoid arthritis is frustrating to say the least. This disease causes pain, inflammation, and fatigue, all of which can place limitations on one's activity level. While that's bad...reactions2comments
Was I Losing My Mind?...I'd had a regular week at work as a computer system administrator. It was a Friday night in the dead of winter in Central Texas. Cold but nothing unusual. All...reactions1comment
RA and other conditions...I have had rheumatoid arthritis for at least 30 years. But it doesn't stop there. Every few years my immune system gets compromised and I have a new illness. Beside...reactions1comment
Laying Off Opioids, Part 2: Adjusting to Change...Note:If you haven’t read my earlier posts, “The War On Opioids Comes Home” and “Laying Off Opioids: Part 1,” you might want to now. They’ll give context to this post...reactions10comments
Botox for an arthritis patient...Hello, nice to meet you people. My best friend is having Rheumatoid Arthritis, and I'm glad that there is a community to sort out the problems of such patients. My...reactions1reply
Why I said I Do...I just got married, for the first time, at the age of 47. Growing up with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (now called juvenile idiopathic arthritis), I wasn’t sure this would ever...reactions6comments
RA Is Not A Competition...Seeing Instagram or Facebook photos of fellow RA sufferers, my "Spoonies," running in marathons or completing triathlons is amazing and inspiring. Running, mountain-climbing, hiking, biking very long distances at a...reactions3comments
Should I Get a Second Opinion?...I have been having pain for the past six months. Stiffness and pain in my hands and wrists, especially, and pain in my toes, bottom of my feet, and sometimes...reactions1replyNewly Diagnosed
New Study: Different RA Joints May Have Unique Genetic Markers...Ever wonder why the RA drugs you take only seem to affect certain joints? Or why the drugs might be literally life-changing to one person with rheumatoid disease, but have...reactions2comments
Unhelpful Comparisons...Most people are surprised when they hear that I have rheumatoid arthritis. This is in part due to RA being an "invisible disability," meaning that I may look fine on...reactions14comments
Reading Without Hands...I’ve loved to read since I learned how as a little girl. Reading has always informed and even transformed my days, my nights, and my life. With a book in...reactions2comments
Questions for the Doctor...Living with a chronic condition like rheumatoid arthritis requires my active engagement in managing my health. I have learned that being knowledgeable and inquisitive about my care and maintaining my...reactions6comments
One Is the Loneliest Number...Despite the fact that I, and many of us, have terrific support, there is still a strong sense of loneliness that accompanies RA. At first glance, one may think that...reactions1comment
Treating Pain...Has anyone found an effective pain relief. I don't know how many variations of pain relief I have been prescribed but am not having any luck. It's mainly due to...reactions6repliesTreatment
I'm Losing My Grip...I am losing my grip. I don’t mean my grip on reality (although that’s a possibility). I mean the physical grip in my hands. When I was diagnosed, there was...reactions9comments
Kathryn Elton, OTR...Kat Elton is an author, occupational therapist, and someone who has lived with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since age two. Her two books, A Resilient Life: Learning to thrive, not just...
Diet...I have to work on three different diets for my health. I have to watch my carbs, vitamin K and fiber intake. Can anyone help me with this? I been...reactions2comments
My family thought I was nuts...It started the week of my 27th birthday on a trip back home during grad school, and me, my wife and parents did a road trip to Vegas. After getting...reactions5comments
Pain Management: What Works?...Like many of you out there, I have some degree of pain every single day. The last time I had a completely pain-free day was sometime in early 1997, I'd...reactions7comments
