I refuse to be defined by the disease in my bodyI start each morning with a prayer, "God help me to find the good in each day. Help me to NOT be defined by the pain that I feel in... By carlenehansen2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
RA is like sunburnI'm 24 and I've just been diagnosed with RA. I started out just experiencing symptoms of swelling and pain in my right index finger in March 2014, so in May... By kaeslin052 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
Balancing Act and Humira HangoverLately I feel like I cannot catch a break. It’s always a few steps forward and a few steps back. I’m constantly trying to figure out what’s too much and... By asbra1 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
In sickness and in healthI married Christy, my partner of 15 years, in April of this year. It was an incredible time in our relationship and meant the world to both of us to... By michottey2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
I have what now?I’ve always been a busy girl, someone who takes on a bunch of things at once because we only have one life on this Earth and I’m determined to make... By vitababe3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments9 comments
Mad At MyselfI was diagnosed with RA when I was 20, a year after I had my daughter. I woke up one morning and felt like I was hit by a truck... By redstuff701 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Traveling and Vaccines Shouldn’t Go Hand In HandFew people understand what it's like for someone with RA and fibromyalgia to go through security at the airport a day after having the pneumonia 13 vaccine. I wasn't able... By asbra2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Lady from UKHi, I'm a 63 year old mum of 5 and grandma of 7, from the UK. I was diagnosed with sero-negative RA in 1987, when I was 36. My youngest... By poemsgalore2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Water (pool) has given me a better quality of life!Being diagnosed over 20 yrs. ago-I remember friends suggesting a variety of "cures" ( they were well meaning) but it wasn't until a friend brought me to the local indoor... By jclarke1131 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Massage TherapyWhen I was first diagnosed with RA and put on methotrexate I was suffering in pain until we got the right combination of medicines going. I remember getting a manicure... By asbra2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Unexpected ConnectionsI’m grateful that my illness is treatable with medication. And that for those with RA, there is hope to live a long life. I recently met a seventeen-year-old girl who... By asbra2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Let the sunshine inHere in the northeast we really treasure our summers because they come and go far too quickly. And this past winter was an especially long and difficult one so that... By Nan Hart3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Heels from HellI should know better by now. I wear sneakers or comfortable shoes daily, but of course I had to push the envelope for my cousin’s wedding. Bloated, uncomfortable and angry... By asbra2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
Professional PerspectiveBeing a newcomer to rheumatologic illness does not mean I am inexperienced. In my professional life, I am a primary care physician, board-certified in internal medicine, and working on becoming... By jenscheid5 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments15 comments
Time to Renew!This time of year brings with it a sense of renewal thanks to the budding landscape that I see each day. I truly feel a sense of starting fresh in... By Nan Hart3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
My RA storyMy journey with RA started about 25 yrs ago. I had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia a couple years before, so at first I just thought it was getting worse. Not... By gmcdonald0722 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
Decisions, decisionsDecisions, decisions.... It seems when you live with a chronic disease like RA you are continually faced with making decisions...like it or not. I am not just talking about the... By Nan Hart4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Rheumatoid is slowly killing meI'm 62 and had Rheumatoid (hereditary) since 26. Nothing has seemed to stop it. All the DMARDS etc. some nearly killing me or leaving me susceptible to infections. Getting pneumonia/colds/flu... By karmel1 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Why do we have to beg for Painkillers ?The scene – I wake up and before I have time to open my eyes I feel an incredible burning, sharp piercing pain in my shoulder. I lift my head... By damian2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments19 comments
Rome wasn't built in a day....So how does this famous phrase tie into RA? Well, this post is all about patience and the need for anyone with a chronic disease to possess this trait if... By Nan Hart2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments