The Healing Touch: How My Mother Took Away My Pain When Nothing Else Could
“That pain you had… For a mother to see a child with that kind of pain, is so terrible.” — My mom, Birthe Andersen I have had juvenile arthritis since I was four years old, which means this condition and I recently celebrated (?) 50 years together. For most of that time, there were no…
When Strong Gets in the Way
This post is written for the Facebook Live conversation between myself and Kirsten Schultz on how to stop being so damn strong. You can see Kirsten’s post here. I am very good at lying to myself. So good, in fact, that most of the time, I have no idea that I’m pulling the wool over…
“I’m Not Lazy:” Talking About Arthritis Fatigue
One of the biggest frustrations of living with arthritis — especially autoimmune arthritis — is the fatigue. It’s not just tired, it is a crushing exhaustion that does not get relief from rest. It’s a constant challenge to understand it, find ways cope with it, as well as dealing with the perceptions and the stigma…