Blog Articles by Month: February 2022

How Mindfulness Helps Me Cope With RA

Mindfulness has taught me to slow down and appreciate the small details around me as a source of joy. In my new column for HealthCentral I talk about how it helps me live with chronic pain and easy ways for you to try it: “IT’S SNOWING AS I write this. Big fluffy flakes falling quietly, gradually…

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When Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue Is Worse Than Pain: How I Cope

Fatigue is the bane of my exsitence. In my new artcile for CreakyJoints Canada, I share how RA fatigue affects my life and the strategies I use to cope: “I live with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fatigue. To the uninitiated, this sounds like I’m a bit tired all the time. But it’s much more than that….

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What to Do When Your Doc Dismisses Your RA Pain

More than ever, it’s important that you and your doctor agree on pain management. In my new call for HealthCentral, I discuss self-advocacy tools that can help you communicate your pain with your doctor to get you feeling better faster: ““IT’S ALL IN your head.” Although a doctor may not say those exact words, many people…

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Having A Swish: How Self-Pity Can Help You Cope Better with Chronic Illness

Living with chronic illness is often difficult. There are medical appointments, work, family, keeping the dust bunnies (buffalo?) under control and it goes on and on. Not being able to stop and rest and heal makes it even harder. There’s a lot of pressure to keep going in with a stiff upper lip, not complaining,…

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Your New Year Action Plan for RA

Got big goals for your life with rheumatoid arthritis in 2022? In my first column of the year, I share strategies to get you there: “NOT TOO LONG ago, I set aside time to review 2021 and create some goals for the future. As a small business owner, I am very clear in the fact that…

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How to Soldier On When RA Requires Real Bravery

The meds make you feel sick, but you’ve still got to take them, and the doctor visits feel endless. In th itmn for HealthCentral, I share tips for getting through the hard times with rheumatoid arthritis: “WE DO IT silently and behind a smile. We do it with a grimace and a groan. We do it…

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Finding Control When RA Takes the Wheel

RA is not the boss of you, though it often feels that way. In this column for HealthCentral, I write about how to reclaim agency over your life: “I HAVE NOT been in full control of my life for over five decades. That’s how long I’ve lived with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an unpredictable condition that regularly…

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