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,…
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…
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…
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…
What the Pandemic Can Teach Us About Having an Easier Holiday Season with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Although recreating festive traditions in exactly the way we used to may feel like a way to reclaim our lives, it can perpetuate old and dysfunctional habits. Instead, try these tips for easier and happier holidays with rheumatoid arthritis in my new article for CreakyJoints Canada: “Ahh, the holidays. I love everything about this season…
How to Become Friends Again with Your Body After Feeling Betrayed by Rheumatoid Arthritis
For a very long time, I felt that having rheumatoid arthritis meant that my body had betrayed me. But in the moment of profound insight, I realized that my body was not an enemy to resent, but a partner to support. In my new article for CreakyJoints Canada, I write about how I became friends with…
5 Ways to Do the Holidays, RA-Style
It’s hard to find the line between joyful holiday bustle and a stressful mess that sends you reeling into a post-holiday rheumatoid arthritis flare (or a pre-holiday or joining-the-holidays). Throwing out traditions that don’t work for you anymore is a good place to start. In my new column for HealthCentral, I share five ways to create…
Finding Hope When RA Meds Don’t Put You in Remission
What do you do when medications don’t work as well as you’d like? In my new column for HealthCentral, I write about how developing a hopeful mindset can help you get through the pain and frustration: “EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK, there is hopeful news about rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment and what it can do for your life—all…
I Have Rheumatoid Arthritis, But Please Don’t Call Me a Patient
I have been involved in chronic illness and advocacy for a long time, but the terms ‘patient,’ ‘patient advocate,; or ‘patient expert’ has never sat well with me. In my new article for CreakyJoints Canada, I talk about why: “I dance every day, but not to music. As someone with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I spend…
How to Talk to Kids About Chronic Illness
Most of us were taught to be awkward and avoid talking about chronic illness and disability. In my new columm for HealthCentral, I share tips on how to teach your children to be inclusive and comfortable with rheumatoid arthritis and disability, including a list of books for different ages to help you get the conversation…
Removing the “Ick Factor” From RA Meds
Like it or not (and mostly it’s not), medication is part of living with RA. But when you’re not used to swallowing pills or giving yourself an injection, how do you get to a point where it’s less intimidating or gross? In my new column for HealthCentral, I share my pro tips to get the…
Managing RA Pain in a Post-Opioid World
Pain meds aren’t always available when you need them. In my new olumn for HealthCentral, I share relief strategies can help get you through a rough patch: “LIKE IT OR not (and really, who would?) to have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is to know pain—even people in remission may have occasional flares or breakthrough pain. For me…