The Quest for an RA Spokesperson: Looking for Our Jolie
One of the biggest barriers to creating effective awareness about RA is the lack of an icon who can personify the disease (and it wouldn’t hurt if they were sexy, too). This week on HealthCentral, I mused on the search for a spokesperson: “RA needs a spokesperson. Someone in the public eye. Someone who is…
Juvenile Arthritis, Blindness and Living with Joy: An Interview with Joy Ross
I love my job with HealthCentral for many reasons. One of them as I get to talk to a lot of really interesting people. A few weeks ago I met Joy Ross — a wonderful, inspiring and positive woman. She was a joy to interview and very graciously shared her story: “”I am happier without…
4 Years
Photo by Janne / TinkMama Four years ago today, The Boy and I finally realized what had been blatantly obvious to everyone else for several months: that we belong together. It was the best decision I’ve ever made— every day since has been filled with love and laughter. David is everything I’ve ever dreamed of…
A Smack Upside the Head
“How do you know when you’re stressed?” Marianna asked this in her most recent giveaway (g’ahead, click and enter, it’s open until May 19). It turns out that my answer is I don’t. It’s been pretty obvious — even to me — that things have been very busy for a long time around here. My…
Proud to Be Us/Exercise with RA
Things have been just a tad busy around here. As evidence herewith my CreakyJoints and HealthCentral posts for this week. First, I write about being proud of who you are and celebrating our community for Arthritis Awareness Month: “Happy Arthritis Awareness Month! This is the annual 31 days of making the over 100 different types…
She Flew
Beth has died. This shouldn’t be a surprise — she has lived with autonomic failure for years. When we first became friends, we did so knowing that she was going to die. At the time, she estimated another year, maybe two. That’s six years ago. Somehow, I had begun to think that Beth was perennial….
40 & Fun
Last weekend, we celebrated my sister’s 40th birthday. We deliberately postponed the grand party from month, thinking that April 20 would for sure have nice weather so we could send the kids out to the playground. It was freezing. With snow. We stayed inside and a grand time was had by all. Naturally, the Birthday…
Freaks, Redux
Back in the day, people were so squicked out by disability that governments felt compelled to make ordinances preventing citizens who had disabilities from being in public places. They were called “ugly laws,” not referring to the laws themselves, but to the state of appearance which they were intended to curtail: “No person who is…
Real RA: The Benefit of RA Hands
Sometimes, RA doesn’t just take. Sometimes, RA gives. When I still lived with my parents, I was in charge of pies. I’d found the perfect recipe for the crust and loved experimenting with different fillings. Our kitchen wasn’t very wheelchair accessible, so my mother would place the ingredients and tools on the dining room table…
Seating Arrangements
Last Friday, I went to a Toronto concert hall to hear David Sedaris read from his new book Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls — a book that apparently has nothing to do with diabetes, although owls do make a rather hilarious appearance. I had no idea what to expect. In fact, on some level I…
Functional MRIs: Making Pain Visible
This week on HealthCentral, I wrote about some very interesting studies of what happens in the brain when you’re in pain: “Have you ever felt that your doctor underestimated your pain? Have you ever felt that others didn’t believe you have pain? Have you ever wished you could prove that you’re in pain? An exciting…
A Virtual Visit and an E-Book Giveaway
When Marianna and I talked about me stopping by her blog A Rheumful of Tips, she suggested doing something a bit different. We batted some ideas back and forth and settled on a video. Of me. There’s a reason I’m a photographer, not a model. Well, aside from not having the ability to subsist on…