Made with RA: Having RA Means You Are Resilient
When a flare gets you down, you have to get back up. In my new column for HealthCentral, I remind you that you already know how to keep going (and share tips and how-to in case you need a refresher): “RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) can stop you in your tracks, taking over every single part of your…
Give Yourself Credit for Everything You Do With RA
A little self-love goes a long way in seeing your accomplishments for what they are: enough. How to get there? I share tips in my latest column for HealthCentral: “WHEN LOOKING BACK at your day, your week, and maybe even your year, does a list of all the things you couldn’t or didn’t do roll in…
Medical PTSD Still Gives Me Nightmares
I survived a touch-and-go stint in the ICU, but the fear and anxiety I felt continued long after I returned home. I share my experience with medical PTSD in a column for HealthCentral: “EVERY NIGHT FOR the past five years, I’ve had vivid nightmares about my life being in danger. The story varies (natural disasters,…
How to Love Yourself, RA and All
Liking yourself, loving your body, can be a real challenge with RA. In my new column for HealthCentral, I talk about my past struggles with body image, how I learned to celebrate who I am, and share tips for how you can, too: “CAN YOU FEEL beautiful with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)? For a very long time…
COVID-19 and the forgotten disability community
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare how profoundly devalued disabled lives and experiences are. The latest article from the Disability in Health team — of which I am a proud member — has been published in Healthy Debate: “People living with disabilities have long been accustomed to asking for inclusion without results: We needed telehealth…
How I Came to Terms With Taking Meds for RA
Rheumatoid arthritis medication get a bad rap. In this column for HealthCentral, I talk about how to handle the stigma of treating your RA with medicine in a culture obsessed with an “all-natural” approach to healing: “EVERY DAY, I take medication for my rheumatoid arthritis (RA), including self-injection with a biologic drug I stash in the…
5 Platitudes That Don’t Help Me Live Better With RA
When people don’t know what to say about your rheumatoid arthritis, they often rely on old adages or platitudes. The problem is, none of these actually help you feel supported and they are hardly ever useful. In this column for HealthCentral, I pick apart five platitudes that don’t help and suggest alternatives: “EVEN THE MOST introverted…
January 2021 Chronic Journeys with My Guest Toni Bernhard
I was so honoured (and fangirling) when seminal chronic illness author Toni Bernhard agreed to join me on the first Chronic Journeys of the year! We talk about Toni’s new pocket version of How to Be Sick, the magic of the three breaths technique, and other ways to make life with chronic illness just a…
RA Fatigue Is Not the Same as Being Tired
“We are all tired.” Well, yes. But rheumatoid arthritis fatigue is not the same as missing a night of sleep. In this column for HealthCentral, I talk about what RA fatigue really feels like and share a few workarounds: “PROFOUND FATIGUE COMES hand-in-hand with my rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and it is with me always. No matter…