Foods To Trigger RA, Foods to Help RA
When you live with a chronic illness, you try a lot of different things to chip away at the symptoms. What foods can help and heard RA has been a topic for probably as long as the disease has been around, but it seems to be even more prevalent at present. In my new slideshow…
What You Need to Know about Biosimilars
Biosimilars are becoming a real player in RA treatment and is important to know the facts as you make decisions about whether to use them. In my new slideshow for RAHealthCentral, I look at what they are, what they do, and the pros and cons: What are biosimilars? Most drugs are created by chemicals using…
Greatness in the Ordinary: The Self-Care of Movement
This summer, I went to The Self-Care Mvmt Summit in Toronto. It was an inspiring event where, among other things, I got to listen to Margaret Trudeau talk about her journey with bipolar disorder. It was my first exposure to Self-Care Catalysts, a company that has a unique approach to helping people with health conditions…
Tips on How to Afford Alternative Therapies
Have you ever thought of trying alternative therapies for chronic illness and pain? And if post for HealthCentral, I looked into ways of making them affordable: “Managing the symptoms of chronic illness involves a battery of techniques and many of us include alternative therapies in our treatment regimen. This can include acupuncture, chiropractic care, naturopathy,…
Leeza Gibbons on Caring for the Caregiver
The plotzing! OMG, the plotzing!! OK, deep breath. So, I had the opportunity to interview Leeza Gibbons. I was a complete fan girl about it, although tried to keep it together for the actual interview. Plotzed before, after, while I was writing up the article, when I saw the interview — because it’s also on…
Reasons to be Grateful for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Am I kidding? Not entirely. My new post for HealthCentral is a mostly tongue-in-cheek look at the reasons to feel grateful for RA: “I like to say that living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a dance on roses — there are plenty of thorns. It can be very difficult to see the positive when you…
Self-Care Tips for the Holidays with a Chronic Illness
The holidays are looming coming soon and already, many people with chronic illness by dreading the impact it will have on them. My new post for HealthCentral has tips for how to get through the holidays with your health and sense of humour intact:“Do you remember the holidays last year? If you’re like me, you…
What to Do If You’ve Been Abused by a Health Professional
It’s the thing no one talks about: abuse and mistreatment by health professionals. They are supposed to keep us safe, to help us, but this isn’t always the case. In my new post for HealthCentral I share my story of abuse and write about what you can do if this happens to you: “First do…
Myths and Facts about Biologics
Whenever you talk to someone about Biologics, you can hear a lot of different reasons not to take them. Many of these are not true. In my new slideshow for RAHealthCentral, I look at the myths and misperceptions about Biologics: “Biologics are a relatively new class of drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They…
Mariah Leach: Mom, Blogger, Bicyclist
I’m lucky to have met a lot of people in the chronic illness community who inspires me. One of these is Mariah Leach and she’s just done something extra inspiring (and a little bit crazy). “Mariah Zebrowski Leach has rheumatoid arthritis (RA). She is also the busy mom of two sons, a blogger, and the…
Stopping Rheumatoid Arthritis before It Starts
I used to think that all the emphasis on raising money for a cure for rheumatoid arthritis was a waste of time. This disease was incurable. All the research in the world couldn’t help. Boy, was I wrong! I now firmly believe that we will see a cure in my lifetime. In my new post…
Restricting Biologics for RA
We live in an amazing time when there are more treatments for rheumatoid arthritis than ever before. Biologics have had a profound impact on the lives of people with RA and on the field of rheumatology. These drugs are expensive, though, and it can be an obstacle to treatment. Another obstacle is developing. My new…