Rest Is Not a Four-Letter Word
The neverending fatigue of RA and other types of chronic illness permeates our days. k”Get more rest” they say… but how? In my new column on HealthCentral, I look at RA fatigue and innovative ways to get the rest you need so much. “I’m tired, all the way into my aching bones and my sluggish…
How I Use Gratitude to Live Well With RA
Let’s pull no punches: living with rheumatoid arthritis is really difficult. Figuring out how to create a good life nonetheless requires a lot of coping skills. In my new column for HealthCentral, I share what works for me. “Gratitude. It’s a lovely concept, trotted out for the Thanksgiving table and inspiring Instagram posts in beautiful…
RA Will Change Your Life. It Doesn’t Have to Ruin It.
Does rheumatoid arthritis mean you have to scuttle your dreams for the future? I think you know my short answer to this, but… let’s dive into the details in my new column for HealthCentral: “When I was a little girl, I had high-flying dreams and they had very little to do with my juvenile arthritis,…
Your Must-Watch List of Disability-Friendly Movies
Movies and television reflect our lives, but when they don’t show all of us — or worse, cast other people to play a particular group — it strengthens stereotype and discrimination. In my latest column for HealthCentral, I dive into disability in the movies and add a list of my favourites: “When I watch movies…
COVID Diary: The Kindness of Strangers
We live in strange times in everyday life has become a difficult. COVID-19 has revealed the of the underbelly of a lot of things in our society, but the pandemic has also shown just how wonderful people can be. If you need a reminder of the good in the world, check out my new column…
How to Listen to Your Body When You’re Not on Speaking Terms
One of the hardest things about living with rheumatoid arthritis is listening to your body, yet it is an essential part of breaking the overdoing it-crashing-overdoing it cycle. I wrote about this in my new article for HealthCentral: “I live with an absolute jerk. She bosses me around, every day telling me what I can…
How I Deal With RA Brain Fog
Brain fog. It’s a common symptom for many who have chronic illness and chronic pain. But exactly what is it and how the heck do you deal with in mind that all of a sudden doesn’t function the way it used to? In my new column for HealthCentral, I share my own experience with brain fog…
What Disability Pride Means to Me
This month is Disability Pride Month and this year, it’s getting traction! What is it and why is it important? Read my new column on HealthCentral: “I know a lot of women whose rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has affected their hands, and it has taken a social toll. I see them hiding their hands under the…
Get Motivated to Do Just About Anything (With RA or Not)
Living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can make it really hard to get anything done. In my new Made with RA column for HealthCentral, I talk about motivation and how to find it. “I’m probably not alone in being fascinated with how the “normals” have dealt with COVID-19 isolation (similar in so many ways to life…
Managing RA (or Any Chronic Illness) Is a Full-Time Job
No one ever tells you just how much work it is to have a chronic illness. Just how many roles and tasks does it include? I tell all in my new Made with RA column on HealthCentral: “I am exhausted. My doctors would tell me this is due to the stress of living with a…
How Someone Who Can’t Have Children Feels About Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is almost here and even in a pandemic, we’ll find way to celebrate. but what about the women who aren’t mothers? In my new column for HealthCentral, I share my story of how rheumatoid arthritis blocked my dreams of being a mother (and what I’m doing instead): “Somewhere in a parallel reality, I…
Dear Loved Ones: This Is What RA Feels Like
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is complicated and difficult. It is much more than painful joints and affects every aspect of your life. How do you make family friends and… Well, everyone understand what it’s like to live with RA? My new column for HealthCentral is a letter in which I, on behalf of the community, try…