Family Rheumatoid Arthritis Stories: A Help or a Hindrance?
Some people who have rheumatoid arthritis are the only ones in their family with the condition. In other families, autoimmune disease is everywhere. Can it be helpful to have family members with the same condition or can of getting away? My new article on HealthCentral takes a look at this issue: “Due to the interactions…
Colorblind Teens Experience a World of Color Through Color Correcting Glasses
Have you ever wondered how people who are colour deficient* see the world? And what happens if they try colour correcting glasses? I didn’t know about colour correcting glasses until I had the opportunity to talk to a scientist whose research led to the development of this technology. And then I got to interview two…
Making the Most Out of Vaccines with RA
As I know first-hand, being immunosuppressed can make it a real challenge to fight back against infection and illness. Vaccines can protect you. With the arrival of flu season, this is even more important: “As another flu season approaches, those of us who take immunosuppressant drugs for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) start getting twitchy. One of…
10 Ways Naturopathy Can Help Your RA
I’ve been using alternative treatments to treat my RA (or at least the symptoms) since I was a child. I grew up in a time when there were no treatments, so I tried a lot of different things to make life easier. A lot of them worked. One especially valuable tool for me is naturopathy….
What Someone Who has Universal Healthcare Thinks About the Repeal of Obamacare
I have some thoughts about what’s happening with health care in the United States. In my latest column for HealthCentral, I share these opinions: “Last spring, I spent 34 days in the hospital. Three weeks of this was in the ICU, receiving complex high-level care and treatment. For a month after I returned home, a…
Being Fierce with RA
I’ve been running so fast this week that it’s been hard to catch up, so you get links to two new articles instead of just one today. Both show different aspects of channeling your inner fierceness to live with RA. In the first article, I talk about how we have a tendency to compare ourselves…
Inspirational Interviews
I recently had the opportunity to talk to three gentlemen about exciting ways to live better with a chronic illness. First, I spoke to Jim Curtis about his new book. It’s a guide to changing your story to help you find the way to live better with a chronic illness. Fascinating book by a very…
Tips for Wheelchair Travel
I have always loved travelling, still do even though I can’t do so at the moment. But when you use a wheelchair, travelling can have some extra challenges. In my new article for HealthCentral, I share tips to make wheelchair travel easier. Which includes photos from some of my travels! “Having physical limitations does not…
Michael Kuvula & CreakyJoints Team Up to Spread Awareness About RA Through Fashion
This was one of the most fun interviews I’ve done in a while. Michael Kuluva premiered his 2018 Spring/Summer Tumbler & Tipsy collection at New York Fashion Week last Wednesday. And I got to interview him and get a preview of the collection! In a video! I also talk to Seth Ginsberg of CreakyJoints, the…
Breaking the Rules of Being a Chronic Illness Patient: Attitude, Ability and Advocacy
And… mic drop! In my new article for HealthCentral, I get the teensiest bit opinionated about how breaking the rules of being a “chronic illness patient” can actually be good for you. It includes profiles of some fantastic people who are breaking rules all over: “A diagnosis of chronic illness brings a host of new…
Emergency Preparedness, First Rheumie Appointments, and Gluten-Free Diets
Sometimes, my writing and the site production gets a little out of whack. And then flurries happen. To wit, here are my last three articles for HealthCentral: First, and the last kind of timely I ever want to be, a slideshow about what you need to do to be prepared for an emergency when you…
The Link Between Dental Health and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Did you know that the health of your teeth could be a factor in triggering RA? And that when you have RA, it affects your dental health? I look into a new study and what you can do to protect yourself in my new slideshow for RAHealthCentral: “Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that…