With and Without: Comparing Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia Pain
Updated June 16, 2021 Explaining the difference between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pain and fibromyalgia pain isn’t easy. Articulating what pain feels like is extremely difficult to begin with, adding an attempt to differentiate different kinds of pain is even more of a challenge. I have both RA and Fibro, the latter adding on to the…
The Best Way to Achieve Rheumatoid Arthritis Remission and Barriers to Its Use
Updated May 3, 2020 It is now possible for many people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to go into remission. This in and of itself is mind-boggling to me. I grew up during a time when there were no treatments, and when the inevitable of progression lead to severe disability, wheelchair use, and often early…
Miracle & Catastrophe: Finding a Natural Remedy for GERD and Acid Reflux
Dear Trophic, It’s damn near a miracle. And also a tragedy. But let me start at the beginning. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has always done a number of my stomach, and so has RA meds. It is a particular “blessing” to be hit with a disease that requires strong medications, and a sensitive stomach (the latter…
11 Tips for Keeping Your Teeth Healthy with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Updated May 3, 2020 Taking care of your teeth is important at any time, but especially with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA inflammation can wreak havoc on many parts of the body, including your teeth and gums. This makes it even more important to take good care of your teeth, but pain and problems with mobility…
Full Body Kegels: Staying Active with Rheumatoid Arthritis
#RAblog Week is a seven day event from September 21-27, 2015. The brainchild of Rick Phillips, the goal of this week is to raise awareness about rheumatoid arthritis and build community. Hop on over to the RADiabetes site to learn more about #RABlog Week and find links to other participants.For Day 5 of #RABlog Week,…
An Hour in My Life with RA
#RAblog is a seven day event from September 21-27, 2015. The brainchild of Rick Phillips, the goal of this week is to raise awareness about rheumatoid arthritis and build community. Up on over to the RADiabetes site to learn more about #RABlog Weekand find links to other participants. Day 1’s prompt was to write about…
Learning to Undress My Stress
Something had to change. When I went to the ER in an ambulance for a suspected heart attack for the second time in eight months, it was clear that something wasn’t right. When I, for the second time in eight months, was diagnosed with nasty GERD mimicking the symptoms of heart attack, it was time…
The Walk to Fight Arthritis: Making a Bad Day Good
I’d committed to doing the 5K in the Walkto Fight Arthritis this past Sunday and was very much looking forward to it. There was no reason to believe that I wouldn’t be able to do it — in the last year, I’ve wandered around various areas of the city for 5 km or more on…
Ten Years Later
What am I doing with a blog? That’s what I asked myself in my very first post on The Seated View. Which was ten years ago today. I also thought (briefly) that I didn’t have much to say. Almost 1500 posts later, I think we know the answer to that one. So, what did I…
Longing for Out: The Itch to Travel
I caught the travel bug early. One of my first memories is of a trip to a rented cottage near the sea that happened when I was four years old. Another favourite was my first experience with flying when my dad and I went to Rhodes just after my sister Janne was born. I was…
Practicing What I Preach
Whenever I write about RA and its potential impact on heart health, I describe the symptoms of heart attack, then describe how they may be different for women, and then I strongly encourage people who have those symptoms to call 911 and get themselves to an emergency room. A desire to not be a hypocritical…
Chronic Pain, Opioids, and Quality of Life: A Guestpost by Dan Malito
September is Pain Awareness Month in the US. One of the crucial issues to people living with high levels of chronic pain is the ability to have access to opioids. Yet, there are so many misconceptions that block that access. To help raise awareness and understanding about what it’s like to live with the kind…