How To Build Back Your Strength After a Rheumatoid Arthritis Setback
In my 5+ decades of living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I’ve learned that setbacks are inevitable, whether caused by flares, difficulty finding effective treatment, overdoing it, or injuries. Once the flare ends or an injury improves, you need to build back your strength and stamina, but sometimes exercise can be complicated by the state of…
Chronic News Bites: November
In a new monthly feature for HealthCentral, I provide snackable summaries of all the information that impacts your chronic life. This is November’s edition: “Grab yourself a hot beverage and get ready to click through some news you can really use. HealthCentral rheumatoid arthritis (RA) columnist Lene Andersen offers her monthly roundup of must-read news…
Feeling Like a Cog in the Healthcare Machine? We Get It.
Going to yet another medical appointment, waiting for hours, andall the rest that comes with chronic illness can make you feel like a number. In this column for HealthCentral, I share tips for person-first care at the doctor’s office: ““See how the vocal cords are stiff? This is common in people with rheumatoid arthritis or…
How Chair Dancing Helps Me Exercise with RA and Disability
Being physically active is important when you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Exercise is useful for all of us, but when you have RA, it can be an vital part of supporting your joints and reducing pain. But for some of us, RA has caused so much damage to our bodies that exercise hurts. So. how…
This Year, Embrace Goals That Impact Your RA for the Better
Getting a slow launch on 2023? Ditched your resolutions? Check out my approach to setting intentions that puts long-term wellness with RA front and center in my first HealthCentral column for the new year: ““NEW YEAR, NEW me!” For many, self-improvement is an essential part of January, along with social media posts about the ambition to…
The Seated View Top 5 Posts in 2022
2022 was an interesting year. Here on The Seated View I had a bit of an involuntary blog hibernation as the challenges of life with chronic illness became pretty overwhelming. But in a fit of a well-rested post-holiday optimism, I decided it was time to reawaken this site of mine and what better way to…
Made With RA: Made With Love – Celebrating the Season, RA-Style
In my latest column for HealthCentral, I share holiday hacks that make this magical time accessible to your RA self: “THE HOLIDAY SEASON can be very stressful and not just because we’re packing a lot of extras into an already full life. For some, it’s the extra expense, others dread holiday meals marred by conflict…
Made With RA: Asking ‘Why’ Can Get You the RA Life You Want
It’s natural to have questions about your rheumatoid arthritis. In my new column for HealthCentral, I explain why those nagging questions you have for your doctor (or yourself) are worth asking out loud: “WHY? IF YOU have children, chances are that word starts a little twitch around your left eye. It’s the favorite word of toddlers…
Made With RA: A Case for Identifying As ‘Disabled’
Could coming out as disabled help you live a freer life with RA? My new column looks at the benefits of identifying as a person with a disability: “DO YOU CONSIDER yourself disabled? Our perception of being disabled tends to be limited to needing a mobility aid, such as a wheelchair, and some wonder whether…
How to Set (and Respect) Boundaries Live to Better with Chronic Illness
Boundaries can be an important part of mental health and when you have a chronic illness, they are an essential tool to maintain your physical health. But what are boundaries, exactly, and how can they help you create a better life with chronic illness and pain? In this post, I share some of my insights…
Dismantling Your Inner Ableism to Live Better with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Systemic ableism is ingrained in our society and we internalize those messages. In my new essay for CreakyJoints in Canada, I share tips on how to start dismantling your own internalized ableism to create a much better life with chronic illness: “It was productivity that got me. Or rather, yet another instance of overdoing simply everything…
It’s Time That Chronic Illness and Disability Become Election Issues
In my new essay for CreakyJoints Canada, I talk about why and how to make issues like mask mandates, pharmacare programs, and affordable accessible housing front and center during this year’s Ontario and Québec polls: “All over Canada, mask mandates, capacity limits, and all other protective measures have been lifted as the country collectively hit…