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…
You’re Not Lazy: How Rheumatoid Arthritis Affects Motivation
Motivation is your get up and go, determination, the drive and interest in doing something. Whether it’s exercise, brushing your teeth, writing (or reading) a book, painting a picture or wall, making that call to your insurance company, or simply getting out of bed on a high-pain day. All of it takes motivation. One of…
Join Us for Talk Over RA 2024! The Two-Day Schedule
2 Days. 6 Advocates. 22 events. This will be my fifth year of taking part in the Talk Over RA Open Mic events and I’m very excited! This year, over the course of September 24 and 25, six RA advocates are creating unique and interesting content about RA and how we cope with its, doing…
Switching to Biosimilars for RA, Part Two: My Experience as an ‘Outlier’ Trying (So Far) 3 Biosimilars
In April 2023, I received a letter from the Ontario government with information about the new biosimilar switching policy. I had until the end of the year to switch from the biologic medication I take to treat my rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to a biosimilar. I did my best to be hopeful and believe it would…
You May Have to Switch to a Biosimilar for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Here’s Why.
In March 2023, I received a letter from the Ontario government. It informed me that a biosimilar switching policy was now in place. People like me who receive funding from the government to pay for Biologics for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn’s disease, and other forms of autoimmune disease were given until the end of 2023…
How I Battled RA Brain Fog by Decluttering
Rheumatoid arthritis and the accompanying brain fog make it hard to keep on top of the chaos in the house. In my new column for HealthCentral, I share how decluttering minimized the impact of my brain fog and share tips for how to get things organized: “I have always been a collector. I like to…
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…
Tired of Being Tired: 10 Pro Tips for Coping with Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue
I have lived with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for over five decades and for me, one of the most debilitating symptoms is the fatigue. I’m not alone in dealing with this symptom. In fact, according to the Talk Over RA website, 79% of people who live with RA also have fatigue. RA fatigue is very much…
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…
You Deserve a Better Shower With RA
Do pain and fatigue make this daily ritual an ordeal rather something to enjoy? Check out my tips for showering with rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain in my new column for HealthCentral: “STARTING THE DAY with a shower can be one of the most exhausting things you do with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Mornings can be hard,…
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…