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…
My Body Can Beat Your Weather Radar
Photo credit: David Govoni Every single person I know who has chronic pain response whether. Get any of us together in a room and the conversation will inevitably turn to have the current weather is making us feel. Exactly how this is in which kind of weather makes it worse, can differ from person to…
Announcing #ChronicJourneys: My New Talk Show
Getting to know others and hearing their stories is one of my favourite things, ever. There are so many fascinating people who have found ways to live with and around rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other types of chronic illness and I want to talk to all of them! About how they manage their condition, but…
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…
Why Does It Take So Long To Get A Diagnosis Of RA?
One of the biggest struggles to effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the delay in diagnosis. In the very recent past, just 20 years ago, the time from the appearance of first symptoms to diagnosis range from a few months to more than 10 years. Thankfully, that has improved more, although the average is still…
How to Make RA Treatment Decisions With Less Stress
Rheumatoid arthritis and medication go hand in hand. But… what about the horror stories about side effects? How do you balance the fear of what might come with the meds with hope for remission? Read more in my new column for HealthCentral: “The ads make it look easy—you can create a wonderful life of walking…
RA vs OA: This Ain’t Your Grandfather’s Arthritis
Updated August 4, 2020 Ask anyone with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to tell you about their biggest frustration and chances are they’ll mention the misperception that it is similar to osteoarthritis (OA). You know the moment — you explain that you have RA and they say, “oh yes, I know exactly what you mean. My knee…
Medical PTSD and Long-Term Effects of Ventilator and Tracheostomy
Updated April, 2020 Rheumatologist: “how are you feeling? ICU PTSD can happen after such an experience.” Me: “I’m fine.” This conversation occurred two weeks after I’d been discharged from the hospital after my medical adventure. And the very next day, my GP brandished a pneumonia vaccine and I burst into tears, terrified that it would…
Hästens: The Best Sleep I’ve Ever Had
I have a new bed. I have never slept this well and it has reduced my chronic pain levels significantly. It is a blue checked Hästens bed. Earlier this year, I wrote about my quest for a new bed. To recap: every bed I found was too high, too hot, too smelly, or contained latex…
4 Ways to Use Respect and Dignity in Caregiving for Chronic Illness
When you have a chronic illness — or know someone who does — help can be part of your relationship. More commonly, the word caregiving is used when there is an element of caring for someone who has physical limitations, such as chronic illness. Giving and receiving care is much more than just the physical act…
Weight Gain and Biologics: The Battle No One Talks About
Updated May 20, 2021 Several medications for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can lead to weight changes. Steroids is well-known for it, but if you mention Biologics and weight gain, many rheumatologists will tell you there isn’t a link. Many people in the community disagree, saying their lived experience says different and I’m one of them. I…