Do you have rheumatoid arthritis? Do you want to play a part in helping further RA research? How about this — do you want to be paid for your time AND give back to charity, while you’re at it? With Sanguine, you will be able to donate blood so that researchers can study it to … Continue reading
Author Archives: Arthritis Ashley
Healthline.com – Mothers with RA May Have Premature or Underweight Babies
A new study of 2 million mothers showed that moms with rheumatoid arthritis were more likely to have premature and underweight babies. I wrote an article about this new Danish rheumatology study here, at Healthline.com. Enjoy! – http://www.healthline.com/health-news/women-with-ra-more-likely-to-have-premature-babies-111814 Continue reading
Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain: Public Selfies & Private Illness
“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.” It’s one of the most powerful lines from the movie and book, The Wizard of Oz. It’s such a simple quote — so relevant to the scene, that we usually don’t think of the symbolism that lies within it. it got me thinking, though, about “the … Continue reading
Healthline.com: Oh, Baby! A Child’s Genes Can Predict a Mother’s RA Risk
Here is my latest post for Healthline.com. It was a very interesting one to write, mostly because the topic is relatively new, and was thus pretty unfamiliar to me. I read research on the subject, and was fascinated to learn that a child’s genetic makeup can contribute to their mother’s risk for rheumatoid arthritis. In … Continue reading
Limping Through the Magic Kingdom
I will never willingly choose to “miss out” on life because of my conditions. I’ll go down with a fight before I let these illnesses prevent me from living my life: and that includes travel. But that doesn’t mean that it is always easy. Read on … While I’m still sick fairly often with frequent … Continue reading
I’m Gluten-Free: 15 Things You Need to Know About the Celiac Lifestyle
I’m gluten-free. No, it isn’t by choice. Yes, it is necessary. No, I cannot cheat. Yes, I will get sick — possibly short-term, definitely long-term — if i ingest gluten. Now that the basics are out of the way, here are 15 more things you need to know about my gluten-free, Celiac-friendly lifestyle: Celiac Sprue … Continue reading
Healthline.com: The Vicious Cycle of Arthritis, Depression, and Disability
Here’s my most recent Healthline.com post: Arthritis, Depression, and Disability: the Vicious Cycle. Take a look and feel free to share and/or leave a comment about your own experiences! http://www.healthline.com/health-news/arthritis-depression-and-disability-102514 Continue reading
Finding Faith During Times of Chaos
I’ve learned something: Illness turns many people away from God. Suffering makes many question their faith. However, these times of chaos and seemingly “ungodly” pain causes others to go the opposite direction, running towards God and embracing their faith with arms wide open. Of course, there are those of you who are agnostics and atheists, … Continue reading
Rant Time: Don’t “Quantify” the Sick Girl
You know how it’s rude to say things like, “you throw okay … for a girl.” Or, “you run pretty fast … for being so big.” It’s also somewhat insulting to say things like, “wow! You’ve accomplished so much … despite being sick.” No, I haven’t accomplished a lot “for being a sick girl.” I’ve … Continue reading
How Much Do Our Emotions and Life Decisions Contribute to Our Disease Symptoms?
I read a really interesting piece recently about some symptoms of chronic illnesses being, not caused by, but, exacerbated by, one’s life being out-of-balance or on the wrong path i.e. wrong career, wrong spouse or romantic partner, no spiritual compass, minimal friends or social prospects, little community involvement, too much focus on the self or … Continue reading