#PatientsHavePower: The Gift of Breakthrough Research and Clinical Trials

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Arthritis Ashley • Leave a comment

*Disclaimer: Before I begin, let’s get the requisite disclaimer out of the way: this piece has been entered in the Patients Have Power Writing Contest run by Clara Health. It is designed to raise awareness about clinical trials. That said, I’m nonetheless still passionate about this cause, and am personally interested in everything that this … Continue reading →

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TheRAconnection.com — Join Today!

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Arthritis Ashley • Leave a comment

I’ve recently began blogging with The RA Connection, as well as doing some admin and community management work with this wonderful site. I urge you all to join if you have RA, PsA, OA, Lupus, or AS. It is free, safe, secure, and easy to use — a great place for Community, Content, and Connection … Continue reading →

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Is it Juvenile Arthritis … or Farber Disease?

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Arthritis Ashley • Leave a comment

It’s Arthritis Awareness Month (yay!) … so I want to bring awareness to a very rare disease that often mimics Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. This illness is called Farber Disease (a.k.a. Farber’s Disease, Farber’s lipogranulomatosis, ceramidase deficiency, Fibrocytic dysmucopolysaccharidosis, and Lipogranulomatosis.) Currently there are only 80 diagnosed, confirmed cases of Farber Disease worldwide! However, there may be … Continue reading →

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Feeling Adult-ish After My Total Knee Replacement

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Arthritis Ashley • Leave a comment

There was a song that was popular when I was in high school called “What’s My Age Again?” by Blink 182. I’ve always related to that question: what IS my age? It’s mostly because of my rheumatoid arthritis. First off, there’s always been an issue with my actual diagnosis: yes, it WAS “juvenile” rheumatoid arthritis, … Continue reading →

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The Imperfection of Appropriate Language: Discussing Disability is Difficult

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Arthritis Ashley • 1 Comment

I want to first start off by apologizing to anyone I may have offended in my recent article for A Woman’s Health Magazine (online version) and Women magazine (print version) entitled: For Some With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Beauty Really is Pain. I enjoyed writing this article and was very proud of it, until someone wrote me … Continue reading →

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X-Rays Don’t Lie

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Arthritis Ashley • Leave a comment

I thought I’d share these as a follow-up to my “My Joints are 90 Years Old” post. I am having a total knee replacement of the right knee in a few weeks. I also need a right thumb joint replacement. My left wrist and right foot are beyond surgical repair. I’ve been told that my … Continue reading →

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Doing What We Can

Posted on April 22, 2017 by Arthritis Ashley • 1 Comment

Something I’ve struggled with during my decades of illness is what I WANT to do, versus what I CAN do. I’m learning to accept that I can only do what I can. Some days, like last weekend, it is hiking up over 500 steps on the side of a mountain. Some days, like yesterday, it … Continue reading →

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No, Lady Gaga Did NOT Confirm That She Has Rheumatoid Arthritis

Posted on April 2, 2017 by Arthritis Ashley • 5 Comments

A post has gone viral in recent days, feverishly declaring that “Lady Gaga Has RA!” “Lady Gaga Reveals She Has Rheumatoid Arthritis” and “Pop Star Lady Gaga Opens Up About Life With Rheumatoid Arthritis.” Except … she never specifically revealed that she has it. I admit that I was guilty of initially, (hesitantly) sharing it with a … Continue reading →

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#Longread: LEMONADE: Who Would I Be Without My Lemons?

Posted on February 12, 2017 by Arthritis Ashley • 10 Comments

“Oh, stars in her eyes, She fights and she sweats those sleepless nights, But she don’t mind, she loves the grind, She grinds from Monday to Friday, Works from Friday to Sunday…” – ‘6-Inch,’ Beyoncé, Lemonade. Beyonce and Lemonade The above quote is from a song off of Beyoncé’s album, Lemonade. You see, the Grammy Awards are tonight. Grammys … Continue reading →

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#Longread: The Emotions of Thinking and Talking About Illness

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Arthritis Ashley • 1 Comment

I’ve written and posted before about hiding our pain to spare the feelings of others, and many similar topics of conversation. I have also written about the emotions of guilt, resentment, and burden that can accompany a lifelong illness or disability. I decided to revisit the topic and reframe it in a couple of new ways. The first … Continue reading →