#RealTalkRA Summit: Pharma, Fun, and Friends
Advocacy / Arthritis / Arthritis Ashley / arthritis awareness / Autoimmune / Awareness / Body Image / chronic illness / Juvenile Arthritis / Personal Stories / RA awareness / rheum awareness / social media / Uncategorized / Wellness

#RealTalkRA Summit: Pharma, Fun, and Friends

  This week, I was invited by Pfizer to attend the 2017 Real Talk Summit in New York City. While they did compensate me for my time and took care of accommodations, I’m going to go ahead and disclaim now that they are NOT paying me for this blog post, and did NOT ask *or* … Continue reading

My Joints Are 90 Years Old, But That’s OK
Arthritis / Arthritis Ashley / Awareness / Body Image / chronic illness / Disability / invisible illness / Juvenile Arthritis / pain / Personal Stories / RA awareness / rheum awareness / rheumatoid arthritis awareness / Uncategorized / Wellness

My Joints Are 90 Years Old, But That’s OK

✨✨ Long post, but I promise it has a point. Please read to the end! (And please excuse typos.) ✨✨ In the past year, I have been told by orthopedic surgeons that my right knee looks like an 80-year-old’s. I was told that my right foot and ankle look like a 90-year-old. And yesterday, that my … Continue reading

Doing What We Can
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Doing What We Can

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

No, Lady Gaga Did NOT Confirm That She Has Rheumatoid Arthritis
Advocacy / Arthritis / Arthritis Ashley / arthritis awareness / arthritis blog / Arthritis Foundation / Autoimmune / Awareness / Body Image / chronic illness / Disability / Entertainment / healthline / invisible illness / Juvenile Arthritis / Lady Gaga / Lupus / pain / Personal Stories / Pop Culture / RA awareness / rheum awareness / rheumatoid arthritis awareness / Selena Gomez / SLE / social media / Types of Arthritis / Uncategorized / Wellness

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

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

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

“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

Body Shaming + When Illness or Disability Affect Body Image, Fashion, and Beauty
Arthritis Ashley / Body Image / book / chronic illness / Disability / Entertainment / Journey to Wellness / Juvenile Arthritis / Lady Gaga / Lupus / pain / Personal Stories / Pop Culture / RA awareness / rheum awareness / rheumatoid arthritis awareness / Types of Arthritis / Uncategorized / Wellness

Body Shaming + When Illness or Disability Affect Body Image, Fashion, and Beauty

Body-shaming is sadly a very real phenomenon. I mean, just look at the awesome and mega-fit Lady Gaga  (who I LOVE, by the way!) who was shamed and trolled over a practically-nonexistent “belly roll” during the Super Bowl.  It almost became a bigger topic of conversation than her stellar, iconic, and historically-great Super Bowl Halftime Show. … Continue reading

Walking in My Shoes: Keeping Perspective With a Chronic Health Issue
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Walking in My Shoes: Keeping Perspective With a Chronic Health Issue

Today I decided to post a photo to my blog that I had posted on Facebook and Instagram back in November, 2016. Since I finally have my custom medial-unloader knee brace and my custom permanent Arizona cast for my foot, I decided that this particular post would be worthy of a re-share, and you will see … Continue reading

Karma and Illness: That’s a Nope
Advocacy / Arthritis Ashley / arthritis blog / Autoimmune / Awareness / chronic illness / Entertainment / invisible illness / pain / Pop Culture / RA awareness / Uncategorized

Karma and Illness: That’s a Nope

I don’t go so far as to reject many ideas. Truly. I’m like a sponge: I soak up as much information as I can and try to equally and fairly weigh all points of view and perspectives. I like to try to learn about things without judging them. Even if I disagree with something, I … Continue reading

Breaking: Sick Girl is Sick of Absolutes and Assumptions
Arthritis Ashley / Autoimmune / Awareness / chronic illness / Entertainment / invisible illness / Personal Stories / Pop Culture / social media

Breaking: Sick Girl is Sick of Absolutes and Assumptions

We live in a society where people think that if you’re for one thing, you’re against another. It’s also a world  in which people think that by discussing your own journey, you are somehow dismissing theirs. We are divided on many issues, we still think in cliches, and we still see in stereotypes. But we act … Continue reading

#HAWMC – Day 10: An RA Q&A
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#HAWMC – Day 10: An RA Q&A

Questions and answers about life with rheumatoid arthritis and invisible illness. Continue reading