#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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Pfizer & Arthritis Ashley Facebook Live: May 29

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Arthritis Ashley • Leave a comment

Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 29th, 2018) at 11:45am EST, I will join Pfizer and nationally-recognized relationship expert Logan Levkoff, Ph.D, to discuss how rheumatoid arthritis (RA) impacts life, relationships, and self-esteem. We will also be introducing a fun “RA Fishbowl” exercise which can help you talk to your spouse, partner, family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues about living with … Continue reading →

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Cupping, Gua Sha, and Acupuncture: Can They Help with Arthritis and Chronic Pain?

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Arthritis Ashley • 1 Comment

Most of you know that I am a big fan of integrative medicine: a mix of natural or alternative methodologies and traditional pharmaceutical treatments. In fact, one of the first “real” published articles I wrote was in a local magazine (called South Fayette & Neighbors, now known as IN South Fayette,) in 2006, and it … 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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Spryngs by Brevani: Elegant Arthritis-Friendly Rings for Swollen Fingers

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Arthritis Ashley • Leave a comment

Spryngs by Brevani’s tagline is “elegance that fits comfortably for a lifetime.” I love that, because it encapsulates what this brand is all about. This upscale high-end fine jewelry line has finally come out with rings that have the arthritis patient in mind. Actually — their beautiful jewelry is well-suited to anyone whose ring size … 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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Your Story Counts: Help Further Autoimmune Disease Research Today

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Arthritis Ashley • Leave a comment

Autoimmune diseases can be serious, and the following video includes just some of the faces of the millions of people who live with these often-invisible illnesses. Today is #WorldArthritisDay. I personally live with just one of many autoimmune forms of arthritis. But did you know that arthritis, and joint & muscle pain, are also common … 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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My Joints Are 90 Years Old, But That’s OK

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Arthritis Ashley • 2 Comments

✨✨ 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 →