#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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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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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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When Stars Get Sick: Glamorizing Illness or Bringing Awareness?

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Arthritis Ashley • 2 Comments

It never fails to amaze me how fired up people on the Internet get about celebrities. Like, okay … I’ve been guilty of it to an extent. I’m an admitted fangirl. I’m proudly in the “fandoms” of Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, and Oprah. I’m a Grey’s Anatomy lifer. … Continue reading →

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“What RA Looks Like” – by Healthline

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Arthritis Ashley • Leave a comment

What Rheumatoid Arthritis Looks Like In August, Healthline.com sent a film crew to my home in Pittsburgh. They followed me around for 8 hours to see what a typical day is like for me as a patient with RA. (Of course, we all know that there is no “typical” day. That day, I was able … 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 →