What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, right? But, sometimes, what certain things, situations, or ailments are called can lead to confusion. I recently heard of someone naming their pet cat, “Dog.” Funny, but confusing. So is the term, “rheumatoid arthritis.” The word arthritis (literally meaning, “joint inflammation) … Continue reading
Oprah has taught me a lot of things. She’s one of my idols, and, to me, a prime example of “overcoming” in the face of adversity to truly live your life to its fullest potential. After writing in since high school (I graduated in 2002) and being on a ticket waiting list for over 2 … Continue reading
I recently bought a book entitled, “A Place of Yes” and, though I’ve yet to start reading it, I realized last week before even purchasing it that I am in a place of “yes” myself. I’ve learned to “just say yes” despite arthritis and other chronic ailments. After all, we only live once….so why not … Continue reading
The saying goes, “pain is beauty and beauty is pain…” or, another adaptation that I’ve found even more poignant: “The pain passes, but the beauty remains.” I agree. While we could talk about the superficial, painful things that we do for beauty such as eyebrow plucking, ear piercing, brutal diets, laser peels, wearing corsets, high … Continue reading
No matter your age, eating healthily is an important part of maintaining overall wellness. This is especially true for anyone living with one of the 117 forms of arthritis and related rheumatic disease. Of course, regular doctor visits, taking your medications and supplements as prescribed, proper rest, and an adequate amount of physical activity are … Continue reading
Last week, I challenged Facebook friends to describe their chronic illness in 3 words. Many of these people had Rheumatoid Arthritis and similar conditions, and many of them used words such as “frustrating, isolating, ugly, lonely, indescribable, difficult, invisible, painful, hurting, tiring, depressing, agonizing, expensive, challenging, life-changing, annoying, misunderstood, tearful, excruciating, exhausting, consuming, limiting” and … Continue reading
Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in FREEDOM. In choice. In equal rights. In humanity “getting along.” In the destruction of prejudices and discrimination, and the erasure of hate. Yet, even in 2011, pockets of the population face discrimination, have their “choices” (or lack thereof) dictated to them, and face judgment, regardless of the leaps and … Continue reading
The skin is the largest organ of our bodies….but we so often forget about it. Don’t neglect your skin, and don’t ignore skin-related symptoms! There are many rheumatic autoimmune disorders that affect the skin. I personally have high autoimmunity, a few different conditions, and have had a slew of dermatologic issues ranging from vitiligo, to … Continue reading
“You can complain that roses have thorns, or rejoice that thorns have roses.” It’s all about your perspective. In the past 2 weeks, myself, family, fiance, and people close to us have unfortunately been dealing with a lot of deaths. The veil of sadness barely has lifted before news of another set in. Most were … Continue reading
We thought you may want to check out some of our most popular and most widely-viewed blog posts from 2010! Stay tuned for more informative, helpful, and inspiring “Wellness with a Side of Life, Please!” blog posts in 2011! The lovely stats helper folks at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and … Continue reading
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