#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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How RA Impacts Relationships and Self-Love: A Pfizer Facebook Live Chat with Arthritis Ashley & Dr. Logan Levkoff

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

Thank you to Pfizer for having Dr. Logan Levkoff and me on to discuss Relationships & Rheumatoid Arthritis. Filmed live at Pfizer Studios in New York City, we discussed how RA can affect relationships with our partners, our families, and, even our relationship with our selves. Check out the video on the Pfizer Facebook page, … 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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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 →

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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 →