When Stars Get Sick: Glamorizing Illness or Bringing Awareness?
Advocacy / Arthritis Ashley / Autoimmune / Awareness / Body Image / chronic illness / Entertainment / invisible illness / Lady Gaga / Lupus / Personal Stories / Pop Culture / rheum awareness / Selena Gomez / social media / Types of Arthritis / Uncategorized / Wellness

When Stars Get Sick: Glamorizing Illness or Bringing Awareness?

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

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

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

When Celebrities Do Good: Thank You, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Robin Roberts!
Advocacy / Arthritis Ashley / Awareness / book / chronic illness / Entertainment / instagram / pain / RA awareness

When Celebrities Do Good: Thank You, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Robin Roberts!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Lately, I’ve been thinking about celebrities who use their fame for good. Sure, there are tons of recent examples: Beyonce is aiming to start a vegan revolution, Paula Abdul has worked tirelessly for pain causes and lupus organizations, the Kardashian and Jenner families have opened the eyes of many to transgender issues, and actress … Continue reading

Selena Gomez and Lupus: My Thoughts
Arthritis / Autoimmune / Entertainment / Lupus / Pop Culture / Selena Gomez / SLE

Selena Gomez and Lupus: My Thoughts

Last night, singer, actress, and designer Selena Gomez gave a beautiful and heartfelt performance at the 2014 American Music Awards, with best friend Taylor Swift rooting her on from the audience. Onlookers would not have known anything was wrong with Gomez, other than, perhaps, heartbreak from her on-again, off-again relationship with Justin Bieber. Yet, headlines … Continue reading

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain: Public Selfies & Private Illness
Arthritis / arthritis blog / Awareness / chronic illness / instagram / invisible illness / Personal Stories / selfies / social media

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain: Public Selfies & Private Illness

“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”  It’s one of the most powerful lines from the movie and book, The Wizard of Oz. It’s such a simple quote — so relevant to the scene, that we usually don’t think of the symbolism that lies within it. it got me thinking, though, about “the … Continue reading

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Hair We Go! Tips for Hair Care with Arthritis, Rheumatic Illness or Chronic Pain – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Sjögren’s Syndrome, and other rheumatic and chronic pain conditions can cause ill effects on the hair for various reasons. Here, we’ll break down some of the “hair issues” associated with some of these conditions, and discuss hair care tips to have your locks looking their best, even with a chronic illness!   Rheumatoid … Continue reading

Advocacy / Arthritis / Arthritis Foundation / Awareness / Fibromyalgia / Juvenile Arthritis / Types of Arthritis / Uncategorized / Wellness

Music Therapy for Chronic Pain – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck

 With the Grammy awards upon us and Whitney Houston’s recent passing, it seems appropriate to discuss the physiological effects of music on our bodies. Can music positively affect our perception of pain? Sure, we all love to sing our favorite song in the shower, rock out in the car or as we work out, or … Continue reading