I will admit that I have always been hesitant to describe my rheumatoid arthritis medications as chemo, or “cancer drugs.” Part of this is my aversion to pity; the other part was that, at times, people use the term “chemo” incorrectly when describing their arthritis treatments. Lastly, I’ve always felt that it was a bit … Continue reading
Our very own Arthritis Ashley was featured on the website, “The Mighty” this week. The Mighty celebrates “the superheroes among us,” who are staying strong and triumphing despite life’s many hardships ranging from chronic illness, to disability, and more. Like us, their mission is to educate and spread awareness about various health issues. You can read … Continue reading
Today, I spoke at an Arthritis Foundation Juvenile Arthritis Family Day event in my area. I wanted to share the text of my speech with you all below. I will have videos and photos at a later time, to share on my arthritis Facebook page. Enjoy, and feel free to leave a comment letting me know … Continue reading
In the world of chronic illness, there are many things about which we simply do not have a choice. I didn’t choose rheumatoid arthritis, or osteoarthritis, or celiac disease, lupus, sjogrens syndrome, chiari, and so on. Likewise, I’m sure that you did not choose whichever illnesses or disabilities that you may live with. As I’ve … Continue reading
Today was the last day of the 2014 Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Summit in Washington D.C. According to the official website, “The Advocacy Summit is an annual event when people living with and affected by arthritis come from every corner of the United States to convene in Washington, DC.. There they learn how to … Continue reading
The Arthritis Foundation, Mid Atlantic Region, is now proud to offer a special Resource Folder that volunteers can pick up at any of their offices. Volunteers may take this new informational folder to your rheumatologist to spread the word about getting Arthritis Foundation resources in more doctor offices. You will be able to leave this … Continue reading
It’s always amazing to see how far science and medicine have come. I thought it would be interesting for us arthritis patients to learn more about ancient methods of pain relief and old-fashioned arthritis treatments! Here are some interesting “old-school” methods of managing pain: Cupping Therapy: Cupping is an ancient form of Traditional Chinese … Continue reading
I’m a big fan of the infamous book and documentary film, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. However, there were some parts of it that I just could not wrap my head around. How could a group of thousands of people, for example, “attract” such horrific events such as 9/11 or the Newtown shootings? How … Continue reading
To put it simply: being tired is NOT the same thing as having fatigue. The type of fatigue that comes along with chronic illness and autoimmune diseases is unlike any other kind of exhaustion that most healthy people will experience in their lives. As an “e-patient” and an online advocate for people with rheumatic and … Continue reading
2013 was a great year with many arthritis-related accomplishments and medical advances. But, 2014 stands to prosper just as well. Instead of looking back with a usual “best of” or “top 10” list in regards to the year that has passed, let us welcome in 2014 by looking forward, and seeing what the future could … Continue reading
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