Freedom: Making Choices and Living Judgment-Free with Chronic Illness – by Ashley Boynes

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Arthritis Ashley • 11 Comments

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 →

Advocacy / Arthritis / Arthritis Foundation / Awareness / Juvenile Arthritis / Uncategorized / Wellness

Rheumatic Conditions, Autoimmune Diseases, and the Skin: How does our skin relate to arthritis? – by Ashley Boynes

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Arthritis Ashley • 4 Comments

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 →

Advocacy / Arthritis / Awareness / Personal Stories / Uncategorized

Keeping Perspective With Arthritis & Illness – My Opinions – by Ashley Boynes

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Arthritis Ashley • 6 Comments

“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 →

Advocacy / Arthritis / Arthritis Foundation / Ashley's Health Diary / Awareness / Journey to Wellness / Juvenile Arthritis / Oldies But Goodies / Personal Stories / Uncategorized

2010 – Our “Blog Year” in review!

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Arthritis Ashley • Leave a comment

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 →

Advocacy / Arthritis / Arthritis Foundation / Awareness / Juvenile Arthritis / Personal Stories / Uncategorized / Wellness

A Nation Unaware: We Need To Increase Juvenile Arthritis Awareness – by Ashley Boynes

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Arthritis Ashley • 6 Comments

“She’s just a hypochondriac.” “He’s lying.” “It’s all in their head. They just want attention.” “You’re faking!” “Oh, you’re too young for arthritis.” These are all phrases that children and teens with juvenile arthritis will, unfortunately, come across many times during the course of their lives and their illness. Even the adults that these kids … Continue reading →

Advocacy / Arthritis / Arthritis Foundation / Awareness / Personal Stories / Uncategorized / Wellness

Water Aerobics and Aqua Exercise: Fun Fitness for All Ages and Abilities!

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Arthritis Ashley • 1 Comment

Water aerobics are a great way to keep moving and a fun, fit way to start your new year off right! Yes, the Arthritis Foundation offers aquatics programs – and, yes, many senior citizens and older folks have arthritis. But, as we know, people of ALL ages can get arthritis, too – and water aerobics … Continue reading →

Advocacy / Arthritis / Arthritis Foundation / Awareness / Personal Stories / Uncategorized / Wellness

Don’t Let Chronic Illness Steal Your Sparkle! – by Ashley Boynes

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Arthritis Ashley • 7 Comments

Do you approach everything from a bitter or dismal place because of your condition? Is there are a dark cloud surrounding you at all times? Do you take everything “the wrong way” because you are so on-edge and defensive of your illness? Is your main “identifier” that of a sick person? Has living with chronic … Continue reading →

Arthritis / Awareness / Uncategorized / Wellness

Creating a Stress-Free, Arthritis-Friendly Holiday Season by Ashley Boynes

Posted on December 14, 2010 by Arthritis Ashley • 3 Comments

The holidays can be stressful for anyone – but throw a chronic illness into the mix and, well, instead of that yummy sugar-cookie recipe, you could easily have a recipe for disaster. However, it doesn’t HAVE to be that way. Turn your holidays “nice” instead of “naughty” by following these easy, stress-reducing, arthritis-friendly tips this … Continue reading →

Advocacy / Arthritis / Arthritis Foundation / Awareness / Personal Stories / Uncategorized / Wellness

“The Others” – What Do Our Healthy Friends & Family Members Feel About Our Arthritis? – by Ashley Boynes

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Arthritis Ashley • 2 Comments

Sometimes living with arthritis affects “innocent bystanders” nearly as much as it affects those of us living with it, but sadly they often get left by the wayside in the hurricane of all that comes with dealing with a chronic illness. We, as the patients, want to only view our condition from our own personal … Continue reading →

Advocacy / Arthritis / Ashley's Health Diary / Awareness / Journey to Wellness / Personal Stories / Uncategorized

Some Anecdotes & Some Silver Lining: Stories of arthritic hands, Lady Gaga, and advocating for yourself and your health! ~ Ashley’s Health Diary, Entry #26

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Arthritis Ashley • 5 Comments

Entry #26 – December 3rd, 2010 I’ve got a few interesting antecdotes to share in this entry, and so I’ll split it up into a few separate stories, if you all don’t mind! First let me tell you about my hands. (Bear with me here!) In a previous post, I bemoaned my “ugly hands” and … Continue reading →