Ali Long

I started college before my AS symptoms started. I was lucky enough that my AS symptoms started during lockdown as college lectures were moved to virtual. This meant I could...

Does time heal all wounds? No, it does not, but time can help heal you a little. But I am back and better than ever. Well, I have been better...

I could have never prepared myself for the injections for my muscle spasms. I got multiple injections on each side of my neck and down along the spasms on my...

For the past six to eight weeks, I had been going through a terrible flare up. I had no energy at all. When this happens, I constantly feel sick. My inflammation levels were sky high, they are now slowly starting...

This semester college has returned full-time to campus, but I am unable to return to campus due to my AS and being immunocompromised during the COVID-19 pandemic. I thought: well...

I am always grateful for a good week. But there is always a sense of sadness that comes with it. A sadness that this is what I miss out on...

I’ve had two pain management procedures. First being steroid injections into my muscle spasms, a very painful experience that did not work. My second pain management procedure was Botox injections...

Grief can occur in many ways, and this can affect one's mental health. I study social care in college. We learn a lot about grief in this course. There is...

I don’t know where to begin with this. I felt so anxious and panicky. I felt like I was not in control of my emotions. For the past two years...

Here in Ireland Arthritis week takes place between the 4th and 10th of April. I always like it when there’s an international or national day/week dedicated to arthritis or AxSpa...

As Covid restrictions ease here in Ireland, my anxiety levels are doing the opposite. I understand that we can’t live forever in a lockdown, we as a world need to...

If you read my articles "An Unrealistic Outlook on Exercise" and the "All or Nothing Approach" you'll know that I haven't been successful with finding an exercise program that works for me...

As I lie here in bed, listening to a Chili Peppers record, thoughts of worries fill my head. Since I became sick, I haven’t been abroad. This is one thing that...

My advocating journey began in October 2020 with a fundraiser. A year later I continue to advocate every day. It was the best decision I have ever made. It changed my...

This article will be about my self-care plan. I always thought self-care was just taking baths, going for a walk and lighting candles to relax. After some research, I learned that there...

As I’m writing this, I’m having the worst flare since starting Cosentyx. I have been on Cosentyx for a year now. It has given me my life back. Besides this horrible flare, I’ve been doing...

Injecting biologics can take a while to get used to. The AS and AxSpa community, especially on Instagram, have been sharing their injection videos for quite a while now. It...