Preparing for Imaging Appointments With Ankylosing SpondylitisPart of life with ankylosing spondylitis includes scans to check for bone change and progression. My disease activity over recent years has been low so my rheumatologist is happy to...reactions7comments
Another Winter With AxSpaHere in Australia we’re leaving the cold weather behind and enjoying the spring. At this time I’m once again conscious of all my friends in the northern hemisphere living through...reactions1comment
Finding Balance in Managing My ASWhen it comes to life lessons, it would seem I prefer to learn them the hard way! This was certainly the case when I decided to try lifestyle strategies to...reactions3comments
Gene Testing My Children for ASLike the majority of people with ankylosing spondylitis, I tested positive for the gene HLA-B27. Following my diagnosis I often wondered about this genetic marker and the line it traced...reactions3comments
Housework Hacks With Ankylosing SpondylitisOne of the things I really dislike when I’m in an AxSpa flare is how messy my house can get. I’m definitely one of those “tidy house, tidy mind” people...reactions12comments
How Regular Stretching Relieves My AS Pain“Be sure to stretch” was one of the few pieces of advice I walked away with when I was told I had AS. The message got lost for a while...reactions6comments
The Verdict in My Low Dose Naltrexone ExperimentIt’s been just over two years since I started taking Low Dose Naltrexone to help manage my AS. LDN is a somewhat controversial, off-label prescription that is well known in...reactions17comments
Remission From Ankylosing Spondylitis: The Search for a UnicornIn something of a weird coincidence, my step-father also had ankylosing spondylitis. Russ died tragically in a car accident several years before I was diagnosed, and most of my knowledge...reactions8comments
Redefining My Identity With AxSpaI’ve told my personal story with AxSpa many times over. Following my diagnosis I decided to help create awareness by creating a blog called Living Well With AS. In it...reactions7comments
Reminders For Days When I Haven’t SleptTyped into the notes section of my phone are a collection of messages that no one sees but me. I think of them as my AS first-aid kits. Some of...reactions5comments
The Negative Impact of Positivity CultureI once worked for a company where the notion of positivity was prized above all else. Falling short of your sales target? Stop finding excuses! Current system not working? Stop...reactions6comments
Grief and Chronic IllnessWe most commonly associate the term grief with death. It’s used to describe the emotional state we experience when someone close to us passes away. In its simplest form, though...reactions3comments
Navigating the Online World of Axial SpondyloarthritisLike so many other places online, the axial spondyloarthritis community has become an increasingly polarized place to inhabit in recent years. I was so thankful to discover an assortment of...reactions3comments
My Failed Attempt at Reintroducing MassageGetting a massage used to be one of my favorite things. Heading to the spa a few times a year felt like the ultimate way to indulge myself and escape...reactions4comments
My Experience With an Ankylosing Spondylitis Self-Management CourseBack in the freedom of our pre-Covid world I was lucky enough to attend a specialist self-management course for ankylosing spondylitis at a community hospital here in Melbourne. The course...reactions2comments
Getting Back in the Driver’s Seat With Axial SpondyloarthritisLike many people my age, I grew up with parents and grandparents who saw doctors as the ultimate authority. It never entered their heads to question anything a medical professional...reactions1comment
The Shadow of Ankylosing SpondylitisOne of the hardest aspects of my diagnosis was breaking the news to my mother. Having lived most of her adult life with ulcerative colitis, Mum knew firsthand the misery...reactions11comments
Gut Healing Strategies I Use to Help Manage Axial SpondyloarthritisWorking as a health coach, I often find myself talking with people about improving the health of their gut. I’ve been focussed on healing my gut for about 8 years...reactions16comments
How Working On My General Health Helped My SymptomsThere’s a certain hopeless finality in being told you have a disease with no cure. I didn’t for a moment question the highly trained specialist sitting before me when he...reactions5comments
The Pain That Wasn’t ASIt had been a year without a flare, the first I could remember in more than a decade. The years of fine tuning, taking care of my health, figuring out...reactions8comments
