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... By Anne-Marie Raymond3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments12 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments13 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments8 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments7 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments14 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
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... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments8 comments
Making Space for Self CompassionBeing kind to yourself is important when you have a chronic illness like ankylosing spondylitis. Some days self-compassion means cutting myself some slack when I feel too tired, sore, or... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
My Experience With Low Dose Naltrexone for ASFor many years now my approach to living well with ankylosing spondylitis has involved a healthy dose of curiosity and a willingness to try new things. Strategies that work well... By Anne-Marie Raymond3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
Breaking the Vicious CycleI’ve returned to that point again, one I’m sure you’ll recognize. The dreaded flare. Bit by bit the pain has crept back in, interrupting my sleep and turning me into... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
The Year of Living PainlesslyI’m firmly knocking on wood as a write this, but it’s been 12 months without a flare. Apart from two pregnancies, during which my body decided to stop waging war... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments