Jessica Gama

Living with an invisible illness has taught me a couple of things: (1) people make assumptions about my condition based on what their eyes see; and (2) that I need...

This past winter marked my seven-year diagnosis anniversary with ankylosing spondylitis. My how time flies! While my official diagnosis came seven years ago, my AS symptoms began long before then...

It’s that time of year again when most of us not only think about making changes to our daily lives, but we also resolve to do so. But adding more...

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of creative nonfiction essays during the process of designing an upper-level Creative Nonfiction writing course at the University where I teach and work. The...

The short answer is: I don’t know. This would be an incredibly short article if my answer was simply yes. I asked the question because I’ve seen a change in...

I’m still working out the details of what self-care means for me, and if I’m being honest my idea of self-care and my own personal needs are always changing. There...

Axial spondyloarthritis is a systemic disease, so I know it has the potential to affect any organ system (and therefore any area) of the body. But when a new symptom...

The National Institute on Mental Health says that self-care “means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health.”...

There’s a huge shift happening right now in on the work scene, with employees demanding more in terms of benefits, pay, and work flexibility. One of the changes I’m seeing...

2021 was fun, tiring, wonderful, complicated, and stressful, among other things. Above all, it was a long, exhausting year full of healthcare visits for me. As a result, I’ve been...

I like the title of this article because it makes the subject sound deep, philosophical, or maybe even a bit spiritual. As if I might pontificate on the practice of...

Fall is by far my favorite time of year, especially when living in a place with prime foliage. The few weeks at the end of September and beginning of October...

My life with biologics stretches back six years now. I was diagnosed nearly 15 years after initial symptoms appeared, and since I had been self-medicating with NSAIDs for years (without...

This is volume 2 in a series of articles focusing on supporting loved ones with axial spondyloarthritis. The advice I would give to others with a spouse or family member...

When it can affect every aspect of your day-to-day life, there’s no forgetting about a chronic illness. After I was first diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, I had trouble plugging the...

One question I get often is "who treats axial spondyloarthritis?" Typically, this question arises from individuals with some of the symptoms of AxSpA but no diagnosis, so I figured why...

I’m not going to lie--I’m excited for a return to "normal" (or a new normal anyway) now that the outlook of the pandemic is looking up. I’m looking forward to...

I have seen countless physicians in four different states in the U.S. and my experience with heteronormativity is generally the same. Often, the idea that a patient may be part...

Living with axial spondyloarthritis is not easy, and I know it would be all that much more difficult without a support system. I also realize that while I experience all...

When we talk about ourselves (and other people), we often reference character qualities as if they’re immutable and innate. We have expectations for ourselves, perhaps shaped from being told countless...