Living

Up until recently, I had never been in an official romantic relationship. I was in my "having fun stage" before chronic illness turned my life upside down at the age...

I was scrolling through social media when I stumbled upon a quote from a health coach that read, "You can make time for health or illness. Those are your choices."...

My AS has caused endless disruption to my sleep. At my worst, I couldn’t sleep for more than three hours at once. I’d wake up with so much pain and...

I've been a devoted part of this community for many years—as a writer, moderator, and Patient Leadership Council member. I've even been nominated (and was a finalist in two categories)...

I left France 15 years ago and I have lived in the UK ever since, but I visit for the holidays. Those who left their hometown know what it means...

Insomnia, or the inability to get to sleep or stay asleep, affects millions of people worldwide. For many, chronic pain is a significant contributor to their insomnia. When you're in...

My planning and organization skills have always left a lot to be desired. I often find myself going on holiday with zero plans on what I am going to do...

When I was 18, I was only one year into my university degree and nowhere near knowing what I wanted to “do with the rest of my life.” I was...

I’ve been on biologic drugs for my ankylosing spondylitis for 6 years now. I’ve been on 4, actually. Inflectra (infusion), Humira (injection), Cosentyx (injection), and Remicade (infusion). Now that I’ve...

We recently moved into a new community. We've been in our new home for over a year now. Through healing, there's an urge to connect with family, friends, and with...

I’ve been receiving care from a chronic pain clinic, and a few months ago they offered me acupuncture. I had a telephone consultation with the acupuncture service to check I...

I got a reminder this summer about how effective my biologic is at keeping my flares at bay. To give a bit of context to this story, I have been...

Picture this: enjoying brunch with colleagues, where you’re excitingly exchanging anecdotes, insights, and perspectives over pancakes. Slowly, our conversation turned from discussing the latest bestseller to something more profound—how technology...

I spent about half a year thinking I was experiencing a recurrent, terrible axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) flare-up only to learn that I had, in fact, a spinal fracture (spondylolysis). The...

I was informed I had a gene mutation a few months ago that could contribute to more severe health complications down the line. After speaking with my healthcare team, we...

I'm in another flare (again). How long will this one last? The days have passed so fast. I forget again what normal feels like. My days are high in pain...

They say “Life is a marathon, not a sprint.” The meaning is that we shouldn’t get hung up on the little events we experience. Life goes on for a long...

Over the years I’ve visited a number of different health professionals to help me manage my axial spondyloarthritis. Some have not proven helpful for me personally (both chiropractic and osteopathic...

For those grappling with Axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA), moments with family can quickly become challenging encounters that leave us frustrated and misunderstood. I vividly recall a recent holiday visit with my...

Dating with a chronic illness sure can be tough. We have a complicated enough relationship with our immune system, so having another one with a human being on top of...