Welcome, Friends!

I used to love to use the app Stumble Upon. The way it worked is I would enter the website and probably based on search history it would take me to things that I may never have thought about before. Crazy things like how many varieties of nettles grow in the U.S. Stuff that almost no one cares about, and just as fun was counting the number of pages dedicated to the topic. It was a cool little divergence, and I used to learn something along the way.

Finding our ankylosing spondylitis community

I hope you found Ankylosing Spondylitis.net with a more routine search. Perhaps you heard the term and were interested or maybe you have AS, and you heard about this cool new community. Or perhaps you just stumbled upon us. However you got here, we are glad you found us. We have developed and are seeking contributors to this beautiful community. We have assembled one of the most impressive groups of AS contributors anywhere. It is so remarkable that I think you will find new ideas, new perspectives, and new interactions that will expand your horizons.

Sharing personal stories

We have already assembled personal stories of what it is like to suffer from AS, and we have contributors that will give you tips about living with AS. But we also have something else. We have a caring community who is interested in learning from you as much as we hope you will learn from us.

Just as important as how we start is where we hope to go. The contributors hope to combine fun, caring, and maybe a few unique stories and hacks that will improve your life with AS. I may offer a few of those offbeat stories, or hopefully some great ideas.

What to expect

You can expect stories about exercise, choosing a rheumatologist, relating how we are doing with our medications and how our families view AS. But regardless of what you read; you will always know that we understand how to live with AS.

Learning from each other

No matter how many words we write, you will not hear how to manage your AS. I hope you find that incredibly reassuring. I know I do. We freely admit we are not doctors, and while we will share what works for us, it is always with the understanding that we cannot know what will work for you. Instead, if you hear a new idea, take it to your doctor or other medical professional and ask them about it. Then tell us about what you learned.

Some simple rules

So, we ask that you follow two simple rules, first, take what you wish and leave the rest. Second, leave feedback about what works for you. Not just because we like feedback (we do by the way), but because we need to know what else might work for us. We are a community here, and we are thrilled you have chosen to join us. Now, as we get this community off the ground, remember, community members can disagree and still be friends. But the one thing we cannot do is stop talking to each other.

Welcome friends.