Living

Summer is the season for going out and having fun. As children, summer break couldn't come fast enough. We just couldn't wait to hang out with friends. The possibilities were...

Those who live with chronic pain are masters of disguise — we smile as our bodies scream, fabricate energy when the real stuff is depleted, and neglect our needs so...

We talk so much about how our personal lives have changed with axial spondyloarthritis, but it occurred to me recently that my AS has affected more than just my life...

Ankylosing spondylitis isn't just aches and pains. It’s a lot of things, and for different people, it's a lot of different things. For me, it's pains and aches, stiffness, spasms, fatigue, and...

Since a young age, I was easily getting sick. I had days where I would feel so tired, drained. No matter how much sleep I would get, it wouldn’t be...

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “moms don't get sick days." Well, unfortunately, that has applied to me just about every single day that I've been living with AS. So...

Shortly after my diagnosis, I started to investigate diet and lifestyle changes to help fight AS. I wanted to become the best advocate possible for my own health and see...

I've always been a writer. It comes naturally to me to create worlds, to express my feelings and ideas through words, and to use language to sort through and capture...

I've written about my family on the site before, but that was pre-pandemic and pre-second child. My husband, Keegan, managed his pain much differently in the "before times" when it...

Recently, I was asked a very interesting question as part of my work as a life coach: Do you think that success is determined by external factors or internally through...

My birthday was a couple of days ago and it got me thinking about the passage of time. Specifically, how it has slowed down for me ever since I got...

February 11, 2017, was the first day my AS pain started. It was the day that started an entirely new chapter of my life that changed everything. I was only...

I realize that what I’m about to share won’t resonate with everybody. But if there are only a few people with whom my story resonates, my mission is a success...

If you read my article How I Felt After My First Covid Vaccine, you'll know that I was very sick afterwards.  I was sick for about 5 days. This is ok...

In my opinion, fatigue is the worst symptom of spondyloarthritis. Don’t get me wrong, the others deserve respect fitting the ruthless wrecking balls that they are. Pain excels at agony...

The Person Before Patient Survey is now closed. Thank you for your interest! What makes us the people we are? Living with a serious health condition like axial spondyloarthritis can...

I don’t think either of us remembers what it’s like not to be in pain. The days of waking up feeling rested, refreshed, full of energy, with infinite possibilities in...

If your BMI is 25+ you know all about The "Fat" Talk. Obesity heroes and villains morph over time, but the sentiment is relatively consistent. People gain weight by indulging...

This month, I will be going on my first long-distance road trip since I was diagnosed with AS. While I am completely overjoyed at the prospect of getting a much-needed...

When a celebrity is diagnosed with a chronic illness, there are usually articles splashed across every magazine and tabloid. Often, their diagnosis is used as clickbait, a cheap and careless...