Being Whole With Ankylosing SpondylitisI have to admit that I rarely feel whole. I know my body is physically whole; in fact, I am in better health today than I was twenty years ago. In...reactionscomments
I Lost Friends Due to My Chronic IllnessAs I’ve written about before, I’ve lost a lot to AS. One of the things that hurts the most (personally) is losing friends. I had a situation recently that sparked...reactions2comments
What Happens When I Try to Be "Normal"Those of us with chronic illnesses know we have a different type of “normal” than people without them. But what happens when we try to do the things we were...reactions1comment
The Spondyloarthritis WallThe Berlin Wall came down the night before my thirteenth birthday! Yes, I'm a lady of a certain age. I had a pair of parachute pants and two sets of...reactions3comments
Weight Gain And Ankylosing SpondylitisI used to always be a "skinny minny." I never once thought about my weight until I turned about 26. My Sicilian grandmother would say, Mangia, you're too skinny, and...reactions12comments
My Biologic Stopped Working For MeI was on Remicade for a total of 2 years. At first, it helped me tremendously. Now it’s stopped helping me altogether. The beginning of my treatment process was amazing...reactions21comments
Developing Your Fatigue Response Plan, Part 2: The BasicsSpondyloarthritis has lots of things going for it as far as treachery goes. It's hard to pronounce. People don't know what it is or mistakenly think it's rare. It's seronegative...reactions2comments
Today Was a Tough DayToday was a tough day. I woke up at 5:30 am only to toss and turn until my alarm went off at 6:30 am. It’s been a rough couple of...reactions2comments
The Strobe Light of Chronic Illness – How Others See Only Small SnapshotsI was watching a cop show the other day, and one of those obligatory “drug-addled club goers rave” scenes came on. You know, the one that shows what Hollywood thinks...reactionscomments
After Much Reluctance, I Tried CBD For AS And AnxietyOver the past few months, my ankylosing spondylitis has been flaring up. I definitely think the global pandemic and being in quarantine has contributed to this, since I’m not able...reactions16comments
Other Health Conditions Experienced Alongside LupusThe journey to receiving a lupus diagnosis can be a long one. The symptoms of lupus can be nonspecific and overlap with many other conditions. Because of this, it can...reactionscomments
Food Allergies, Gut Inflammation, And AxSpAScientists do not fully know how food allergies affect inflammation in axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA). However, researchers believe there is a link between gut health and AxSpA. Food allergies have a...reactions2comments
In America: What’s That?The In America survey is now closed. Axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) is so much more than just back pain. To learn more about the challenges of living with AxSpA, we are...reactions3comments
Ask The Advocate: How PsA Impacts Daily LifePsoriatic arthritis can change how you live your life every single day. This condition is the center of the wheel that outreaches to all different aspects of life: physical and...reactionscomments
The Strobe Light of Chronic Illness – How Others See Only Small SnapshotsI was watching a cop show the other day and one of those obligatory, “drug addled-club goers rave” scenes came on. You know, the one that shows what Hollywood thinks...reactionscomments
"Coming Out" As A Sick PersonMy first instinct as a newly diagnosed person with AS (a type of axial spondyloarthritis) was to hide it. I was confused, relieved, upset, depressed, just about every emotion. I...reactions1comment
Flash Giveaway for Spondyloarthritis Awareness Month!In honor of Spondyloarthritis Awareness Month 2020 and the launch of our community, our sister-site AnkylosingSpondylitis.net is offering a FLASH GIVEAWAY ENTRY for their Spondyloarthritis Awareness Month Giveaway. The giveaway...reactionscomments
“But You Don’t Look Sick”The thing about living with a sometimes-invisible disease is that it sort of feels like it's you against the world. You're living with this secret, this shadow, this double-life —...reactionscomments
Feeling Behind Because Of ASSince being diagnosed with AS back in 2018, I’ve felt a lot of different ways about it. I’ve felt grief, gratitude, depression, just about every feeling really. Lately, I’ve been...reactions2comments
Brain Fog: The Impact of RA on Mental FunctioningResults from the 2019 RA In America Survey showed that 61 percent of survey participants living with RA experienced brain fog within the last month of taking the survey. Along...reactionscomments
