Living

Have you ever fallen asleep watching one movie and woke up to another? One minute Harrison Ford is Indiana Jones, then you pull that soft blanket up under your chin...

The notion that people could fake a disability is widely held in our culture. Maybe it's a form of denial around life changing illness and disability? Maybe it's because we...

I'm naturally a highly empathic person. In my research of ankylosing spondylitis, I kept reading about the chronic pain but wanted to know more. How painful is it really? What...

Imagine a spondylitis patient called Shawn. She's an African-American forty-something that most people think younger because she's prone to giggling, can't stop retweeting anything with frolicking otters, and wears lip...

I feel like a lot of people that follow me on social media probably wonder “Why is she so open about everything?”. Why do I talk so much about my...

Living with AS can feel like a buzz saw merry-go-round. The saw blades are composed of the health issues and symptoms we're fighting back against. The merry-go-round, a mash-up of...

If you had to pick 1 aspect of your life that has been most affected by AS, what would it be and how have you coped with that? If I...

How to work it, when your body won't work... If you take a poll of the ankylosing spondylitis community, you will find that employment is a real trouble area. Most...

At 23, I became a caregiver when my husband Keegan was bedridden from nonstop pain and immobility. Immediately finding oneself in the caregiver role, it's hard to know the skills...

I’m currently going through a hip flare-up, so I decided to write this post about my flare go-to’s, or my essentials for getting through a flare. These essential items help...

I am a proud wheelchair owner. I am not, as of yet, a wheelchair user. Why is this? Well, I have my reasons. Living with AS is unpredictable. Good days...

Sometimes living with spondylitis feels like I'm on a bizarre game show. Where I'm the host and the medical community are contestants. We understand the topics and questions, but the...

Do you know what it’s like when your brain is exhausted? We all have been there. You stay up late to work on a project and you start hearing voices...

I live in the same house my mother was raised in. It's had a few minor modifications, but we still use my grandmother's pots and pans, and her pictures are...

When were you diagnosed with AS and how did it initially present itself? I was diagnosed with AS in February of 2018. I initially had symptoms in February of 2017...

This means planning to rest, emphasizing your own boundaries, values, and priorities to maximize personal health and wellness. Holidays and celebrations turn up the social and cultural pressure to make...

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...

With a chronic illness like ankylosing spondylitis, sex might be hard. The pain and stiffness from your disease might make you feel less than sexy. AS progresses differently for different...

Earlier today I was sitting in the doctors waiting room filling out the questionnaire about my current condition that I've filled out numerous times in the past. It still gives...