Living

For a very long time, I brooded and sulked over the idea that many people around me either didn’t care about my deteriorating health or didn’t care to try and...

“Farmers don't just work till the sun goes down, they work until the job is done.” - Unknown After years of being suburbanites, my wife and I moved to a...

Editor's note: Fasting should not be used by certain people, such as those who have diabetes, a history of disordered eating, or who need to take medications with food. Be...

There often seem to be two opposing camps in managing AS: adopt a healthy lifestyle or take the conventional medical approach. As a Functional Health Coach I see value in...

Does time heal all wounds? No, it does not, but time can help heal you a little. But I am back and better than ever. Well, I have been better...

It was a Monday morning the week before my 40th birthday. I woke up around 5:45 am, put on my robe, and went downstairs for coffee and cereal. I sat...

I don’t like looking sick. On days when I’m battling the pain or fatigue of AS it makes me feel better to try and look presentable. I’ll wear bright colours...

In my opinion, nothing prepares us for living with arthritis or any other serious chronic illness or disability. We meet these experiences with the resources that we have and do...

I have come to the realization that I have the sort of face that airport security can’t help but to "randomly select" for an inspection. So much so that when I...

This community – the one you’re visiting right now via this website – has done so much for me. It’s where I learned what ankylosing spondylitis was in the first...

When I think of dating in my 20s, it looks different than I expected in a lot of ways. So much of dating is debriefing friends and overthinking signals, these...

"I have ankylosing spondylitis or AS," I tell the busy-body woman who I know through friends and family. She's asking me how I'm doing — "and what is it you...

Part of life with ankylosing spondylitis includes scans to check for bone change and progression. My disease activity over recent years has been low so my rheumatologist is happy to...

I am tired frequently, meandering through the days, dragging my impaired body from room to room, the fatigue so overwhelming. Forget exercise and nutrition to any meaningful capacity. The pain...

Editor's note: Read how James' trip went in his follow up article, "Going on My First Trip Post Diagnosis and Pandemic." Prior to my diagnosis, I was most definitely a frequent...

Becoming a parent brings so many unanticipated joys and challenges, but one my husband and I never thought about before was how we would talk to the kids about AxSpa...

We are wolves. Wolves are powerful, smart, loyal, and travel in packs. In a perfect world, humans should be the same. We have our families and friends we sick by...

I can’t be the only one battling the unfortunate notion that there’s something lazy, inferior, or otherwise wrong about seeking the easiest ways to do things for myself. Years of...

Authentic self-care is grounded in the actions required to align our needs, desires, and commitments with our actions. It’s a deep process, especially when we aren’t used to spending so...

I have a hate-love relationship for the term “baby steps.” Maybe this is because of my perspective as a parent (and the hard work it takes to teaching the basics...