I'm Not Returning to College CampusThis semester college has returned full-time to campus, but I am unable to return to campus due to my AS and being immunocompromised during the COVID-19 pandemic. I thought: well... By Ali Long2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
Getting My Driver's License With Ankylosing SpondylitisI got my license this month! After 7 years of constantly failing tests, I finally did it. Driving is not for everyone, some struggle with it more than others. I... By Anna Samson3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Understanding is Love: My New Mantra“Understanding is love’s other name. If you don’t understand you can’t love.” -Thich Nhat Hanh If you met me and told me about a problem you are having in your... By Auldyn Matthews2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Don’t Forget to Dream BigMy happy place is blue-sky thinking. It’s the place where constraints can change, where resources and money are infinite, and where my job often needs me to be (as a... By Auldyn Matthews2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
Trauma and Health AnxietyDuring 2020 — when the pandemic began — I developed what I call extreme health anxiety. Living with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) just made it all the worse. I lived (and... By Lisa Marie Basile2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
5 Low-Key Arthritis Advocacy MovesI grew up around a bunch of civic minded folks. The adults in my life took an active part in our community. Between helping people get to doctor's visits and... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
How Working On My General Health Helped My SymptomsThere’s a certain hopeless finality in being told you have a disease with no cure. I didn’t for a moment question the highly trained specialist sitting before me when he... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
I Stood Up For Myself!I’ve been a shy, anxious person my whole life. I don’t remember a time when I found it easy to talk to people. I was even anxious around extended family... By Steff Di Pardo3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
Finally Finding ReliefI've had 5 long years of an agonizing flare that I thought would never subside. This journey to and through diagnosis of spondyloarthritis has seen symptoms linger, intensify, and morph... By Rebecca C5 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments19 comments
The Pain That Wasn’t ASIt had been a year without a flare, the first I could remember in more than a decade. The years of fine tuning, taking care of my health, figuring out... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments8 comments
Keep On Dancing: Going to a Concert With AxSpAAxial spondyloarthritis has a way of creeping into every activity I do, like a bright red sock accidentally mixed in with a load of white laundry. Some garments turn bright... By Cassia Pelton3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
My First AxSpa Medication Led to NeutropeniaI am in charge of my health, I keep a close eye on my blood tests and other investigations, I follow my case living with AxSpa thoroughly. I have been... By Julie Vallortigara3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments12 comments
The Never-Ending War Between Pain and FatigueLately my days have been spent glued to my bed, barely feeling human. I haven’t been able to write, work on my art, or do anything really aside from zone... By Sarah Lee2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments13 comments
Resistance Bands for Ankylosing SpondylitisIn my pre-diagnosis days, the only thing I enjoyed more than a trip to the pub was one to the gym. In the months before AS turned up to spoil the party, I... By James Hollens4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments10 comments
Cultivating CalmnessI have now lived with ankylosing spondylitis for the past 12 years. What a journey! What a rollercoaster! So much has happened since my diagnosis. Lots of experiments and learnings... By Lana Buettner2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
How I Garden With ArthritisI come from a long line of gardeners. My great grandfather was a proper professional English Gardener. My grandmother grew lots of veggies, including a crop of carrots pushed into... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
My First Trips With ASWhen I got diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis it was during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we all know, everything was closed and traveling was not an option in... By Gabriela Guadalupe3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
To Everyone Who Pretends They're My Doctor....Ever wanna roll your eyes at someone who clearly has no idea what your disease is about — but who feels the need to share their thoughts or ask strange... By Lisa Marie Basile2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
An Amazing WeekI am always grateful for a good week. But there is always a sense of sadness that comes with it. A sadness that this is what I miss out on... By Ali Long2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments8 comments
Making Space for Self CompassionBeing kind to yourself is important when you have a chronic illness like ankylosing spondylitis. Some days self-compassion means cutting myself some slack when I feel too tired, sore, or... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments