Articles

For many years now my approach to living well with ankylosing spondylitis has involved a healthy dose of curiosity and a willingness to try new things. Strategies that work well...

This is something I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk about openly. It’s hard when you’re in a relationship with someone and want to respect their privacy. Though this is...

Living with AxSpA is a daily fight, and yet on top of this we are expected to fight for ourselves as patients and humans. Doubt, misdiagnosis, and getting taken seriously...

One of the most frustrating aspects of living with a chronic condition like AS is that often our friends and family don’t fully understand our situation. I can’t say I...

When I'm in a major flare-up, I already know what I need to do in terms of physical pain management. I need to make sure I’m taking my medication, I...

I am often asked if there were early warning signs prior to my AS diagnosis. I used to believe that there weren’t any and it all happened suddenly.  I’ve spoken...

Today was my 3 month follow up appointment with my rheumatologist. I am trying keep a smile on my face and find some positivity out of today's appointment. I don't...

My paternal grandmother was Team Meal Prep before it was cool. She had no choice, working full-time while raising 4 kids on her own, taking in sewing and commissions, and dealing...

I feel like it’s almost impossible to have AS and not have mental health issues, too. It just affects every part of our lives. Having depression and AS feels like...

As Covid restrictions ease here in Ireland, my anxiety levels are doing the opposite. I understand that we can’t live forever in a lockdown, we as a world need to...

There’s a lot of weight that comes with living with a chronic illness. We often don’t show it, because if we did surrender to that struggle, it would be difficult...

I’ve returned to that point again, one I’m sure you’ll recognize. The dreaded flare. Bit by bit the pain has crept back in, interrupting my sleep and turning me into...

While not a topic that pops up often, it’s one that’s close to my heart. The journey I’ve taken with Keegan, my husband with AS, shifted my perspective on spirituality...

If you read my articles "An Unrealistic Outlook on Exercise" and the "All or Nothing Approach" you'll know that I haven't been successful with finding an exercise program that works for me...

Sometimes Keegan, my husband with AxSpa, doesn’t need me. Sometimes, Keegan is back at 80% or 90% or 99%, and I am not needed. It’s a strange place to be...

To be frank - when I was first diagnosed with AS I was embarrassed. I didn’t know a single person with an arthritic condition aside from my grandmother who was...

I woke this morning around 4:30 a.m. thinking of my father. When I was a child, he was up at the crack of dawn watching the sunrise, drinking his instant...

I’m sitting here after a long day of work along with Keegan, my husband with AS, talking about how the weather wrecks his body every spring. For Keegan, while the...

One of the things that really helped me understand and move through some of the grief and confusion of my AS diagnosis was the realization that not everyone with ankylosing...

The National Institute on Mental Health says that self-care “means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health.”...