New City, New RheumatologistIn many ways, your quality of life with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) depends on your rheumatologist. That’s why it was nerve-wracking when I had to leave my rheumatologist of three years... By Cassia Pelton3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
The Year of Living PainlesslyI’m firmly knocking on wood as a write this, but it’s been 12 months without a flare. Apart from two pregnancies, during which my body decided to stop waging war... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
My New Dose of Cosentyx Put Me Into a FlareOnce a month on Fridays I have picked to have my injection day. You would say I have gotten use to it by now, but every time this day comes... By Nicky Flikas2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments10 comments
Speaking A Shared Language of PainLately, I’ve been in an endless flare-up — one of those flare-ups that change shape every day. It's my neck or my back or my hips. One day I can't... By Lisa Marie Basile2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Experimenting With CBNHere in Canada, Cannabis is legal. For a while now I have been using cannabis as a way to cope with my pain, as well as helping me fall asleep... By Sarah Lee2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
The Fear of My Symptoms Getting Bad AgainIf you live with AS or any chronic illness, I’m sure you know the feeling of what I’m about to talk about. When I’m doing well, or have a few... By Steff Di Pardo2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
The Fear of Going Abroad With AxSpaAs I lie here in bed, listening to a Chili Peppers record, thoughts of worries fill my head. Since I became sick, I haven’t been abroad. This is one thing that... By Ali Long2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Stress, Grief, and Ankylosing SpondylitisIt doesn’t feel like a stretch to say that stress has always made my AS symptoms worse. Most medical professionals and the majority of people with AS would agree. It’s... By Anne-Marie Raymond2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Fatigue...What I Wish I Knew When I Was DiagnosedFatigue is tricky, namely because it can impact so much. From your work, to relationships, social life and ability to just function. Usually fatigue is associated with high disease activity... By Jamie Boder2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Success and the Pandemic“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” -- Winston Churchill I am ready to put away the virus and face the... By Lawrence Rick Phillips4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Did Stress Lead To My Diagnosis?Eight years ago, I had my first big flare in my feet. It came from nowhere. It was Summer, I was enjoying my life in London. I had a busy... By Julie Vallortigara2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
I Believe In ButterfliesButterflies are one of my favorite things in life. Their particular beauty and grace makes it impossible to look away. And they seem to magically appear out of nowhere. It’s... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Feeling the Pressure from Able-Bodied People to Get BetterOne thing that has remained a constant throughout decline of my health these last two years is this: the looming pressure to get better. With chronic illnesses, hearing the term... By Sarah Lee2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
The Hardest Part of This DiseaseHow many of you wish more people around you would understand? How many of you wish living in this world, as a chronically ill person, with an invisible illness, would... By Nicky Flikas3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
What IfsWith something like ankylosing spondylitis, there are so many physical effects of the condition that it’s sometimes easy to overlook the mental effects that it also brings. One of the... By James Hollens4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments19 comments
Advocating Helps My Mental HealthMy advocating journey began in October 2020 with a fundraiser. A year later I continue to advocate every day. It was the best decision I have ever made. It changed my... By Ali Long3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Top 5 Things I've Learned As An AS PatientOver the past few years, I've learned a lot about what it means to have ankylosing spondylitis. When I was first diagnosed, I lived in this hazy fever dream. I... By Lisa Marie Basile3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Even The Nicest People Don't Get ItYou know how living with ankylosing spondylitis can feel like speaking a language that only you understand? It can be really isolating and frustrating, even when other make a concerted... By Lisa Marie Basile2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
3 Frenemy Habits Threatening Your Self-CareI hate finding out that somebody wasn’t actually my friend. It’s painful and embarrassing, especially when the evidence was plain for me to see all along. Betrayal can be confirmed... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Too Disabled To Employ, Not Disabled Enough To HelpGetting diagnosed with AS really took a massive hit on my career. Before my spine started to act up, I was enjoying life working as a teacher in China. Then... By James Hollens4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments