When You Don't "Look" Sick EnoughMy ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a strange creature — it's very unpredictable and there are times when it doesn't seem to exist and times when it's all I can think...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
My Anxieties with Going Back to “Normal”The vaccines are here and the numbers are going down. Things are slowly starting to open up safely and my anxiety is through the roof. For the past year, life...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Disabled SummerSummer is the season for going out and having fun. As children, summer break couldn't come fast enough. We just couldn't wait to hang out with friends. The possibilities were...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
The Unexpected Consequences of Pretending to be “Fine” Those who live with chronic pain are masters of disguise — we smile as our bodies scream, fabricate energy when the real stuff is depleted, and neglect our needs so...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
How Life Has Changed - A Partner's PerspectiveWe talk so much about how our personal lives have changed with axial spondyloarthritis, but it occurred to me recently that my AS has affected more than just my life...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Nausea and Ankylosing Spondylitis: My ExperienceAnkylosing spondylitis isn't just aches and pains. It’s a lot of things, and for different people, it's a lot of different things. For me, it's pains and aches, stiffness, spasms, fatigue, and...Reactions0reactionsComments25 comments
Welcome to My Chronic WorldSince a young age, I was easily getting sick. I had days where I would feel so tired, drained. No matter how much sleep I would get, it wouldn’t be...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
What My Days Look Like Living With AS: The Exhausting EveningsI’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “moms don't get sick days." Well, unfortunately, that has applied to me just about every single day that I've been living with AS. So...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
How Changing My Diet Reduced My AS SymptomsShortly after my diagnosis, I started to investigate diet and lifestyle changes to help fight AS. I wanted to become the best advocate possible for my own health and see...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
6 Reasons You Should Journal Through Chronic IllnessI've always been a writer. It comes naturally to me to create worlds, to express my feelings and ideas through words, and to use language to sort through and capture...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
What To Do When NSAIDs Are Causing More Harm Than GoodNSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) pain relievers are a class of medications utilized by many with arthritic conditions like axial spondyloarthritis. They can help reduce both pain and inflammation, however, they...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Juggling AS, Pain, Fatigue, and a Family in a PandemicI've written about my family on the site before, but that was pre-pandemic and pre-second child. My husband, Keegan, managed his pain much differently in the "before times" when it...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
How to Define Your Own Vision of Success in LifeRecently, I was asked a very interesting question as part of my work as a life coach: Do you think that success is determined by external factors or internally through...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Time Slowed Down When I Became Chronically IllMy birthday was a couple of days ago and it got me thinking about the passage of time. Specifically, how it has slowed down for me ever since I got...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
How I “Celebrated” My 4 Year PainiversaryFebruary 11, 2017, was the first day my AS pain started. It was the day that started an entirely new chapter of my life that changed everything. I was only...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
A Huge Positive ChangeI realize that what I’m about to share won’t resonate with everybody. But if there are only a few people with whom my story resonates, my mission is a success...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
Did My Covid Vaccine Put Me Into A Flare?If you read my article How I Felt After My First Covid Vaccine, you'll know that I was very sick afterwards. I was sick for about 5 days. This is ok...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
6 Things That Make Fatigue The WorstIn my opinion, fatigue is the worst symptom of spondyloarthritis. Don’t get me wrong, the others deserve respect fitting the ruthless wrecking balls that they are. Pain excels at agony...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Take the Person Before Patient SurveyThe Person Before Patient Survey is now closed. Thank you for your interest! What makes us the people we are? Living with a serious health condition like axial spondyloarthritis can...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
What Are Biosimilars?Biosimilars are highly similar to an already-approved biologic medication. Biologic medications (including biosimilars) are typically made from living organisms. Biologic medications may be generated from various sources, including human, animal...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments