My 10-year Anniversary With AS – 10 Insights GainedWow! Just writing this title feels strange. Strange to think that it has now been 10 years since the onset of my AS symptoms and the beginning of a wild...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
It's Time to Throw Away the Schober Test for ASThe journey to a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is riddled with challenges that prevent patients from receiving the diagnoses and treatment they need. In particular, misconceptions about AS can...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Degenerative Disc Disease and AxSpaAxial spondyloarthritis (AxSpa) and degenerative disc disease are both illnesses of the spine that share many of the same painful symptoms. Sometimes it is even hard for doctors to tell...Reactions0reactionsComments12 comments
My Cosentyx HangoverAs time goes by, I'm getting less and less nervous injecting! I never, ever thought that I would be saying this. But now, I look forward to my injection. I...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Using Mobility Aids in PublicI’ve been using mobility aids for about 4 years now. The thing is, it wasn’t until more recently that I started to use them in public as needed. I think...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Hey, You — Here Are 10 Examples of AbleismAbleism: Discrimination [whether purposeful or not] in favor of able-bodied people. This article is for people who love someone with a chronic illness, for people who are just learning about...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Telling Your Story May Be Good for Your Health“While writing about my health issues has not cured them, it has helped me develop better coping skills and even contributed to better management of my symptoms (and I could...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Finally, My Cimzia Migraine StoppedI did not react well to Cimzia. It did not help me. I ended up in the ER after three months of feeling unwell, a month-long headache, and a weeklong...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
On NSAID Use and Their Side EffectsMine is a common story. My lower back symptoms began when I was a teenager but I wasn’t diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis or even referred to a rheumatologist until a...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
The Mental Side: Finding My Escape from AxSpA at the Hockey RinkThe door opens and the first thing I noticed is the air on my skin. Crisp and dry, it is cold inside. Then, the smells are noticed next. It varies...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
My Diagnosis JourneyLike so many of us, receiving a diagnosis took some time for me as well. When I was about eleven or twelve years old I started getting pain in my...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Caring For a Disabled Person as a Disabled PersonTen years ago, I became a mom. Three years into those ten, my oldest son was diagnosed with autism. It was not a shocking diagnosis, but it was a life-changing...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
How Health Coaching Could Change The Way A Person Lives With AxSpa: Part 2As a duo of a Life Coach (Julie) and a Health Coach (Lana), we have decided to write a series of articles together. We want to share our stories with...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
I Only Have So Many SpoonsStruggling with inflammatory arthritis, I have days where I feel okay and days I don’t. It’s important to tune in to my body and its energy level daily to take...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
I Took a Reset TripBefore I get into the details of my trip, I just want to say I went on this reset trip back in November, when the virus wasn’t spreading as bad...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
How I Felt After My First COVID VaccineI received my vaccine on a Wednesday, and by the evening, I was already feeling sick. I had a headache, fever, and hot and cold sweats. Overall, I felt weak...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Mental Exhaustion Is A Problem, TooOne of the things that we talk about the least when it comes to ankylosing spondylitis is the sheer mental exhaustion. Obviously, fatigue is all-encompassing, which means it takes over...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Auldyn and Keegan Vlog: Family Trips During a Flare-UpAuldyn and Keegan are no strangers to the difficulties of traveling with ankylosing spondylitis. Traveling can get even more complicated when you're with extended family members who may not understand...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Digestive System and Axial SpondyloarthritisSometimes I feel like the number of ways AxSpA can affect my body are endless. It’s extremely discouraging. But as a systemic disease, the truth of the matter is that...Reactions0reactionsComments15 comments
Why I No Longer Put On a Brave Face With My DoctorsA lifelong people-pleaser, I've always tended to be polite and agreeable in an effort to make others comfortable. When a problem arises, my instinct is to figure things out for...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments