Specialist Access in Medically Underserved CommunitiesLooking back, I now know how fortunate I’ve been when it comes to healthcare access. When I was younger, I didn’t spend one minute worrying about access to healthcare -...reactions1comment
Medication FrustrationIt’s a hurry up and wait process. From the first doctor’s visit through to now, it has been a journey of constant waiting. It starts with a doctor’s visit, then...reactions2comments
Anti-Inflammatory Banana Bread for SpondyloarthritisI have a habit of buying bananas at the grocery store thinking I'll eat them up by midweek. As the days whisk by, they turn from slightly green to bright...reactions5comments
Does Ankylosing Spondylitis Cause Nausea?There are many unwelcomed symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The fatigue, brain fog, and pain are enough to cope with. But many people living with AS also live with digestive...reactions5comments
What Do You Know About Rheumatic Diseases?What is a rheumatic disease? A rheumatic disease is an autoimmune and inflammatory condition that causes the body’s immune system to attack a person’s joints, muscles, bones, and organs. There...reactionscomments
How I Eased Myself Back Into Fitness After My AS DiagnosisFor the past few weeks, I have been working my way back into my fitness routine. Before the onset of my AS, I loved pushing my body to its limits...reactions8comments
Using Assistive DevicesAxial spondyloarthritis can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in the back and hips along with other joints such as the knees, shoulder, and feet. The disease does not develop the...reactionscomments
Finding a Good RheumatologistPeople who have chronic health conditions like ankylosing spondylitis (AS) or axial spondyloarthritis might be advised by their regular doctor or primary care physician to see a specialist known as...reactions8comments
Reflecting on My 2 Year AS Diagnosis-versaryFebruary 27th, 2020 marked the two year anniversary of the day I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis. I call it my diagnosis-versary. For me, it’s a day that’s just as...reactions5comments
How AS Patients Can Be Better To One AnotherAs an AS patient, I've lived in forums and Facebook groups, attended AS support meetings and met or corresponded with all sorts of "AS influencers," if you will. We all...reactions1comment
Be True To Yourself: Even If It HurtsYou’re walking down the street and you run into someone you know. They stop to talk and the first question they ask is: “How are you?” When you have a...reactions3comments
Hoping For Light to Get Me Through the DarkI feel fragile. It doesn’t take much to set me off both physically and mentally right now, and I know it’s because of my progressing AxSpA. My condition seems to...reactions1comment
How It Feels to Be Young and High-Risk During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Part IIEditors note: You can read Diana's "How It Feels to Be Young and High-Risk During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Part I" here. As I've delved deeper into the anger I’ve been...reactions2comments
5 Questions to Ask the Chronically Ill Person in Your Life (And 5 Questions To Avoid)If you know someone with a chronic illness like axial spondyloarthritis, you may have questions. This is a good thing — it likely means you want to better understand and...reactions2comments
COVID-19 Updates, July 16: Updates on People at Risk, Testing, Reopening, and a VaccineEven after months of navigating life in the COVID-19 era, keeping up with new information and news can be overwhelming. Below are some of the latest developments surrounding COVID-19 for...reactionscomments
I Advocated for Myself and I’m ProudI’ve kind of been in a medical limbo since September. My biologic drug, Inflectra (a Remicade biosimilar) has stopped working at the capacity that it used to. We upped me...reactions1comment
Processing Opinions and Advice 101: UnknownsIt is a truth universally acknowledged that some people in possession of opinions and advice cannot keep these precious "pearls of wisdom" to themselves. Discussions about what other people should do and...reactions2comments
What Does Positivity Look Like With AS and Chronic Pain?For the past year, I became a bit of a cynic when it came to the positivity movement I'd been seeing all over Facebook and Instagram. It seemed like a...reactionscomments
COVID-19 Proves That Accessibility Was Possible All Along—And Should Be Here to StayBefore COVID-19, my chances of being able to keep a doctor’s appointment on a day I was having an ankylosing spondylitis flare-up—-even if I’d been waiting to see the doctor...reactions2comments
Being Whole With Ankylosing SpondylitisI have to admit that I rarely feel whole. I know my body is physically whole; in fact, I am in better health today than I was twenty years ago. In...reactionscomments