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
I Lost Friends Due to My Chronic IllnessAs I’ve written about before, I’ve lost a lot to AS. One of the things that hurts the most (personally) is losing friends. I had a situation recently that sparked...reactions2comments
What Happens When I Try to Be "Normal"Those of us with chronic illnesses know we have a different type of “normal” than people without them. But what happens when we try to do the things we were...reactions1comment
The Spondyloarthritis WallThe Berlin Wall came down the night before my thirteenth birthday! Yes, I'm a lady of a certain age. I had a pair of parachute pants and two sets of...reactions3comments
Weight Gain And Ankylosing SpondylitisI used to always be a "skinny minny." I never once thought about my weight until I turned about 26. My Sicilian grandmother would say, Mangia, you're too skinny, and...reactions12comments
COVID-19 Updates, June 15: Solidarity Hydroxychloroquine Trials and COVID Vaccine DevelopmentMany of us are overwhelmed by the amount of information available on COVID-19. Keeping up with all of the news can be challenging. Here are some of the top developments...reactionscomments
My Biologic Stopped Working For MeI was on Remicade for a total of 2 years. At first, it helped me tremendously. Now it’s stopped helping me altogether. The beginning of my treatment process was amazing...reactions21comments
Developing Your Fatigue Response Plan, Part 2: The BasicsSpondyloarthritis has lots of things going for it as far as treachery goes. It's hard to pronounce. People don't know what it is or mistakenly think it's rare. It's seronegative...reactions2comments
Today Was a Tough DayToday was a tough day. I woke up at 5:30 am only to toss and turn until my alarm went off at 6:30 am. It’s been a rough couple of...reactions2comments
The Strobe Light of Chronic Illness – How Others See Only Small SnapshotsI was watching a cop show the other day and one of those obligatory, “drug addled-club goers rave” scenes came on. You know, the one that shows what Hollywood thinks...reactionscomments
After Much Reluctance, I Tried CBD For AS And AnxietyOver the past few months, my ankylosing spondylitis has been flaring up. I definitely think the global pandemic and being in quarantine has contributed to this, since I’m not able...reactions16comments
Other Health Conditions Experienced Alongside LupusThe journey to receiving a lupus diagnosis can be a long one. The symptoms of lupus can be nonspecific and overlap with many other conditions. Because of this, it can...reactionscomments
Food Allergies, Gut Inflammation, And AxSpAScientists do not fully know how food allergies affect inflammation in axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA). However, researchers believe there is a link between gut health and AxSpA. Food allergies have a...reactions2comments
In America: What’s That?The In America survey is now closed. Axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) is so much more than just back pain. To learn more about the challenges of living with AxSpA, we are...reactions3comments
Ask The Advocate: How PsA Impacts Daily LifePsoriatic arthritis can change how you live your life every single day. This condition is the center of the wheel that outreaches to all different aspects of life: physical and...reactionscomments