Articles

Let’s be honest - dating with a chronic illness is tough. A quick glance at my tragic love life would more than confirm this fact. We are already in a toxic relationship with...

I’ve now followed an integrative lifestyle approach to manage my AS for several years. Nutrition, movement, exercise, stress management, mindset, mindfulness and connection (with myself, nature, others) are all essential...

One aspect of self-management we don’t often hear about is how to store and organize the information we receive in relation to our health. Lab tests, x-rays, prescription paperwork, referral...

One of my earliest memories is of the doctor's visits my mother used to attend with my grandmother. I remember my mother taking notes and asking the doctors many questions...

The sleepless nights have been going on now for a couple weeks again. They just keep getting harder and harder to get through. The sleepless nights have been not only...

I've had axial spondyloarthritis and fibromyalgia for about four years now. Well, that's when I was diagnosed. In truth, I've probably had it for closer to a decade. I first...

Living with an invisible illness has taught me a couple of things: (1) people make assumptions about my condition based on what their eyes see; and (2) that I need...

Do you worry a lot? Are you distracted often by ankylosing spondylitis (AS)?  Are you caught up in medical issues and miss other, more essential things?  Well, I do. I...

I recall meeting people with chronic pain telling me that they benefited from acupuncture treatment. I am naturally curious and always keen to try something new, particularly if it can...

This month I attended an online meet-up of my local AS support group. It was the first time I’ve ever done something like this, even though I’ve known these groups...

Over the last 6 months, I have been diligent in getting myself back into a consistent work schedule. I work from home, so it can be a challenge to stick...

I realized I haven’t written an article in months. There are multiple reasons for that. I haven’t really had any new ideas for writing, nor have I felt motivated to...

I have now been living with AS for the past 11 years. At the beginning, flares came very frequently, and in an intense way. It felt like anything could trigger...

It is the worst wildfire season in history. That’s the rhetoric I keep hearing from the media. In all fairness, it may be so on a national or continental scale...

For the last 6 months, I’ve been navigating the special pharmacy world extensively. For a variety of reasons, my health insurance benefits changed 3 times in that span of time...

I finally found my stride. Everything is great (or as great as it could be). My body is holding up, my joints aren’t screaming, my energy is good, and I’m...

Sleepless nights are something I been writing a lot about. It's part of the biggest struggle I've been having. I know I am not alone on this one. As going...

The four minute mile--many people know how the story goes. No one was able to run a sub 4-minute mile and it was deemed impossible, until one day somebody named...

When we think about our lives with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), it can sometimes feel like we're battling eternity. An eternity of chronic pain, stiffness, fatigue, all of the comorbidities, doctors...

Many years ago people tested the authenticity and purity of silver and gold by dragging samples over special stones. The resulting color of the touchstone’s mark verified the metal’s content...