Trick Or Treat: How Living With AS Is Like Halloween All Year RoundHalloween is all about things that are scary and having an incurable condition is as terrifying as it gets. This got me thinking about a few similarities between the holiday...Reactions0reactionsComments17 comments
Another Day in My Chronic WorldIt's Wednesday. We made it through the week. Who am I kidding? We made it through half of the week. Last night was a rough night. Tossing and turning, trying...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
Trying to Test My Limits and How it’s Affected MeIf you know me or follow me on Instagram, you know that I regularly use a rollator walker to get around. I use it mostly for my fatigue levels, but...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Battling the Thoughts in My HeadHave you ever had thoughts you just don’t want to have, and wish they would leave you alone? Have you ever had thoughts that race one after the other, making...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
I Learned to Let Go of My Expectations in OthersFor a very long time, I brooded and sulked over the idea that many people around me either didn’t care about my deteriorating health or didn’t care to try and...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Farming With Ankylosing Spondylitis“Farmers don't just work till the sun goes down, they work until the job is done.” - Unknown After years of being suburbanites, my wife and I moved to a...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Using Fasting to Help With My AxSpaEditor's note: Fasting should not be used by certain people, such as those who have diabetes, a history of disordered eating, or who need to take medications with food. Be...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
The Powerful Synergy of Lifestyle Change and Medical TreatmentThere often seem to be two opposing camps in managing AS: adopt a healthy lifestyle or take the conventional medical approach. As a Functional Health Coach I see value in...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Does Time Heal All Wounds? Does time heal all wounds? No, it does not, but time can help heal you a little. But I am back and better than ever. Well, I have been better...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Life Lessons from Ali's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad DayIt was a Monday morning the week before my 40th birthday. I woke up around 5:45 am, put on my robe, and went downstairs for coffee and cereal. I sat...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
The Downside of Covering Up How I FeelI don’t like looking sick. On days when I’m battling the pain or fatigue of AS it makes me feel better to try and look presentable. I’ll wear bright colours...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
Personal Contentment Is Not AccidentalIn my opinion, nothing prepares us for living with arthritis or any other serious chronic illness or disability. We meet these experiences with the resources that we have and do...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Detained For Possession Of ArthritisI have come to the realization that I have the sort of face that airport security can’t help but to "randomly select" for an inspection. So much so that when I...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
In Remission, Out of the Community?This community – the one you’re visiting right now via this website – has done so much for me. It’s where I learned what ankylosing spondylitis was in the first...Reactions0reactionsComments10 comments
Dating While Young and DisabledWhen I think of dating in my 20s, it looks different than I expected in a lot of ways. So much of dating is debriefing friends and overthinking signals, these...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
No, Ankylosing Spondylitis Is Not Rheumatoid Arthritis"I have ankylosing spondylitis or AS," I tell the busy-body woman who I know through friends and family. She's asking me how I'm doing — "and what is it you...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Preparing for Imaging Appointments With Ankylosing SpondylitisPart of life with ankylosing spondylitis includes scans to check for bone change and progression. My disease activity over recent years has been low so my rheumatologist is happy to...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
Chronic Illness: What Have You Done for Yourself?I am tired frequently, meandering through the days, dragging my impaired body from room to room, the fatigue so overwhelming. Forget exercise and nutrition to any meaningful capacity. The pain...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
Preparing For My First Trip Post Diagnosis and PandemicEditor's note: Read how James' trip went in his follow up article, "Going on My First Trip Post Diagnosis and Pandemic." Prior to my diagnosis, I was most definitely a frequent...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
How We Talk to Our Young Kids About AxSpaBecoming a parent brings so many unanticipated joys and challenges, but one my husband and I never thought about before was how we would talk to the kids about AxSpa...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments