What Is AS Like? Well......I was diagnosed about 3 years ago, after my pain management doctor couldn't help me with my pain anymore. So he referred me to a rheumatologist. I went to see...reactions1comment
It’s Taking Forever To Get A Diagnosis!...I’m 50 now. I’ve been having weird pains for about 26 years with random explanations from different doctors. "You’re overweight" (I was not that overweight at the time). "You need...reactionscomments
AS and Everything Else!...I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis in 1980. I was 18, I had excruciating low back pain to the point I could not walk sometimes. I was having trouble working...reactions1comment
Undiagnosed and pain getting worse....I have had serious back and hip pain for several years. My pain management doctor said I have arthritis. The pain is getting worse and sometimes I can hardly get...reactions1comment
2nd Generation AS...I grew up with a dad who had an extreme case of AS. It was the 60’s and nobody knew what was wrong. For years he chased cures. Endured barbaric...reactionscomments
My Life Changed Seemingly Overnight...I don't tell my AS story very often. It seems so long to me and I never know if anybody really wants to hear it considering there are so many...reactionscomments
Just The Beginning...My dad was struggling with pain for twenty years before he was diagnosed. Luckily, as a triathlete, he was somewhat managing his pain without ever knowing anything about the disease...reactionscomments
Finally, An Answer To My Pain...I've dealt with back pain all my life. Then it started spreading. A couple of years ago, I finally got a dx of AS. It is not a fun dx...reactions1comment
Misdiagnosed...Started having pain in SI joint early 30s but pain management said it was my lower lumbar even burned nerve in that area along with steroid shots that never helped?...reactionscomments
Processing Opinions and Advice 101: Unknowns...It 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 Stay...Before 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
What was your first AxSpA treatment like?...For many patients, getting diagnosed is an arduous journey and next steps in condition management are not always clear. What works for one person for treatment may not offer relief...reactions4replies
How does a doctor obtain positive results for this diagnosis?...Is it by blood screening?...reactions2replies
Has anyone been prescribed the DMARD sulfasalazine throughout your journey?...I recently saw a rheumatologist who put me on the DMARD sulfasalazine delayed release tablets. Has anyone taken this drug and what was your experience with it?...reactions2replies
Being Whole With Ankylosing Spondylitis...I 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 Illness...As 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 Wall...The 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
My Ankylosing Spondylitis Diagnosis After Cancer....As far back as I can remember, I’ve always had aches and pains. My aches, pains, and cries didn’t make my parents investigate further as they just dismissed it as...reactions2comments
