We Need To Talk About Mental Health...I recently ran a Twitter poll asking members of the chronic illness community to vote on the topics that were most compelling...reactions2comments
How To Keep Your Head Up Through The Diagnosis Process...We all have different experiences with our diagnoses. Some of us have to wait several years, see countless doctors, and do numerous...reactionscomments
How AS Saved My Mental Health...I was in a pretty dark place mentally just prior to my AS diagnosis. I was living in China and between jobs...reactions12comments
Having Depression and Ankylosing Spondylitis...I feel like it’s almost impossible to have AS and not have mental health issues, too. It just affects every part of...reactions4comments
Axial Spondyloarthritis: A Lesson in Traveling With Intention...I’ve never been a massive fan of “traveling,” but I appreciate arriving at my destination. Before 2020, I used to travel quite...reactions7comments
My Pain Management Procedure...I could have never prepared myself for the injections for my muscle spasms. I got multiple injections on each side of my...reactions19comments
My First Trip to the Hair Salon With AxSpa...I’ve never dyed my hair or done anything adventurous with it. So, I rarely go to the hairdressers. Before Covid I might...reactions14comments
Why I Had to Switch Biologics...After a long journey to get a diagnosis (see my series entitled "7 Years in No Diagnosis Land") and a bad experience...reactions12comments
Muscle Spasms and Axial Spondyloarthritis...When you google AS there is a specific number of symptoms and a definition of what you should feel like. This is incorrect; it is different...reactions38comments
Ankylosing Spondylitis: Navigating Fear and Resilience...I've been on a weighty journey—a journey characterized by declining health and disability. It is undeniably cumbersome. Chronic illness has disrupted the...reactions6comments
Is My Axial Spondyloarthritis My Fault? No!...I recently got asked by someone I met through coaching and lifestyle self-management how I got AxSpa? That is a very good...reactions12comments
Acceptance and Transition After an AxSpa Diagnosis...I am facilitating a course on lifestyle management for people living with long term conditions, with difficult life circumstances, and in need...reactions5comments
Finding a Way to Move...Over the years, as job and life became more sedentary, it got more difficult to move, and flare ups with my back...reactions1comment
Finding Acceptance, Belonging, and Embracing Your Journey...Living with a chronic inflammatory condition like axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) can often make us feel like outsiders in a world that doesn't...reactions6comments
The 2024 Social Health Awards Program...Editorial Note: Nominations for 2024 are now closed. We are very excited to announce the launch of the 2024 Social Health Awards...reactionscomments
Comparison and Ankylosing Spondylitis...We’ve probably all heard the phrase "comparison is the thief of joy." People usually say this to mean that you should stop...reactions2comments
Coming Out at the Doctor's Office...I have seen countless physicians in four different states in the U.S. and my experience with heteronormativity is generally the same. Often...reactions1comment
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...reactions3comments
Mindfulness and AS...We all know that stress is the worst thing for an individual with AS. I know this, and for me having AS...reactions1comment
My Most Valuable AxSpa Strategy Is Pacing...After my diagnosis with AxSpa one doctor told me that I needed to pace myself to manage chronic pain and chronic fatigue...reactions8comments
