Effects of Heteronormativity in Healthcare on LGBTQ+ Patients...From the start, I want to be clear that I do not intend to paint with a broad brush here. There are many wonderful, empathetic practitioners out there in the...reactions1comment
Driving Difficulties With Ankylosing Spondylitis...Ever since I was a teenager, I had one goal, which was to learn how to drive and get my license as soon as possible. I’m sure you can relate...reactions6comments
Grief, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and a Tragedy in Indianapolis...Editor's note: this article has a mention of gun violence. As I write this, in Indianapolis, about 15 miles south of me, a mass shooting has occurred at a FedEx...reactions2comments
A Letter to My Past Self...Dear past Ali, You will never believe how much you have grown. You are so strong. You’ve been through a lot. This past year has been a tough one for you. You were bed...reactions1comment
To Biologic or Not to Biologic?..."I'd recommend starting a biologic," Keegan's rheumatologist suggested at our first appointment. Keegan, my husband, and I were still wrapping our heads around the diagnosis he received only 6 months...reactions3comments
Thank you!...Today was one of those days when I inject twice.. early in the morning my daily injection of Forteo for the severe osteoporosis. Then sometime mid-afternoon, Humira. I have to...reactions6replies
My Mobility Aids...During my thirty years so far of living with ankylosing spondylitis I had to make use of multiple aids. Glad that I could make use of them, though at the...reactions9comments
Coming Out of Remission After 8 Years...It wasn’t very often, if I even did at all, that I thought about what it would be like if I came out of remission. Transitioning into this new way...reactions1comment
Build Your Own Flare Toolkit...There's no other way to say it: axial spondyloarthritis flare-ups are the worst. You might be having a good few days, and then seemingly out of nowhere, your muscles and...reactions3comments
Diagnosis ...What's in a name? I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in 2007. Scine then various Rheumatologists and Dr's, have offered up other Diagnosis'. Some have suggested Psoriatic Arthritis, as I...reactions3repliesTreatmentInsurance & DisabilityDiagnosis
Reflecting on my University Experience with Chronic Pain...Many hours in the library later, the day is finally here — I have completed my undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Arts, Honours Specialization in Psychology. If there is any...reactions2comments
Hacking Arthritis Self-Care...Have you noticed how much content is devoted to what seems like normal things people should already know how to do? I'm not talking about the trumped up lists with...reactions1comment
I’m Tired of Being Judged for my COVID Views...I’m sure many of us in the chronic illness community can relate to what I’m about to say. It’s gotten to a point in the pandemic where everything is divided...reactionscomments
Anna Samson...Anna Samson (they/she) is a queer, desi person in their twenties from Canada, living just outside of Toronto. They have a Bachelor of Arts in English & Cultural Studies and...
Pamela White...Pamela was previously a health leader on AxialSpondyloarthritis.net. Pamela is a former Division I athlete and current J.D. Candidate who was diagnosed with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis in 2018. She also...
4 Responses To Stigma Against Disability...As a 35-year-old, fairly active woman with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), I've come up against some pretty inaccurate and aggravatingly annoying ideas and questions about this disease over the years. I...reactions2comments
A Year After My Diagnosis...As a medical student, you spend most of your time reading about all these rare diseases and learning how to recognize them on test days, and later on in future...reactions3comments
Do you feel protected after the Covid Vaccine?...My son has IgA Deficiency, and he has had two doses of Humira, which lowers his immune system even lower. There are articles that immunocompromised people may not be fully...reactions1replyFriends & Family
Can Journaling Help Us Manage Chronic Illness?...There's a lot of evidence for how helpful writing can be for people who experience the trauma and grief of illness — and chronic pain in particular. And, as a...reactions1comment
My 10-year Anniversary With AS – 10 Insights Gained...Wow! Just writing this title feels strange. Strange to think that it has now been 10 years since the onset of my AS symptoms and the beginning of a wild...reactions5comments