Archive for the ‘Reality Check’ Category
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Tweeting an EMG: Another Way to Research Pain
Really important stuff that I read last week, while researching pain scales, will not be on the blog today. I’ve been thinking a lot about how differently a disease affects us and whether we can honestly communicate about that. When Dana asked for resolutions at the weekly #HCSM (healthcare communications in social media) chat, I said I [...]
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We Refuse to Be Mislabeled: Updating Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) to Rheumatoid Autoimmune Disease (RAD)
Three years ago, I saw Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients insisting that the name of the disease needed to be changed. They argued that until the “a” word is removed from the name, confusion about the disease will continue. When asked, I said that we could not wait around for that to happen; let’s work for [...]
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When Should People Living with Rheumatoid Disease Use a Wheelchair?
Or give in to using a cane? Or pain medication? Or a handicapped tag? There was an interesting discussion about wheelchairs and canes on my Facebook post yesterday. At the same time, there were a few other discussions going on about pain medicines. There is such a wide range of needs. But there are some [...]
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Keeper or Loser: I’m Not Giving Up, But What Do You Think?
Warning: this is one of those rare personal posts specifically about my life, but I thought it was relevant to share. We have two endearing names for rheumatologists which I’ve coined over the years: rheum doc and The Wizard. Rheumatologists are the doctors who decide not to sneak out Osler’s infamous back door. I always [...]
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The HAQ’s, the RAPID’s & the Rest: 3 Reasons It’s a Moot Point
So often when I’m listening to a scientific presentation about clinical care for Rheumatoid Arthritis, I would do the face-palm head-smack, if my shoulder would let me. Depending on who can hear me, I mutter softly or wail sarcastically, “If it’s not done, does this matter?” One example is measuring RA disease activity, especially with [...]
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Does It Matter Whether Rheumatoid Arthritis Affects DIP Joints?
Arguments in rheumatology which are critical for patients Certain issues need to be settled in order to improve patient care for RA. Some things that have been “understood” or taught for years are wrong. These issues lead to inconsistencies in the practice of doctors who care for RA patients. Some of those issues have been taken [...]
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Is That Your Final Answer? …or Replying to Misconceptions
I wrote this post weeks ago when it had just happened. I imagined responses that are usually held back in polite conversation. Am I the only one who does that? What if it were a game show… It was a day filled with misconceptions about RA, and it really bothered me; but I didn’t figure [...]
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Exercise, Round 5
This is the third post in the Frying Pan series to honor of the blog’s 3rd year, considering some significant issues from the last couple years. Sometimes the frying pan is more suitable than the sword. Today we’ll consider Rheumatoid Arthritis & exercise for the fifth time. The relationship between exercise and Rheumatoid Arthritis One [...]
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