2009 | Page 18 of 25 | Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior

Functional Measurement of Rheumatoid Arthritis

July 15, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 8 Comments Measuring rheumatoid disease activity, Rheumatoid arthritis disability, Talking to doctors

With Rheumatoid Arthritis, pain and disability both are important It's not just “Where does it hurt,” but also “What are you able to do!" There are many ways to measure RA. Of course you’ve heard the pincushion jokes. But, blood work is the simplest way to get a picture of what Rheumatoid Arthritis is doing in a...Continue reading 8 Comments » Read more

If You Do Not Have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Please Read This

July 13, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 38 Comments Communicating about RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis awareness, Transparency & living with RA

What I would tell those who are not living with Rheumatoid Arthritis A Memo to Non-RA'ers: My mailbox stays full of “nobody gets it” messages. People feel lonely and frustrated because most people don’t get Rheumatoid Arthritis. No, I mean they don’t “get it” as in understand what it is like. Recently, we discussed the UK campaign...Continue reading 38 Comments » Read more

I Failed the Rheumatoid Arthritis Control Quiz

July 12, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 35 Comments Humor with RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms

My Response to Web Md's Quiz on Rheumatoid Arthritis Control - WARNING: Sarcasm ahead... Can you tell my doctor? Web MD sent me a quiz in my email box. I never do online quizzes. I heard they collect data for later use. Besides, my wrists and fingers hurt, so I have been trying to resist any pointless...Continue reading 35 Comments » Read more

What is Sjogren’s Syndrome?

July 10, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 26 Comments Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms, Sjogren's syndrome

What does Rheumatoid Arthritis have to do with Sjogren’s Syndrome? Often we hear of the “characteristic dry eyes of RA.” However, we have more urgent concerns of our Rheumatoid Arthritis. This may be one reason that we don’t know much more about Sjogren’s syndrome. We have often accepted dry eyes as just one more RA symptom without exploring...Continue reading 26 Comments » Read more

Should Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Exercise?

July 9, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 112 Comments Exercise with RA, Rheumatoid arthritis disability

Can we talk about exercise? There is an elephant in the room. Not a cute and helpful one like Horton. It is one of those proverbial elephants no one wants to address. It’s a big and annoying issue that won’t go away, yet everyone tries to ignore. I do not fancy myself an elephant tamer. However, I...Continue reading 112 Comments » Read more

6 Ways to Do Big Tasks with Rheumatoid Arthritis

July 8, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 27 Comments Doing Projects with RA, Patience & living with RA, Tips for living with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Scheming to do big tasks with rheumatoid arthritis (UPDATED 2016) Remember the old movie “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”? Sometimes I think I am living in it! Everything in my world is too large for me now. Cups of coffee are too heavy to lift; dishes are too heavy to wash; pulling on a gas pump feels...Continue reading 27 Comments » Read more

The Me Before Rheumatoid Arthritis

July 7, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 74 Comments Empathy and RA, Rheumatoid arthritis disability, Transparency & living with RA

Let me introduce you to the me you can never meet: The Me Before Rheumatoid Arthritis If you have RA, you spend lots of time adjusting to change. For me, the biggest adjustment has been to the disability. First, there is frustration that I cannot do what I still want to do. But the “old me” is still...Continue reading 74 Comments » Read more