2010 | Page 11 of 28 | Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior

Unusual Methotrexate Side Effects

August 12, 2010May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 115 Comments Methotrexate, Side effects for RA medicine

Many patients take low enough doses of methotrexate that they don’t even have side effects... But, some strange methotrexate side effects are for real No one ever told me methotrexate could have side effects. I’m not complaining! I think that worked for me. I didn’t approach the treatment with fear. Don’t get me wrong – there was drama....Continue reading 115 Comments » Read more

My First Actemra Treatment

August 10, 2010May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 50 Comments Actemra, Biologics for RA, Professional patient, Unrelenting RA - Persistent disease

Actemra is my fourth Biologic treatment My first Actemra treatment was two weeks ago. I never dreamed I’d be going for my fourth different kind of Biologic treatment. When my first rheum doc said I’d feel much better soon with Humira, I believed it. When the Rheumatoid Arthritis continued to progress, the doc seemed as disappointed...Continue reading 50 Comments » Read more

Perseverance in Fighting Rheumatoid Arthritis

August 9, 2010May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 23 Comments Courage & living with RA, Encouragement for living with RA, Inspiration for living with RA

What keeps you fighting? I tried to quit... At one point, I thought I would be fired as a professional patient. No such luck. I’ve also tried to quit Rheumatoid Arthritis. Maybe you remember my Eject Button. I tried to quit another chronic illness once. Maybe you read my ostrich jokes. I haven’t had a lot of...Continue reading 23 Comments » Read more

Incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis Increasing, in Women Especially

August 6, 2010May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 18 Comments History of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Men with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Research on Rheumatoid Arthritis

Recent study finds more Rheumatoid Arthritis – Women Harder Hit Science Daily reported this spring that Mayo researchers found an increased incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis, especially in women. “Between 1 and 2 million Americans suffer the effects of RA, a chronic inflammatory disease that targets joints and which contributes to work-related disability, increased morbidity, and shortened...Continue reading 18 Comments » Read more

20 Essential Facts About My Own Rheumatoid Arthritis No Doctor Ever Asked Me

August 5, 2010May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 31 Comments Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms, Talking to doctors, Tips for living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Unrelenting RA - Persistent disease

Essential Rheumatoid Arthritis facts only you could know Last month, we talked about 10 Essential Facts About Rheumatoid Arthritis No Doctor Ever Told Me. We were talking about some essential RA facts of life that many RA patients have to figure out on our own. Let’s look at another angle: What about some truly essential facts...Continue reading 31 Comments » Read more

Patient Centered Medical Home: Will Redesign in Healthcare Hurt Rheumatology Patients?

August 3, 2010May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 6 Comments Communicating about RA, Talking to doctors

Most posts on this blog are written with patients in mind. This post is an exception. I’d like to specifically address this post to those who work in medicine or healthcare design. The call to make health care more patient centered Back in January, I brought my readers a treat, a video of a talk by Bridget Duffy,...Continue reading 6 Comments » Read more

What about Classic Rheumatoid Arthritis?

August 2, 2010May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 90 Comments Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms

Wondering about a classic Rheumatoid Arthritis Almost one year ago, I asked Is There a Typical Rheumatoid Arthritis? That was the night I sat in a hotel room reading case studies about Rheumatoid Arthritis in the DIP joint (fingertip) after a not-so-enlightening visit with a character I now call Dr. Dip. I had no idea whether I...Continue reading 90 Comments » Read more