Kelly O'Neill, Author at Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior | Page 62 of 118

Fighting Rheumatoid Arthritis Depression

February 25, 2011May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 42 Comments Emotions and Rheumatoid Arthritis, Tips for living with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Often, I get letters from Rheumatoid Arthritis patients struggling with depression. I always encourage them to consider the options of counseling or medication since there’s no way to know how serious their depression may be. It’s heartbreaking. We hope that most of the time we can avoid serious depression, but patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis or...Continue reading 42 Comments » Read more

Which Biologic Treatment Should RA Patients Try Next?

February 23, 2011May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 32 Comments Biologics for RA, Research on Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis patients will likely try a sequence of 3 or 4 biological therapies. However, odds tend to decrease that the treatments will work. “For patients with prior exposure to TNF-a inhibitors, likelihood of response to subsequent treatment with biologic agents declines with increasing number of previous treatments with TNF-a inhibitors.” Newsflash: responses to Biologic treatments vary...Continue reading 32 Comments » Read more

My Birthday Cards to Make You Smile

February 21, 2011May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 28 Comments Humor with RA, Patience & living with RA, Transparency & living with RA

By the time I go to sleep it will be my birthday. It is a strange occasion. Just about five years ago, my whole life changed when occasional RA flares became a full-blown disease. Like many of you: not very many people in my life knew what Rheumatoid Arthritis is. Most of them still don’t. I’ve tried...Continue reading 28 Comments » Read more

Life of a Professional Patient,Blog 6: Full Body Bone Scan

February 18, 2011May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 7 Comments Nuclear bone scan, Professional patient

It’s been a little while since I wrote a professional patient entry. It started out as just sarcasm. It turned out to be kind of a journal of my “progress” in the fight. I think I write one when there is a kind of milestone. You can find the links to the other professional patient...Continue reading 7 Comments » Read more

Sleep Quality Affects Disability in Rheumatoid Arthritis

February 17, 2011May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 16 Comments Research on Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis disability, Rheumatoid Arthritis sleep

The relationship between Rheumatoid Arthritis, sleep, and disability A small study in 2009 confirmed “Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) negatively affect women's sleep.” It’s no surprise that Rheumatoid Arthritis impacts the sleep of many patients. Most patients could tell you why: pain, medication side effects, and emotional frustration or depression about chronic illness, chronic pain, and...Continue reading 16 Comments » Read more

Don’t Take Those Meds for RA or Juvenile Arthritis

February 15, 2011May 15, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 73 Comments Blog carnival, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis natural cure

There is often pressure upon patients with rheumatological diseases to not use current disease treatments. This type of pressure is less common for patients with other serious diseases such as diabetes or cancer. We all try to laugh about our sister-in-law who insists we’d be better off with cherry juice than a disease modifying drug....Continue reading 73 Comments » Read more