RA Public Service Announcement Video

March 22, 2019 Kelly Young 1

A video RA Public Service Announcement explains that rheumatoid arthritis is a serious disease, with arthritis as just one symptom. #rheum

Treating RA

Testing the imaware™ RA Test Kit

March 12, 2019 Kelly Young 0

Video of RA Warrior Kelly O’Neill doing an imaware™ RA test kit, giving tips and advice to make the process easier. Kelly reads the report of her results.

Communication and Inspiration

Possible Rheumatoid Arthritis

March 6, 2019 Kelly Young 3

Identifying possible rheumatoid arthritis is one step in a new quest to stop rheumatoid disease from becoming full-blown. Part 2 of RA Runs in Families.

RA Research, Resources, and Rheumatology

RA Runs in Families

February 28, 2019 Kelly Young 14

Evidence that RA runs in families and discussion of family risk of rheumatoid disease and imaware™ at-home RA test to screen for RA.

Treating RA

RA Surgery — 10 Questions Answered

February 18, 2019 Kelly Young 15

Discussion of RA surgery and questions related to surgery in people with rheumatoid disease, including continuation of medications.

RA Research, Resources, and Rheumatology

Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Hazy

January 31, 2019 Kelly Young 14

Discussion of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis and the criteria for diagnosis of rheumatoid disease. Study shows seronegative disease is as severe.

10 Ways I Know RA Is Not Your Fault

November 19, 2017May 13, 2018 Kelly Young 14 Comments Living with chronic illness like RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms

RA is not your fault If you can’t avoid RA, then RA is not your fault… Media articles about rheumatoid disease (RD) / rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often imply that there are things people can do to either avoid getting the disease or to lower disease activity. Most of them present helpful tips to alleviate RA. From hand...Continue reading 14 Comments » Read more

Rheumatoid Arthritis Problems, Anyone?

October 27, 2017May 13, 2018 Kelly Young 12 Comments Encouragement for living with RA, Research on Rheumatoid Arthritis

Two kinds of rheumatoid arthritis problems There are two kinds of rheumatoid arthritis problems. There are the ones caused directly by the disease—like fatigue, pain, or weakness. And then there are the problems that are caused by those—like not being able to play tennis or break dance anymore—or being chronically late. (Anyone else dealing with RA...Continue reading 12 Comments » Read more

Opioids and Chronic Pain

May 30, 2017May 13, 2018 Kelly Young 27 Comments Living with chronic illness like RA, Rheumatoid arthritis pain

This is the second in a series on opioids & chronic pain. If you know someone with a painful chronic illness, please share this article. Opioids chronic pain debate: cause of epidemic or proper pain relief? In 2003, Nursing Times argued the evidence for treating “chronic non-malignant pain” with opioids (Chronic pain and opioids: dispelling myths and...Continue reading 27 Comments » Read more

Worst Things Doctors Say

April 25, 2017May 13, 2018 Kelly Young 52 Comments Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms, Talking to doctors

Telling my secrets on the worst things doctors say What’s the craziest thing a doctor ever told you? I have rarely discussed some of the worst things doctors say to me because I want RAW to be a positive place. But today, I’ll pull back the curtain and share a few of the worst things doctors...Continue reading 52 Comments » Read more

Trigger Finger in Rheumatoid Arthritis

April 4, 2017May 13, 2018 Kelly Young 21 Comments Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms, Talking to doctors

Trigger finger in rheumatoid arthritis / rheumatoid disease Trigger finger in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common visible effect of the disease. Fingers, to varying degrees, become stuck in a bent position, as in pulling a trigger. The joints are not actually fused when this occurs. But the tendons get caught in a tendon sheath (or...Continue reading 21 Comments » Read more

What Causes Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain?

March 27, 2017May 13, 2018 Kelly Young 22 Comments Causes of RA, Research on Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis pain

Why ask what causes rheumatoid arthritis pain? Today we answer a letter from a reader that raises key questions about living with rheumatoid disease (RD). Why is it so painful? Why doesn’t treatment take away pain? Why isn’t the pain dealt with? In part, the answer is found in another question: What causes rheumatoid arthritis pain? Until...Continue reading 22 Comments » Read more

Lessons in 8 Quotes from Doctor Strange

March 20, 2017May 13, 2018 Kelly Young 4 Comments Courage & living with RA, Inspiration for living with RA, Movie review

Quotes from Doctor Strange, fitting for RD Recently I took my son Roo to see the 2016 Walt Disney movie Doctor Strange. Based on the Marvel Comics superhero, Doctor Stephen Strange is an uber-arrogant neurosurgeon who is psychologically crushed by losing the use of his hands in a horrific car accident. His journey to physical and...Continue reading 4 Comments » Read more

Opioid Restrictions Versus Patient Needs

March 14, 2017May 13, 2018 Kelly Young 20 Comments Living with chronic illness like RA, Pain Tolerance / RA Stoicism, Rheumatoid arthritis pain

The thinking behind recent opioid restrictions There are two sides to arguments behind recent efforts at opioid restrictions in the U.S. However one side has been dominant in the last couple of years. State and federal governments have enacted opioid restrictions in an attempt to reduce misuse of prescription medications. Options for patients with severe pain...Continue reading 20 Comments » Read more

RA Can’t Be That Bad – 5 Lies and 5 Replies

March 9, 2017May 13, 2018 Kelly Young 36 Comments Living with chronic illness like RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis awareness

Ever heard RA can’t be that bad? Have you ever heard anyone say that RA can’t be that bad? Or more likely, is there ever a day when someone does not hear that RA can’t be that bad? Almost every day someone let’s me know they can tell I’m exaggerating how disabled I am, how bad...Continue reading 36 Comments » Read more

Why Rheumatoid Arthritis Frailty Matters

March 7, 2017May 13, 2018 Kelly Young 9 Comments Measuring rheumatoid disease activity, Patient reported outcome measure

What is rheumatoid arthritis frailty? The word frailty suggests a serious level of health vulnerability. In medical terms, frailty often describes a range of conditions in elderly people: “frailty comprises a collection of biomedical factors which influences an individual's physiological state in a way that reduces his or her capacity to withstand environmental stresses.”1 Frailty expresses...Continue reading 9 Comments » Read more

Arthritis Prescreening Like Minority Report

February 28, 2017May 13, 2018 Kelly Young 11 Comments Communicating about RA, Preclinical RA, Research on Rheumatoid Arthritis

Arthritis prescreening is like Minority Report with Tom Cruise …Or is it? When I read Dr. Scott’s creative newspaper column, comparing rheumatoid arthritis prescreening to Minority Report, the sci-fi flick about punishing crimes before they happen, I didn’t know where to begin. I love movie analogies – there are a bunch of them on this blog. But Dr. Scott...Continue reading 11 Comments » Read more

Safe Acetaminophen Dosage with Chronic Pain

February 25, 2017May 13, 2018 Kelly Young 5 Comments Living with chronic illness like RA, Tips for living with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Problems knowing acetaminophen dosage Medication safety is one more health concern for people living with frequent acute pain or chronic pain from chronic illness like rheumatoid disease (RD). It’s not always obvious when it comes to acetaminophen dosage especially. Can you believe nearly 50% of excess acetaminophen-related liver damage is an unintentional result of not reading...Continue reading 5 Comments » Read more

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Thanks for visiting this unique site full of information and encouragement to fight Rheumatoid Disease. You'll find hope, humor, and a helpful online community. I'm Kelly & I'll be glad to show you around if you'll click right here.

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