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
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
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 73 Comments »
Read more
How is Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosed? Part 2
Will I need an RA Patient Protection Plan?
Diagnosing Rheumatoid Arthritis is not easy. Living with RA is no picnic either. And writing about it is like untangling cooked spaghetti.
There is no single definitive RA test
There's is no conclusive test for a clear positive or negative diagnosis for Rheumatoid Arthritis. But, I believe that the diagnostic process could be...Continue reading 13 Comments »
Read more
How is Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosed? Part 1
Why is it so hard to diagnose Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a mystery even to doctors. The diagnosis is a subjective process even though many of the symptoms are clearly measurable. Every book or article I read says that it is difficult to diagnose. Why?
It is only in recent years this disease actually has a...Continue reading 14 Comments »
Read more
Friend of Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior Shares Her Heart
I am so lucky to know a dear lady who sends me letters of encouragement about this blog. She is the widow of a man who lived with RA. I always wish everyone had an opportunity to hear some of her clever and uplifting words, so today I am sharing some of them with you.
I...Continue reading 9 Comments »
Read more
Rheumatoid Arthritis Breaks Your Heart
Straight talk on Rheumatoid Arthritis
I used to say, “Rheumatoid Arthritis is not in your head; it’s everywhere else." Then I realized that for some of us, it does get to the head. Specifically, RA gets to the jaw joints and the eyes. So technically, my Rheumatoid Arthritis is in my head.
So, I started to say...Continue reading 42 Comments »
Read more
A Summer Read for Rheumatoid Arthritis Warriors! part 3
American History story about character and disability, part 3
A few years ago, I took my little home school on a field trip. We spent a day at Arlington National Cemetery. And the next day, we traveled to Gettysburg to stay with my daughter’s godmother. In preparation for the trip, I read a few Lee biographies....Continue reading 25 Comments »
Read more
Summer Read for Rheumatoid Arthritis Warriors, part 2
If you missed it, read part one our RA Warrior mystery story—click here.
An American history mystery, continued...
The lady aristocrat who was raised in such privilege was Ann Hill Carter, granddaughter of the colonial magnate of Virginia “King Carter.” The washed up soldier she married was Henry “Lighthorse Harry” Lee of Revolutionary War fame. Their fifth...Continue reading 10 Comments »
Read more
A Summer Read for Rheumatoid Arthritis Warriors!
American history story about character and disability, part 1
Once upon a time there was a beautiful heiress. Her name was Ann. To the consternation of Ann’s father, she married a poor widower who had once been a soldier. However, the dashing soldier also had aristocratic roots. In fact, he later became the governor of his...Continue reading 10 Comments »
Read more
What is Palindromic Rheumatism?
How many kinds of Rheumatoid Arthritis are there Anyway?
Nobody knows for sure, but the more you learn, the weirder it seems. Here is a type of inflammatory arthritis which you may not know about. They say it is rarer than the four general courses of Rheumatoid Arthritis which are in our cute chart.
The word “palindromic” comes...Continue reading 13 Comments »
Read more
The UK’s “Campaign Against Ignorance” of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Ignorance about RA
Studies show that people do not understand very much about Rheumatoid Arthritis. There are many misconceptions. But, you probably already figured that out on your own.
In the UK, the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) is trying to change that. They have an entire campaign about it. They call 2009 the “Year of Rheumatoid...Continue reading 10 Comments »
Read more


































