Invisible Illness Archives | Page 3 of 4 | Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior

The Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis Mystery

April 2, 2010May 15, 2018 Kelly Young 21 Comments Invisible Illness, Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis

Mysterious flares For me, a Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis was a very long process. From the teen years on, sudden painful flares attacked my hands, feet, hips, and shoulders – only I had no idea they were called flares. The whole process seemed rather comical, like a scene from a Dick Van Dyke episode: healthy girl falls down...Continue reading 21 Comments » Read more

Stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis Heartache

March 9, 2010May 15, 2018 Kelly Young 207 Comments Courage & living with RA, Emotions and Rheumatoid Arthritis, Invisible Illness, Pain Tolerance / RA Stoicism, Transparency & living with RA

Warning: This post is for the faint of heart. Tired of the stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis grieving Yeah, I’m probably not supposed to say these things. Whatever… Some of these RA changes are wearing thin. I never wanted to be branded by anything negative. I’m getting tired of feeling like I’ve lost credibility because of the chronic illness...Continue reading 207 Comments » Read more

Dear Bridget Duffy from a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient

January 7, 2010May 17, 2018 Kelly Young 15 Comments Invisible Illness, Talking to doctors, Video or podcast

Bridget Duffy at Gel Health 2009 from Gel Conference. Dear Bridget, I was truly stunned when I came across your speech. Your story produces intense reaction from a woman living with Rheumatoid Arthritis. RA is primarily an invisible illness. It can cause a person to be severely disabled quite suddenly and need help from medical professionals desperately....Continue reading 15 Comments » Read more

10 Dumb Questions About an MRI for Rheumatoid Arthritis

November 12, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly Young 36 Comments Humor with RA, Invisible Illness, Measuring rheumatoid disease activity

You have rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in your hand? I went for an MRI on my hand the other day – for the third time. For the two previous weeks, I showed up to discover that the MR (Magnetic Resonance) machine had broken. Of course, the third time’s a charm. I did not say charming, though. The MRI /...Continue reading 36 Comments » Read more

Part 4: Considering Methotrexate as a Disease Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis

But you don’t look sick: making methotrexate work in your favor Some people fear taking it because they say, “Hey, that it is chemotherapy!” which makes it sound so menacing. I read one post of a woman who actually discontinued methotrexate treatment because she realized that it is a chemo-type drug. It was working against her psychologically...Continue reading Make a Comment » Read more

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Hysterical Symptom Diagnosis, Part 1

September 18, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly Young 18 Comments History of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Invisible Illness, Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis

Origin of the word hysterical I love etymology. Origins of words can reveal a lot. And sometimes, it can be hysterically funny—except perhaps in the case of the word “hysterical” as in a hysterical diagnosis. The word hysterical is synonymous with the words psychosomatic or neurotic. It refers to physical illness which has no identifiable physical origin....Continue reading 18 Comments » Read more

Ankylosing Spondylitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

September 16, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly Young 65 Comments Ankylosing Spondylitis, Invisible Illness, Spondyloarthropathy

The Family Tree of Rheumatic Diseases Rheumatoid Arthritis is a strange disease which is difficult for science to explain. It is not surprising that there are several other rheumatic diseases which are akin to Rheumatoid Arthritis. Today, I am introducing you to one of the cousin’s of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis. What is Ankylosing spondylitis? Ankylosing spondylitis is...Continue reading 65 Comments » Read more

The Rheumatoid Arthritis Curriculum

September 9, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly Young 29 Comments American College of Rheumatology, Empathy and RA, Faith, Humor with RA, Invisible Illness

Back to school: Rheumatoid Arthritis education There are so many things that Rheumatoid Arthritis teaches us. We wish the whole world could be educated the way that we have been. That is why many of us write blogs about Rheumatoid Arthritis. Imagine others could receive that same education directly. Imagine you could loan out your RA the way...Continue reading 29 Comments » Read more

Woman’s Day Reply to Rheumatoid Arthritis Comments

August 28, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly Young 17 Comments Communicating about RA, Invisible Illness, Rheum Disease in the Media, Rheumatoid Arthritis awareness, Woman's Day problem

Many have been asking about me Woman’s Day magazine’s RA article... Here’s what happened. On July 15, I gave my sincere response to a one page article in Woman’s Day on Rheumatoid Arthritis. Many of you responded to the online version of that same article with comments that were intelligent and straightforward. Some of those comments were...Continue reading 17 Comments » Read more

To Tell the Truth: Will the Real Rheumatoid Arthritis Please Stand Up?

August 21, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly Young 26 Comments Exercise with RA, Invisible Illness, Rheum Disease in the Media, Rheumatoid arthritis disability, Woman's Day problem

Swimming with dragons This RA Warrior is a dragon slayer. There is one particular dragon who is my arch enemy. It is the mythical version of Rheumatoid Arthritis. I imagine that as it deceives people about Rheumatoid Arthritis, there is less concern about whether a cure is needed for the real RA. The mythical version of RA...Continue reading 26 Comments » Read more

Advice on Rheumatoid Arthritis From the Perspective of a Polio Survivor

August 20, 2009May 17, 2018 Kelly Young 10 Comments Guest post on RA Warrior, Invisible Illness

Adjusting expectations Today, I have a treat for you – a visit from an extraordinary friend. She speaks with authority because she speaks from experience. In 1946, her body was attacked with polio from head to toe, even her brain. She fought her way back and regained use of most of her body. However, several disabilities persisted....Continue reading 10 Comments » Read more

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