e-patient Archives | Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior

Best RA Blog Birthday Gift

May 28, 2019October 5, 2019 Kelly O'Neill 2 Comments e-patient, Rheumatoid Patient Foundation

Best RA blog birthday gift Your contributions through comments, emails, and friendship have been the best gift to me! At the 10TH birthday of the RA Warrior blog and website, exciting things are happening. First, the Rheumatoid Patient Foundation (RPF) is offering you an opportunity to be heard and make a difference at the same time: RPF is...Continue reading 2 Comments » Read more

10 Things I Wish I Knew 10 Years Ago About Rheumatoid Arthritis

February 1, 2016October 5, 2019 Kelly O'Neill 25 Comments e-patient, Inspiration for living with RA, Unrelenting RA - Persistent disease

Why wonder about 10 things I wish I knew 10 years ago? January was my rheumaversary. Yes that’s a new word. But it’s pretty clear what it means. Over the past few months I’ve been pondering what it means to live a decade with unrelenting rheumatoid disease. What does my future hold? There is so much...Continue reading 25 Comments » Read more

PCORI, Is It Worth It to Include Patients?

November 9, 2013May 14, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 6 Comments e-patient, Patient advocacy, PCORI

The patients who read this blog are like dear brothers and sisters to me. I’ve met many in person and it’s like a family reunion. The RAW website and blog obviously speak to others as well – lay and professional caregivers, rheumatology industry, and sometimes the larger patient engagement movement. We’re working hard for change...Continue reading 6 Comments » Read more

Gatecrashing: The Story of Rheumatoid Patients at the ACR Meeting

October 14, 2013April 20, 2019 Kelly O'Neill 24 Comments American College of Rheumatology, e-patient, Patient advocacy

It’s bedtime here. How about a bedtime story? Once upon a time in Philadelphia- ACR 2009 After being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2006, I read some articles from reliable hospitals like Johns Hopkins. Sometimes I looked up symptoms online or read patient comments on large websites like Health Central or WebMD. Eventually I entered discussions with...Continue reading 24 Comments » Read more

Do Patients Know Enough to Talk about Medical Topics?

October 10, 2013May 14, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 20 Comments e-patient, Talking to doctors

The e-patient movement The movement for prepared, engaged patients and shared decision-making is international. It is recognized and supported by people in positions of power at many levels. Organizations, think tanks, and government agencies study the movement, often supporting it in an effort to advance care, reduce mortality, and lower costs. It is not patients versus...Continue reading 20 Comments » Read more

What Would the Car Mechanic Say If You Didn’t Look Sick?

August 26, 2013May 14, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 56 Comments e-patient, Talking to doctors

This just doesn’t happen: You take the car to a mechanic and he looks out the window across the showroom and says, “Your car looks fine to me. The paint is still shiny. It’s not very old.” All of our cars are pretty old so the guys at the local Firestone shop know us pretty well....Continue reading 56 Comments » Read more

Rheumatoid Arthritis Ruined Her Elbow, But Nothing Could Break Her Hope

August 16, 2013May 14, 2018 Kelly O'Neill 26 Comments e-patient, Profiles in courage with RA

Research of an engaged patient rescues her elbow I hope you enjoy this inspiring story of a young woman’s struggle to get the best treatment for her elbow destroyed by Rheumatoid Disease (RD). Carolyn is a brave patient who researched to find a procedure to relieve her pain and restore movement to her elbow. She illustrates...Continue reading 26 Comments » Read more