Unrelenting RA - Persistent disease Archives | Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior

RA Surgery — 10 Questions Answered

February 18, 2019October 5, 2019 Kelly O'Neill 16 Comments Tips for living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Unrelenting RA - Persistent disease

This week I had my second RA surgery, after 13 years of living with severe, unrelenting rheumatoid disease that does not respond to medications other than steroids. I definitely asked my surgeon lots of questions. But, this second time, I knew even better what to expect by what I had learned last time. I hope these Q and A...Continue reading 16 Comments » Read more

5 Rheumatoid Arthritis – RA Flare Facts

February 1, 2017October 5, 2019 Kelly O'Neill 91 Comments Measuring rheumatoid disease activity, Rheum Disease in the Media, Unrelenting RA - Persistent disease

RA Flare – fact or fiction? If you want to laugh out loud, just Google RA Flare. No, not right now. Finish this first. Anyway, the topic of RA flare produces some very silly and contradictory discussions. For example Web MD offers How to Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis Flares. If only. So today we approach one of the most...Continue reading 91 Comments » Read more

5 RA Facts Everyone Needs to Know

January 23, 2017October 5, 2019 Kelly O'Neill 18 Comments Communicating about RA, Physician-patient discordance / disagreement, Unrelenting RA - Persistent disease

Driven to uncover RA facts My search for facts about Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) led me to build this website. So many questions. So much misinformation, blame, and confusion out there. It all contributed to my passion for uncovering RA facts and making them clear. I didn’t feel ready when I started writing this blog in 2009. There...Continue reading 18 Comments » Read more

Rheumatoid disease / rheumatoid arthritis pain

Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain Persists

October 21, 2016October 5, 2019 Kelly O'Neill 4 Comments Measuring rheumatoid disease activity, Rheumatoid arthritis pain, Unrelenting RA - Persistent disease

This is Part 3 of a series on Rheumatoid Disease / Rheumatoid Arthritis pain. In Part 1 we looked at the role of pain in the disease. Part 2 examines a popular study on Remaining Pain and poses 12 reasons that current explanations for Remaining Pain are wrong. In Part 3, we’ll see that the...Continue reading 4 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

Chronic Pain vs. Recurrent Acute Pain in Rheumatoid Disease

November 26, 2014October 5, 2019 Kelly O'Neill 28 Comments Living with chronic illness like RA, Rheumatoid arthritis pain, Unrelenting RA - Persistent disease

An honest examination shows pain related to rheumatoid disease may frequently be better described as recurrent acute pain than classic chronic pain. Is “chronic pain” the right way to describe Rheumatoid Disease pain? According to the National Institutes of Health, chronic pain is “any pain lasting more than 12 weeks. Whereas acute pain is a normal sensation...Continue reading 28 Comments » Read more

Not Actual Size – Rheumatoid Disease Is Not as Advertised

January 30, 2014October 5, 2019 Kelly O'Neill 8 Comments Humor with RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis awareness, Unrelenting RA - Persistent disease

Sometimes my #rheum disease and my silly sense of humor get all twisted together into a goofball smoothie. Anyone who’s spent time with me can attest to my devotion to silliness. I’ve been daydreaming about how food ads remind me of RD. I hope you’ll enjoy a little humorous diversion. Laughter makes a great defense...Continue reading 8 Comments » Read more