As My Joints Turn: my autoimmune soap opera
Autoimmune Arthritis isn't the end of the world, it's just another way of living in the world.
I am active in the patient community so I know a lot of people who are on disability due to chronic illness. Their age, gender and race all vary, but the one thing they have in common? The majority of them wish they could still work. The majority of them are dirt poor, especially if... Continue Reading →
I was recently interviewed for a project. I was asked to describe myself. So I talked about my career as a speech language pathologist, educator, patient, patient advocate, and writer. I described my life as a single woman living with multiple chronic illnesses and how I take care of a dog with more chronic illnesses... Continue Reading →
I've documented pretty clearly that my 2019 was for all intents and purposes, craptastic. As a result, I've become a person that I don't recognize in the mirror. I'm not big on making New Year Goals. I never keep them. What I am going to do is focus on being positive and making small positive... Continue Reading →
Christmas is in 4 days. Are my gifts wrapped? No. Am I packed? No. My decorations are minimal....and so is my Christmas spirit. My 2019 was extra crappy. Here is a little recap.... January: I started the year with a broken foot/non-weight bearing. On January 2, my cat tripped me and I ended up tearing... Continue Reading →
Today I have been feeling a bit blue. The combination of the holidays, my finances, my health, and Georgia's health has me feeling really down. Losing a loved one earlier this year has also torn at my heart for months. Things just keep piling up. Lately, it seems like no matter what I do, I... Continue Reading →
I was recently asked to have Georgia (my dog) co-host The International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis's AiArthritis Voices 360 podcast. The reason being, we wanted to discuss how important pets are to people living with chronic illness. Georgia getting ready for her debut! I've always been an animal lover and growing up, my... Continue Reading →
When life gives you lemons, you have to make a choice: you can choose to remain bitter or you can add something to make that lemon sweeter. When Kelly brought her puppy Georgia Grace home, she could never have predicted all the medical emergencies they would endure together. Their love for each other was what... Continue Reading →
I cofounded the International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis (IFAA) in 2013 with three fellow patients Tiffany Westrich-Robertson, Tami Brown, and Amanda John. Our mission has always been to use our voices to impact education, awareness, and research. We've grown and evolved over the years, but we always held fast to the idea that our... Continue Reading →
The past few weeks, I've been documenting my battle with an upper respiratory virus/sinus infection/laryngitis, etc. Three weeks in, and I'm still not well. I feel like I may have turned a corner because my voice is a tad bit better. I'm still on antibiotics, but off of prednisone. Thankfully, sleep is a bit easier... Continue Reading →
Two weeks ago, I started with a dry cough. After my bout with pneumonia, I watched it closely. By the middle of the week, I felt wrecked. Body aches, stuffy nose, sore throat, ear ache, etc. I called my doctor but they had no appointments until the following day. My goal was to return to... Continue Reading →
As My Joints Turn: my autoimmune soap opera 