I have a disability, but I'm not disabled.  To people living with chronic illness, this makes perfect sense.  To people who are not "spoonies" or living the chronic life, it doesn't make any sense.  I have a disability called polyarticular spondlyoarthropathy-NOS (not otherwise specified).  Most people have no idea what that means, so I just... Continue Reading →

  Morning:  It took me almost 2 hours to get out of bed this morning BECAUSE I was so stiff.  I threw my hair up BECAUSE trying to do it would have been too painful on my wrists, elbows, and shoulders.  My clothes were laid out, but as usual, I struggled to get the bra... Continue Reading →

My dad had a stroke 12 days ago.  He is 79 and has multiple medical issues, but this was still a shock.  Luckily, it was determined he had a TIA and not a full-blown stroke.  When I first saw him 10 hours later, he seemed fine.  Looked good, sounded good.  He seemed like himself.  Then... Continue Reading →

You know the old saying that if March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb (and vice versa).  Well, here in the North East of the US, the weather has shifted from freezing and snow one day to 70 degree weather the next.  We are in "lamb" mode!  While I enjoy... Continue Reading →

Let me explain.....Yesterday was a bad, horrible, no good, rotten, painful flare-up day.  On a scale from 1-10, my pain was a 20.  By the time lunch time came around, I was sitting with my head between my legs trying to get the nausea from the pain to pass.  My hands were red and swollen... Continue Reading →

As a patient, you expect your doctor to be the expert in your medical condition.  Finding a good doctor, especially a specialist, can be difficult.  It's supposed to go like this:  You go to see the doctor when you are not feeling well, they write a prescription, recommend a treatment, and you go on your... Continue Reading →

I was contacted recently by a company called NatraCure.  They asked if I would be willing to try one of their products for an honest review.  I googled their company and checked out their products that were all geared towards pain relief.  I wasn't sure which item they wanted me to try, but I agreed... Continue Reading →

I was talking to a good friend who also has RA.  I mentioned a big decision I made regarding my career and the feedback I had received.  She said, something like "That is such a compliment to your abilities as a normal person".  Hmmm....It sounded strange, but  I knew exactly what she meant.  My normal... Continue Reading →

When you get diagnosed with a chronic illness, you go through various emotions.  I literally went through the stages identified by Elizabeth Kugler-Ross "5 Stages of Grief".  Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.  Each stage prior to acceptance was painful.  Hell, even acceptance hurt pretty bad.  The life I thought I would have disappeared.  I... Continue Reading →

****I came in 4th place out of over 200 blogs.  Thank you to everyone who voted!As my joint turns: My Autoimmune Soap Opera has been nominated for HealthLine's Best in Health Blog.  Yay! If you can, please help me out and vote.  Click on the link.  Currently I am at 22 or so.  You can... Continue Reading →