Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Anxiety is what happens when you’re worried or nervous about how things will work out. It’s a very uncomfortable feeling. And if affects your whole being. Adopting strategies that counteract stress, panic, and negative self-talk may help you better manage the anxiety associated with living with rheumatoid arthritis. RA Guy and Kat talk about their own personal experiences of dealing with (and not dealing with) the challenges bought on by anxiety. They share tips on how to cope with this constant anxiety. They discus ..read more

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. The feelings that we often experience as a result of living with rheumatoid arthritis are completely natural, but that doesn’t mean that we have to let them control us. Facing these emotions head on and focusing energy on learning which coping strategies work best for you can result in improved health and happiness. In this episode, RA Guy and Kat talk about their own personal experiences in dealing with anger, both past and present. They share some tips on how to manage anger. They also talk about the importance of ..read more

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Every so often, you come across a podcast episode that you don’t just listen to, but that you really experience…and that you really feel. This is one of those episodes. Join us, as we talk with Kat’s mom about what it’s like to find out that your young child has an illness like rheumatoid arthritis. We discuss feelings of worry and guilt. Mother and daughter share stories of the impact of this disease on the family dynamic, and on their own personal development and identity. And we talk openly, and honestly, about w ..read more

One of the first concerns that came to my mind after I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis was what was going to happen to my hands? As a lifelong designer and avid cook my hands are essential for doing the things that make me most happy in life. Doing Google searches for “rheumatoid arthritis hands” did nothing to quell my fears. In fact, seeing the image search results only made me more nervous. Over the years, however, my hands have continued to show me that they are strong, even as they bear the brunt of the chronic disease with which I live. My hands may not be able to do what t ..read more

"Rheumatoid arthritis is an uninvited guest in my car (the metaphorical journey through life), and it’s okay for it to be journeying with me, making me take detours, going at slow speeds etc, but I am always driving this car…I am ultimately in charge and I call the shots, not RA. There is room for fear and grief and acceptance, but I’m still the boss of this situation." —Shirley How long have you lived with rheumatoid arthritis? It was officially diagnosed by a Rheumatologist a few months ago but I have been seeing doctors because of it for three years, and had symptoms before that. What a ..read more

Chronic illness, pain, and depression have a tendency to rewrite our personal identities, quite often against our will. Sometimes this redefining takes place on our external surfaces, where others can see: a small limp in our left leg, which is compensating for an inflamed knee, or a new cane or set of crutches. Yes, the mind knows that using these mobility devices is in a person’s best interest, but the heart still can’t get over the new stares that one receives while walking through the store, or to the still-foreign reflection in the mirror. Other times this shift in identity is caused ..read more

Many people (including certain healthcare professionals) do not understand the reality of our illnesses. Few people will know how much it really hurts, *all* the time! And some people, upon discovering that a person receives disability assistance and other benefits, will try to make said person out to be a cheat or an irresponsible moocher. A few other truths: Nothing is more important than understanding your body and your illness, no matter what others say. There are many people out there who know exactly what the chronic pain feels like (and those who live well know the importance of not ..read more

1. Getting all of the rest that I need does not make me lazy. Even when I’m not moving, my body is expending a huge amount of energy on powering its overactive immune system, and on defending itself from the subsequent pain and inflammation. So while many times it might look like I’m not doing much, I’m still probably doing more than most others. 2. No matter how much it hurts, I still have to find a way to move. (Of course, I’m not advocating for movement that results in injury/harm.) During one of my first major bouts, I thought that the best thing to do was to move as little as possible ..read more

"Pierre-Auguste Renoir was one of the most influential painters in art history, but few people know that he suffered from debilitating rheumatoid arthritis. Despite his arthritis, he was able to maintain an incredible level of precision and efficiency with his painting. More importantly, he remained positive and did not let his condition affect his passion for painting or take away from the beauty that he saw in the world around him. Renoir applied a wide variety of coping mechanisms and used his ingenuity to come up with different ways to continue painting even as his arthritis weakened h ..read more

"Rheumatoid arthritis makes you step back and look at life at a different perspective. You have to adapt to your life and live in the moment. You have to be thankful for the things you can do and try again tomorrow for the things you cannot do today. Just try again again and again. Never give up." —Sarah How long have you lived with rheumatoid arthritis? I was showing symptoms of RA around 16 and blew it off thinking it was just pain. Finally went to the doctor and was told I didn’t have it. Got a second opinion, and was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 17. I have had Rheu ..read more