Anyone who lives with an invisible health challenge, from rheumatoid arthritis to anxiety to brain injury, has most likely encountered some difficulty in explaining their condition due to it’s invisible nature. Here are my top four tips for explaining your invisible illness to friends and family. Tip 1: Share a “What You Don’t See” Photo I was first inspired to share my “What you don’t see” photo when I saw another invisible illness warrior share hers on Instagram. #whatyoudontsee photos have been very powerful in simply, quickly and elegantly showing people that it’s possible to loo ..read more

Like many of you, I’m working on “practicing what I preach.” I often urge others living with autoimmune conditions to rest and pace themselves, yet I struggle to do so myself. With that in mind: I’ll be on a holiday break through Wednesday, January 3rd. I will be occasionally checking email and social media message but will not get back to you until after January 3rd unless it is urgent, thank you for understanding! My wishes for those with chronic illness over the holidays Until then, I am sending these holiday wishes to all my fellow chronic illness warriors: May your heating pad always be h ..read more

Straightening your hair can be painful if you have hand arthritis, particularly inflammation at the base of the thumb! Have you been looking for an arthritis friendly hair straightener? I love this dual brush-straightener combo because it’s easier to grasp and requires less squeezing than the traditional straightener. You can see a link to this brush straightener and all my favorite arthritis products at my “Favorite Arthritis Products” page. Do you have a favorite Arthritis friendly hair tip or gadget? Let me know in the comments! The post Arthritis Friendly Hair Straightener first appeared ..read more

Putting in eye drops can be HARD if you have hand pain from arthritis or difficulty with hand stability & coordination! Here are two arthritis friendly eye drop products that might help (note: this is *not* a sponsored post but I did receive the Gentle Squeeze for free in exchange for my honest opinion; I purchased Droppy on my own to try it out): 1) Gentle Squeeze – this product is designed to make it easier to aim the drops, which is great if you have difficulties with body awareness (due to poor proprioception or general coordination difficulties), tremors or difficulty with hand sta ..read more

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the American College of Rheumatology’s “Convergence” conference, where I learned some of the latest rheumatology research and advancements in the field. This is a multidisciplinary conference, bringing together the American College of Rheumatology (the professional association for doctors) and the associated Association of Rheumatology Professionals (the association for allied health providers like me, an occupational therapist). I also had the pleasure of connecting with many old friends, including fellow patient advocates, fellow allied health provi ..read more

I’m thrilled to have been selected to be a panelist on two presentations at the 2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP)’s annual “Convergence” Conference / Meeting!  This conference is where rheumatology professionals from around the world gather in person and virtually to discuss the latest scientific advancements in rheumatology care. Attendees are mostly Rheumatologists, physicians, and allied health professionals (nurses, occupational therapists, etc) who care for patients with rheumatic diseases. A small number of patient partne ..read more

Let’s revisit one of my most popular posts on social media, which is all about how people determine which lifestyle pillar will give them the most “bang for their buck,” so to speak! On episode 72 of the Arthritis Life Podcast, Dr. Saimun Singla @rheum.to.grow.tx and I discussed four “lifestyle pillars” for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Dr. Singla is a Pediatric Rheumatologist, Integrative Medicine doctor and rheumatoid arthritis patient, so she brings a very unique perspective! We discussed these four pillars: Stress Management & Mind-Body Tools Sleep & Rest Nutrition Exercise & ..read more

The Arthritis Life Podcast voicemail box is OPEN for you to share your thoughts, opinions, advice, and questions! I’ll be featuring multiple listener perspectives on specific discussion prompts. You can record directly from my website below! Alternately, if you’d like to be a guest for a full episode of the podcast, please sign up here. If you’d like to contribute without recording your voice, you can also email me (via the ‘contact’ button above) and I can read your response on the podcast. November-December 2023 Prompts: Taylor Swift Songs: Tell me about a Taylor Swift song that either help ..read more

After running rheumatic disease support groups for almost 3 years, I can confidently say that one of the MOST common sources of stress is: confusion over what we can control versus what we can’t control. And let me tell you something from 19 years of experience living with rheumatoid arthritis: the sooner you learn to put your energy towards what you *can* control versus what you *can’t,* the more energy you have to focus on living a full, vibrant life with your disease. It’s hard to separate what’s in our control versus out of our control! If you have ever struggled with the gray zone between ..read more

Summary The US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V Wade on Friday, June 24th is negatively affecting some patients’ access to methotrexate, a very common medication used for rheumatoid arthritis. It’s a very complex issue but I have been hard at work gathering the latest information and resource articles for you to learn more about the issue. Why is Methotrexate Important for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Similar Conditions? According to the American College of Rheumatology Patient Fact Sheet, methotrexate is: “One of the most effective and commonly used medications in the treatment of ..read more