Cassia Pelton

This community – the one you’re visiting right now via this website – has done so much for me. It’s where I learned what ankylosing spondylitis was in the first...

Chronic illness doesn’t come into a person’s life in a convenient, ready-made package. It arrives in a series of disjointed boxes that appear on your doorstep on separate days, without...

Axial spondyloarthritis has a way of creeping into every activity I do, like a bright red sock accidentally mixed in with a load of white laundry. Some garments turn bright...

I was skimming the notes from my recent rheumatology appointment when I saw the word. “Remission.” A word I’d heard used most often to describe cancer patients, but also to...

In many ways, your quality of life with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) depends on your rheumatologist. That’s why it was nerve-wracking when I had to leave my rheumatologist of three years...

One of the most frustrating things about having an invisible illness is knowing that other people can’t see the pain I’m in. Although I talk and write about it often...

I’ve been figure skating for much longer than I’ve been chronically ill. To me, nothing is more freeing than gliding across the ice, carving grooves with my blades, and feeling...

I was wrong about arthritis before. I was wrong about who arthritis affects. I thought it was an affliction of the elderly, a nuisance I might encounter as I age...

As a Canadian who endures freezing temperatures for the majority of the year, summer has always been my favorite season — days last longer, spirits run higher, and going outside...

Those who live with chronic pain are masters of disguise — we smile as our bodies scream, fabricate energy when the real stuff is depleted, and neglect our needs so...

Many hours in the library later, the day is finally here — I have completed my undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Arts, Honours Specialization in Psychology. If there is any...

The journey to a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is riddled with challenges that prevent patients from receiving the diagnoses and treatment they need. In particular, misconceptions about AS can...

As the pandemic shows signs of finally drawing to a close, people are talking about what life will be like when things go back to “normal” — how strange it...

With a chronic illness that is largely out of my control, I rely on certain items to give me a sense of control and to be as comfortable as possible...

Living with a chronic illness often feels like managing a war between my body and the world around me — a world that was simply not built for the chronically...

Being diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) was major event in my life that not only affected me, but also the people in my life. My family has been by my...

Everyone likes a “low-maintenance” girl — the girl who can tag along with friends at a moment’s notice, without worrying about the details, the girl who goes with the flow...

Ever since I developed ankylosing spondylitis (AS), work has been a source of worry for me. Most jobs, from customer service to traditional office jobs, present challenges for me. Customer...

Disability is a complex topic, so naturally, there are many ways to think about it. The disabled community has different ideologies — some people view their disabilities as blessings, while...

As the COVID-19 pandemic drudges on, so does my frustration, as I watch people I once thought to be intelligent make brainless decisions that contribute to the spread. These poor...