Living

Back in the freedom of our pre-Covid world I was lucky enough to attend a specialist self-management course for ankylosing spondylitis at a community hospital here in Melbourne. The course...

Traveling has looked very different for a lot of us over the past 2 years. For me, I haven’t gone anywhere that requires a flight. I’m just not ready for...

My husband Keegan finally hit the point where his AS was stable. The last few years brought lots of challenges that impacted his AS: 2 babies, 2 total hip replacements...

Six months ago I had to undergo hip surgery to fix some long-term issues which caused me a lot of pain and limitations in my movement and exercise routine. You...

I used to be one who could quickly work out for an hour or more every day and never feel tired. I could also go out on long runs without...

Our routines have the habit of taking on lives of their own. Sometimes they function explicitly, out in the open for all to see, but they’re just as powerful quietly...

In 2016, I was overworked, underpaid, and burning the candle at all ends. Every day, I’d wake up before 5am for my job as an AP English teacher. After work...

Around the time I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), I became heavily invested in the medicine of movement. It’s not that I didn’t want to take pharmacological drugs. I...

One of the hardest aspects of my diagnosis was breaking the news to my mother. Having lived most of her adult life with ulcerative colitis, Mum knew firsthand the misery...

I've previously spoken about the mental challenges of having AS and being immunosuppressed during the pandemic. Unfortunately, that was just the tip of the ice berg. Here are some more (of the many) aspects...

The start of a new school year is coming up quickly. Far more quickly than expected (wasn’t it just June?). And, that means getting back into a schedule. For many...

Sometimes, you just gotta let it out. That comes from a caregiver myself as well as seeing my husband go through so much frustration during diagnosis, treatment, and multiple surgeries...

A few years back, I wrote about my dating experiences while having AS. Guess who’s back for another article on dating! Since identifying as a disabled person, my experiences with...

Brain fog is definitely one of the more annoying symptoms of AS. It’s bad enough that this condition robs us of our mobility at times but stealing our brain power as...

As a rule, guilty pleasures are things that we enjoy despite a certain amount of low regard by society or our specific peer group. It's usually embarrassing to admit our...

We're back with another pop quiz to test your knowledge! Let us know how you did in the comments below! Have a question or perspective you want to share with...

I remember the first time I was teased because of my jaw dysfunction. I was in middle school and this girl always used to make fun of me because my...

I love playlists. I have a library of about 3,000 songs, mostly classic rock (I am an old guy, remember), pop, country, and some modern rock. I love putting music...

This year marks my 5 years of having AS. It feels wild! I’ve had AS for half of a decade! I can’t believe it. Things have changed so much since...

When you live with a chronic illness, it’s easy to focus on the challenges it brings. Our abilities change, we have to make time to see doctors and manage symptoms...