The Many Doctors Who Manage My Axial SpondyloarthritisOne question I get often is "who treats axial spondyloarthritis?" Typically, this question arises from individuals with some of the symptoms of AxSpA but no diagnosis, so I figured why... By Jessica Gama2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
Alcohol and AS: What I've RealizedLast year I wrote a few articles about how I cut alcohol out entirely for a few months. At that point, I was recalibrating my relationship with alcohol after spending... By Lisa Marie Basile2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
A Look At The Mythology of the SpineI read an interesting bit of mythology around the spine the other day, as I delved into one of my many "Wikipedia holes" — I have a tendency toward late-night... By Lisa Marie Basile2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
How's Your Pandemic FOMO?The epic film Love Actually tells us that Christmas is an enchanted time for magical moments and taking stock of our lives. In between making dreams come true, we’re meant... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
How Fundraising Helped MeLuckily, I have never suffered with my mental health (touch wood). After my diagnosis, it was the worst I had ever felt in my life. For months I got into... By Ali Long2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
7 Years in No Diagnosis Land, Part 2In part 1 of No Diagnosis Land, I told you how I started to have symptoms in different parts of my body. During these years, between 2007 and 2013, I... By Julie Vallortigara2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Keeping Busy During a Flare-UpI think I speak for everyone when I say AS flare-ups are the bain of our existence. There is no worse feeling than waking up in the morning and instantly... By Katie Saville3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments10 comments
My Experience With BiologicsI have been using biologics for 14 years now. Never really getting used to injecting myself. Not because it’s painful but, in the back of my head, there always is... By Rene Agterhof2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments7 comments
Things I No Longer Do With AxSpaIt has been almost two years since my axial spondyloarthritis diagnosis and this year has brought about many new and scary treatments. But, I can finally say I am happy... By Jes Hojsan2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
I Tried Tai Chi and Qi Gong For Ankylosing SpondylitisI'm always looking for ways to deepen communication with my body, increase my mobility, and quiet my mind. Enter Tai chi and Qi gong. Tai Chi (also known as T'ai... By Lisa Marie Basile2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
What Does Dynamic Disability Mean to Me?We’ve all heard of the word disability, but what is a dynamic disability? A dynamic disability is a disability that fluctuates in severity from one moment to the next. Ever... By Steff Di Pardo2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
My Cup Runneth EmptyYou know that saying, "you can't pour from an empty cup"? Well, no one told me when I was diagnosed that ankylosing spondylitis would leave me with a perpetually empty... By Diana Castaldini3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
The Inconsistency of My Illness Causes Me FearWhen it comes to chronic illness, no two days are the same. The inconsistency and unpredictability that come with a chronic illness is what gets me the most. One day I could be out... By Ali Long2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Self-Care: I Set Small Goals & Limit My ActivitiesWhether you realise it or not, you are dealing with everyday struggles and an unpredictability that comes with having AS. Pulling yourself out of bed, exercising, making your dinner or even just showering is 100 times more difficult... By Ali Long2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments9 comments
We Need To Talk About Mental HealthI recently ran a Twitter poll asking members of the chronic illness community to vote on the topics that were most compelling to them when it comes to chronic illness... By Lisa Marie Basile3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Axial SpondyloarthritisAfter my diagnosis of AxSpa, and once I was already taking Humira (one of the biologics), I experienced some gastrointestinal (GI) issues. Aside from the symptoms of AxSpa around my... By Julie Vallortigara3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Rumble, Old Man, Rumble!A story of a boxing match that helped me learn to manage my AxSpA flares. October 1974. I am 16 years old. Outside the sun is yet to rise, and... By Steve Tuffin4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
Where Are All The Men?When I was first diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, I was informed that it was a condition "mostly affecting men in their 20s." I remember it distinctly because it felt weirdly... By James Hollens4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments21 comments
Leveling Up Your Self-CareI've found over the last year that there are places to level up self-care in our house. My husband, Keegan, suffers from AS and chronic pain daily. We have 2... By Auldyn Matthews3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Transitioning Back to "Normal" After COVIDI’m not going to lie--I’m excited for a return to "normal" (or a new normal anyway) now that the outlook of the pandemic is looking up. I’m looking forward to... By Jessica Gama3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments