Living

Normal. What does it even mean? Like everyone else? Like myself? Fitting into some notion of what I am, was, or should be? Not sick. Not tired. Not hurting. Oh...

How many times have you been in the throes of a flare and uttered the following words; “I hate my life”? I was guilty of doing just that for the...

When I was a child, the number one way my parents could get me to do something was simply to tell me that I couldn’t do it. If restrictions are...

The longer I live with chronic illnesses like psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and fibromyalgia, the more I find myself learning about my body.  Some of those lessons have included learning how...

There are a great many difficult parts of living with psoriatic arthritis. There is the pain, joint damage, fatigue, and complications from the medicines just to name a few. All...

Having a chronic condition like psoriatic arthritis may require more doctor visits than the average person.  Because of this my husband and I always opt for the insurance plan that...

Hopeless. Lost. Defeated. Unfortunately these feelings are not uncommon to me. Sometimes they feel like a vicious cycle of emotions when it comes to pass that another medicine not working...

We all know one or two people who fail to consider if what they are about to say is inconsiderate and just blurt out rude or demoralizing comments.  But it...

There are so many devices, treatments, and products designed to help make living with psoriatic arthritis a little easier. Judging when we need to use the different aids can be...

Weather has the power to make my PsA symptoms better or worse.  Based upon how my body reacts to certain types of weather, I have come up with how I...

Do you find yourself feeling guilty for needing to rest or nap?  I used to.  In addition to feeling guilty I would also feel anger towards my body for not...

Did you know that plantar fasciitis pain that persists for more than 6 weeks is considered “chronic”? Turns out I’ve been chronic for about 4 years then! One common symptom...

Nobody cares about my body as much as I do. I learned this first-hand many years ago after several physicians prescribed medications that contained ingredients that I was allergic to. Yes...

I have always enjoyed having family over to visit and to host large get-togethers at my house. When company is invited over, I know the right thing to do is...

Do you struggle with pacing yourself? I do!! Even though I have improved I am always looking for new ways to prevent hitting a wall and knocking myself out for...

The doctors, the bottles of medicine, the constant pain, the anxiety, the appointments-sometimes it all closes in on me, burying me under its heavy burden. Sometimes it feels like the...

Someone you love has just been dealt a tough blow. Maybe they find their diagnosis a bit of a relief after years spent looking for answers. Perhaps, their diagnosis came...

Several years ago, I discovered that I didn’t suffer from insomnia like my doctors and I had both presumed. My issue with sleep wasn’t an inability to sleep; it was...

Eat, love, and pray, that is how I get through each day.  While it may sound silly, these three actions have made living with psoriatic arthritis a little easier. I...

Sometimes, because we are the ones who live with psoriatic arthritis every day, we can easily and understandably get wrapped up in how it affects us, on a daily basis...