Happy World Arthritis Day!

Source: Instagram (anonymous)

In case you don’t know, today, October 12th, is World Arthritis Day. It’s late afternoon right now in Minnesota and the day is nearing its end, however I didn’t want to completely forget or ignore this day. Other RA friends and acquaintances of mine have been posting stuff all day long on their blogs and social media pages about how arthritis affects their lives. Regarding my own RA story, I recently (well, three months ago) reached an important milestone: the 20th anniversary of my RA diagnosis. I wrote an article for rheumatoidarthritis.net about it, if anybody would like to read it. Click on the link below to read a bit about what it feels like to have RA for 20 years.

“Happy (?) Anniversary, RA”

Thank you for reading it and this blog, despite how little I seem to be posting here. I hope you can find something worthwhile and good to take away from my story.

And, if you know anybody with RA, or have it yourself, please give that person (including yourself) a gentle hug today.

-Angela

Rheumatoid Arthritis Studies!

Hello everyone!

I’m now a CureClick Ambassador, which means I get information about studies and clinical trials for RA (and other diseases). I hope to help find participants for the studies by sharing them on my blog and social media pages. As many of you with RA know, continued research, development, and approval of new drugs and treatments for RA (and other diseases) is desperately needed for the patients who suffer from chronic illnesses. As drugs fail for certain patients or become ineffective over time, we need to have more options. Clinical trials, and participants in these studies, are therefore crucial in the development and approval of new drugs.

So! I just found out about a rheumatoid arthritis study/clinical trial that needs participants. If you have RA, click here for more info and to see if you qualify:

LOCAL RESEARCH STUDIES FOR RA 

Please consider participating! All of your “rheummates” need you. :)

Thank you!
Angela

I Am Not Lazy

Image via @girlboss on Instagram

I just posted this all over my social media pages yesterday because I love it! Having RA and an invisible illness, this statement really resonates with me. I often struggle with feeling “lazy” (and then guilty) just trying to make it through each day living with this exhausting disease. I’m NOT lazy, though. None of us are. We’re doing the best we can while living with constant, debilitating pain. That should be enough.

Link: girlboss.com

“Finely Tuned” Twitter Chat!

This is happening tonight! Very soon, actually. Join us on Twitter in about 30 minutes if you can! We’ll be chatting about making decisions about treatments, preparing for doctor appointments, and getting involved in healthcare policy work.

My Twitter handle is @aclundberg (if you don’t already know!). See you online soon!

Summer Update

Happy July, everyone!

Once again I can’t believe how long it’s been since I posted on here and how fast the time is speeding by. Can everything slow down a bit, please? Even though I haven’t been posting on this blog that much lately, I’m still keeping busy updating my RA Facebook page–“Inflamed: Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis” (like this blog)–and writing for RheumatoidArthritis.net. If you’re on Facebook, please check out and “like” my page! I’d love to have you there. I do plan to start posting a lot more on this blog, too.

In other news, I started another new biologic medication this spring, Rituxan, and my rheumatologist and I are now waiting to see if it’s going to work. I really hope it does because I’m running out of biologic options–which is worrying. I’m also desperate to finally get off of prednisone (and stay off it) after taking it regularly for about three years.

Here’s a recent article I wrote about starting Rituxan for RheumatoidArthritis.net: “Rituxan Ready?”

In exciting/wonderful news, I’ve recently lost about 9 lbs! This makes me so happy and relieved because I feel like I’ve been trying to lose weight forever, and nothing seemed to be working. I’m glad to find out that my body and metabolism isn’t totally broken/defective. Whew.

How’s your summer going? How’s your RA? The heat and humidity drive me crazy and make my RA (especially swelling) a lot worse. If this also happens to you, I hope you can find a way to stay cool and comfortable right now. I’m sick of breathing in central air conditioning day after day, but I’d rather do that than be miserable and in worse pain.

I really need a relaxing beach vacation, I’ve decided.

What It’s Like to Juggle a Full-Time Illness and a Full-Time Career

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Exciting news: the article I wrote recently for the fantastic Spring.st website got published today! It’s an essay about what it’s like trying to work while having a chronic illness. Check it out!

“What It’s Like to Juggle a Full-Time Illness and a Full-Time Career”

Hope you like it! :)

30 Days with RA!

Happy April! It’s APRIL already? How did this happen? Life moves too fast sometimes (when you’re busy running to medical appointments every other day, ha).

Well anyway, I’m happy that the weather is starting to get nicer and that Spring is approaching (hopefully). I’m also happy to be starting this little 30-day project for the month of April: 30 Days with RA.

I wrote an article about it recently for RheumatoidArthritis.net (the link above), which can give you a better, more-detailed explanation of the project, if you’re interested.