So much more…

More conversations are being had about RA and fibromyalgia and the impact on physical abilities but the impact on emotional well-being is more difficult to explain. Every aspect of your life is scrutinised by your own self doubt. The anxiety around the smallest situations is catastrophic and the feeling of being out of control is…

Trying to seem ‘normal’

Every day is a new day. A new chance of hope. Waking up each day wondering if this day is a day you can appear ‘normal’. Can you smile through the pain? Can you pretend that everything is ok? Can you do the things you want to do? Each time the realism sets in is…

#VersusArthritis campaign

Seeing the new campaign all over Facebook and Twitter is giving survivors like me hope that people will begin to understand the condition RA. Even though I have had a diagnosis for 14 years people are still shocked when I tell them I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. I still work full time and most days I…

That Christmas Feeling…

So Christmas is a time for family, friends, parties and cheer? At the most difficult time for most RA survivors, Christmas comes when the the weather is colder, presents to shop for and then wrap, expectations to feel good are high and then there’s the Christmas lunch to prepare and cook!  Loving the idea of…

What lies beneath…

Mental health is much more widely discussed these days…or so the media would like us to think; but how many of us struggle every day and see it as a normal part of life? A friend of mine and I discuss the loss of personal resilience in current society a lot and it is evident…

Excitement for the little things…

Never in all my life did I think I would get excited about obtaining gadgets to help in the kitchen! We’re not talking fancy mixers or coffee machines or the newest thing to talk back at you, reminding you of the things you should be doing. We’re talking about the gadgets that make life just…

From DLA to PIP…

Living with chronic conditions means that there are certain things you need in life that you wouldn’t normally need; things that become essential rather than just a want. Your house becomes filled with gadgets and gizmos to open things, chop things, pour things and basically clutter up your life! None of the products out there…

Comorbid conditions…

So…you spend years coming to terms with having what is coined an ‘invisible disability’ and then… BAM!!!! They hit you with one or two other conditions, or should I say ‘comorbid conditions’.  Happy little term that…not!  So what does it mean? Well, it’s when your body decides to screw you over just a little bit…

Shoe Envy…

You can buy the prettiest, most feminine outfit in the world but then you get to the shoes!  Ha!  Who am I trying to kid…I don’t do feminine very well at all!  Always relating myself to some really bad drag act!  Growing up I never wanted pretty shoes, always preferring docs or trainers…comfort was my…

To work or not to work…that is the question

Living with RA is most definitely a rollercoaster; one day you can feel ok and manage with the pain and stiffness, but the next day can be unbearable.  With no explanation or any fathomable reason, it can hit you when you least expect it.  I’d go as far to say that the condition is so…