The new normal for our summers are forest fires. I call them Mother Nature’s Flares, because they are both unpredictable and uncontrollable. All it takes is a random lightening strike on a humid summer night or the careless flick of a cigarette out the window. Fire season has started early this year with a dry... Continue Reading →
The ARThritis Soiree: Arthritis Takes the Stage
A server hands me a glass of champagne and my partner and I peruse the silent auction items, the striking artwork made by and representing those living with arthritis, and the stage that will host this year’s entertainment and where the live auction will take place. The women are dressed in their evening gowns and... Continue Reading →
RA Matters: At Work and in Life
The last several months of 2018 were quite eventful for me. I traveled, worked, prepared auditions for upcoming shows, and spent three months on an application for an exclusive Writer’s Studio Program at a local university. In November I received amazing news: I got cast into a new show, and I got accepted to the... Continue Reading →
Harmony for the Holidays
It’s been a long and busy year. Winter, spring, summer and fall have kept me busy with work, family, friends, travelling, and, as always, battling the ongoing whims of disease. The beginning of 2018 started out with several goals and aspirations, and although I accomplished some of them, I found life, or more accurately my... Continue Reading →
Revisiting A Light in The Darkness
I wrote this post almost three years ago and while I thought about writing a new piece for this year’s All Hallows Eve, I realized I couldn’t say it any better than I did back then – and also, the wicked weather on this gloomy Sunday afternoon has cast a bit of a spell on... Continue Reading →
RA Blog Week: Mindfulness and Restorative Moments
Mindfulness is a beautiful way to recharge and be present in the moment. It’s not always easy to achieve, especially when pain gets in the way and medical appointments fill up the spare cracks in our busy lives. There’s always something that needs to be done and never enough time to do it. My moments... Continue Reading →
RA Blog Week: Tips and Tricks and Days Like This
Managing arthritis can sometimes be tricky. Wellness changes from day-to-day and there’s no predicting how we’re going to feel. I can have three glorious days of no pain, and then wake up on the fourth day feeling like a truck ran over me during the night. This is frustrating because it ambushes my plans –... Continue Reading →
RA Blog Week: Medicine and My Spoonful of Sugar
Medications become a part of life with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory autoimmune conditions. They are meant to control our pain and inflammation and are prescribed by our specialists with the intention of improving our quality of life. Sometimes things don’t go smoothly in our interactions with our doctors, pharmacists and insurance companies. I am... Continue Reading →
Changing the Colors of Arthritis Awareness
September is the beginning of change – the air is crisper, the morning dew thicker, the lush green leaves of summer mutate into a vibrant burnt orange, the rains return and at night, the wind howls as we snuggle under our blankets. Gone are the idle days of summer, now it’s back to work and... Continue Reading →
Just Live
Every month, it seems, there is a call to action to advocate for a specific disease. Social media explodes with ribbons of various colors representing different types of illness. There are posts on victories, stories of defeat, facts, statistics and figures. It’s a grand opportunity to add our voice, share our experience, invite people into... Continue Reading →