Have you ever watched a child play with a jack-in-the-box? You see them slowly wind the handle. As the music plays they begin to giggle in anticipation of the clown that is about to appear, and then suddenly…POP! The child has a look of surprise as if they didn’t know …
Read More »I’m Dangerous
Those of us fighting Ankylosing Spondylitis or other illnesses know that every day is a test of our courage and strength. We question if today will be the day when we find a cure, our energy will be restored, or even if we will find a bit of relief for …
Read More »The Season For Health
I love this time of year. I love it for the festivities and the traditions, for the carols, lights, and gift giving. Some years I do more than other years – my decorating and baking frenzy ebbs and flows depending on my health (both physical and emotional.) This year I …
Read More »Surviving The Difficult Days
Some days it feels like there isn’t much fight left in me. Some days I want to crawl in bed and pull the covers up over my head and stop and hope the world forgets about me and just allows me to slink into my safe place and hide. I …
Read More »Head, Shoulders, Knees…and Toes?
One Summer evening I was entertaining the kids with different games to tire them out. I came across an oldie but a goodie. We have all heard, danced & chanted along with this wonderful song as a child. Head, shoulders, knees and toes. As a child we do the movements …
Read More »Choose to End Our Abuse
There are many different types of abuse in our world. Sadly, the list is long. Each with their own trace of horrible scars that must be hurdled over. When it comes to having a disease like Ankylosing Spondylitis I have noticed, not only for me, but for many others with …
Read More »Uproot those thoughts and plant anew!
I’m sitting on my front porch, enjoying the quiet sounds of summer and clicking away on my laptop. In the last few months I lost sight of who and what are important to me and it took a recent very difficult situation to cause me to step back, evaluate, and adjust …
Read More »Where Does It Hurt?
Many people who suffer from not only ankylosing spondylitis, but also other autoimmune disorders are familiar with these four words. The problem with the question is that there is no simple answer. For me, my symptoms can change daily. For example, yesterday I couldn’t turn my neck, but today my …
Read More »It Worked For Mona Lisa
I had a doctor growing up who nicknamed me Mona Lisa. He said I hid behind my smile. I was a mystery to some doctors partly because if they asked how I felt, I would grin and respond with, “I’m fine.” He would say that he could see the wheels …
Read More »What was I thinking?
What was I thinking? I was supposed to post to The Fight Like A Girl Club over a week ago. As a power team writer, I write on topics related to the disease I fight, ankylosing spondylitis, and post once a month. Unfortunately I’m fighting AS which means that I …
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