A Wellness Journey — Lisa Marie Basile

Life can be affirming and beautiful, but it also can be hard, random, and totally unfair. We all know this. And all of that is extra real when living with a chronic disease like ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We may…

Getting diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) wasn’t just about figuring out (finally!) which disease was causing me to feel like a hot garbage fire — it was about accepting one unchangeable reality and creating a new one. The…

I’m a wellness writer and editor. Some of my work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, and here at Ankylosing Spondylitis News — my favorite! My last full-time gig was as editor of a wellness…

I was anxious as I walked into my first ankylosing spondylitis meetup, sponsored by the Spondylitis Association of America. I had no idea what type of people would be there or the severity of their disease. I worried…

When I search for “autoimmune disease” or “immune-mediated disease” on YouTube, I get a lot of results, but very few of them are about ankylosing spondylitis (AS). It’s disappointing that so few videos are made by people with…

Around the time of my “official” AS diagnosis (I stress “officially,” because most of us have this disease for years before diagnosis), I joined AQUASTUDIO in New York City. It’s an intimate, friendly, and low-impact studio dedicated to holistic…

Second in a series. Read part one. And then the symptoms hit. By 30, I had limited mobility in my back and hips, extremely stiff joints, horrible fatigue, serious morning immobility, chronic stomach distress, and costochondritis (inflammatory joint…

When I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), one of the first things I did was join numerous AS groups on Facebook. We’re talking groups for women with AS, groups for AS-related diets, groups for fitness with AS,…

First in a series. When I first started having symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), I was in my mid-20s which is right in the middle of the age range of when most people receive a diagnosis. How…

Following my ankylosing spondylitis (AS) diagnosis, I thought the world had ended. I felt awful. I knew I was doomed to get sicker, and I believed I’d have limited control over my situation. Frankly, my perspective couldn’t…

After my diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), I realized didn’t know anyone else with the disease. I was feeling exceptionally lost and alone. I turned to YouTube for community and education, and it was super helpful. First, I could watch people…

If you’re anything like me, your ankylosing spondylitis (AS) diagnosis may not have been the easiest thing in the world to reconcile. Being diagnosed with a lifelong, degenerative, chronic illness can be a wake-up call unlike any other.