Joint Journey — Jemma Newman

“I can barely remember these events happening. I was just so tired all the time,” my husband, Dave, sadly remarked as we scrolled through family photos from a few years ago. The fatigue caused by ankylosing spondylitis (AS) isn’t the same as feeling that you could use a…

I start most days with a delicious berry smoothie for breakfast. Even after five years of eating a daily smoothie since being diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), I’m still not sick of it. One reason I choose a smoothie is because I can easily add collagen powder…

My social media feed is bloated with posts by friends and acquaintances bursting to share their big, audacious goals with the world — and it’s making me feel queasy. Every time I’ve picked up my phone lately to seek a little inspiration or entertainment during a few minutes of downtime,…

I recently had to get a full spine MRI to check the progression of my ankylosing spondylitis (AS). It didn’t hurt in the slightest, but I found it to be an intense sensory experience. Many AS patients get an MRI as part…

If I type “ankylosing spondylitis” (AS) into Google, one of the first prompts that pops up on my screen is “Can ankylosing spondylitis be cured?” Though I know AS can’t be cured entirely because it’s a chronic autoimmune disease, I believe I’m getting close to achieving remission.

At my latest rheumatology appointment to monitor my ankylosing spondylitis (AS) progression, a wave of goosebumps broke out on my arms as I stepped through the automatic glass door from a hot, sunny day into the chilled, antiseptic-scented air of the hospital clinic I realized with annoyance that…

Scrolling through the camera roll on my phone, I stumbled across a photo of myself with a wide smile. My makeup looked flawless and my body slender and strong, but I could see that the smile didn’t reach my eyes. Instantly, my mind flashed back to 2020, when the image…

Christmas feels different as an adult than it did as a child, doesn’t it? Especially when you’re coping with a chronic disease like ankylosing spondylitis (AS), the holiday joy is tempered with a daunting list of physically and mentally challenging “should-dos.” As I sit here typing on my…

“Sleep anxiety is a real thing,” my husband, Dave, announced as we were putting on our pajamas last night. We were both exhausted after back-to-back nights of troubled sleep, with lots of tossing and turning because of the discomfort that ankylosing spondylitis (AS) can cause at night.

I sat nervously in the doctor’s chair, desperate to know what could be causing my nighttime back pain. I hadn’t yet been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and all I knew then was that the maximum dose of over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication couldn’t help me sleep past 2 a.m.

Did you know that pets can be wonderfully helpful for people with a chronic disease like ankylosing spondylitis (AS)? One of the lovable and hilarious parts of owning a pet is their funny quirks and characteristics. We have two rescue cats, and the brother of the pair, Fudge,…