A Wellness Journey - a Column by Lisa Marie Basile

Ankylosing Spondylitis Is Not Your Fault

Some people just don’t “get” chronic illness, and they can be pretty cruel about it — or thoughtless, at the very least. It’s hard when people don’t understand what it’s like for those with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) to live with daily pain and the pressures of financing medication,…

Balance Your Anxiety and Concern About COVID-19

I’ve noticed lately that public health crises, such as the new coronavirus pandemic, make many people anxious. This is especially true for the immunocompromised, disabled, and chronically ill. Of course, there’s a difference between health anxiety and health concern. Anxiety is obsessive. It’s irrational and toxic. Concern, on the…

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About AS

Look, I get it. You can’t blame people for being curious. It’s hard not to be when someone lives with an incurable — and mostly invisible — disease. I’m not hunched over, and I don’t typically have swollen red eyes, so to other people, I look “normal.” In this…