Columns

The sea breeze wafted in my open car window as I drove happily along a seaside highway, tapping my fingers in time to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Suddenly a large truck came roaring up from behind, weaving aggressively between the lanes of cars. It nearly caused an…

Life’s good at throwing curveballs, and we never saw this one coming. It was a pretty big shock when my husband, Dave, and I were both diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) within the space of two years. At that time in 2020, things were looking pretty grim. We were…

“Hey, did you know that redheads feel pain differently?” I asked my husband after stumbling upon some research earlier in the day. As a redhead who’s often experienced all sorts of pain, I wondered if my redheadedness was to blame for my constant ailments. My ankylosing spondylitis (AS) symptoms…

Hands up if you’re desperate for a good night’s sleep. Yes, I see all you ankylosing spondylitis (AS) folk out there, waving your hands around madly. I see you! If you suffer from this autoimmune disease, and especially if you’re not yet on a treatment that’s helping, I…

Daily conversation topics are a bit different at our house. Instead of discussing the news or an upcoming holiday, we’re often chatting about stiffening joints, eye problems from iritis, or the best way to deal with a painful flare. Both my husband and I have ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

The statements “I have ankylosing spondylitis” and “I feel great!” hardly seem to go together. But for me, they do. That wasn’t always the case. In a previous column, I described my nightly struggle with this invisible illness. I had nights when I couldn’t pick my twin infants up…

“I love you, dud!” I hollered after my 3-year-old son as he blissfully skipped back to play with his brothers. (It’s unfortunate that while I had meant to say, “I love you, bud!” or “I love you, darling!” it had come out as a rather unflattering mixture of the two…

Have you ever felt like you drew the short end of the stick in life? Do other people seem to have more reasons to be joyful than you do? When we are diagnosed with an incurable and progressive disease it can feel unfair. Sometimes we may wonder if a…

Medicinal marijuana has been a true lifesaver for me as someone with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). I have so much gratitude and appreciation for this plant, as it provides pain relief and brings balance and well-being into my life. On top of that, the cannabis industry has provided me…

Luke Magda and I first met online in a Facebook group called “Low/No Starch Lifestyle Group for Ankylosing Spondylitis.” There, thousands have discovered that making changes to their diet by removing starches, especially highly processed ones, and saying no to other inflammatory foods, can drastically reduce inflammation in the…