Columns

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 wonder: How does everyone have so much energy all the time…

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 unchangeable reality came with a thousand variables: Your body will…

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 retailer’s blog. The brand wanted to be seen as a trustworthy authority…

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 that I’d be too young or too old, or too mobile,…

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 AS. I’m looking for someone to connect with, who understands, and…

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 wellness and water workouts. The majority of classes are on bikes…

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 pain in the chest). I finally went to the two best…

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, and groups for local AS meetups. Then there was the group…

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 fun! I was doing things that most people that age do.

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 have been worse. That said, it’s entirely natural to mourn, grieve,…