First in a series. I grew up in a Christian home. I attended church every Sunday and knew the answers to most of the questions in Sunday school. I felt like I rated pretty high as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. I knew, in theory, that God is good.
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,…
If you have ankylosing spondylitis (AS) like me, you might prefer to avoid real-life seminars, even though you’d love to know the latest findings about managing AS. Just picturing sitting for hours with a stiff and aching back on the uncomfortable chairs of a drafty hall to watch…
“Geez, my back’s getting worse,” I muttered to myself as I took a break midway on my walk around the park near my house in Perth, Australia. Pulling the protruding white earbuds from my ears, I paused the chattering voices on my podcast. Gently digging my thumbs into my lower…
You’d think that because ankylosing spondylitis (AS) affects joints internally, clothes wouldn’t make much difference. But I despise certain garments when I’m having an AS flare and my sacroiliac joints, spine, or rib cage are inflamed and painful. Picture for a minute that I’m standing at the…
“Oh, my goodness, am I having a heart attack?” It was just after 1 a.m. I had felt achy in my ribs and chest area for several nights in a row, but this was something altogether different. The pain was sharp and severe. Breathing hurt so bad…
Craning my head back, I surveyed the wood and metal structure towering over us. “Come on, Mum, let’s climb it together!” my two kids, ages 5 and 7, shrieked in excitement. Tightening the straps of my heavy backpack over my shoulders, I nodded and grinned back at them as we…
A twinkly-eyed lady with a hospital name tag whisked the clinical dove-gray curtain along its track, giving the two of us some privacy from the rest of the ward. But don’t worry, I wasn’t in the hospital for an invasive procedure, or because of a new problem with my…
Lifting his toothbrush toward his mouth, my husband, Dave, grimaced in pain. “Elbow still bothering you?” I asked, although I already knew that his elbow and shoulders had been causing him increasing discomfort for months. You’d think a tiny, almost weightless thing like a toothbrush shouldn’t be painful to…
It was a Saturday afternoon in October 2019. While I was the mom of three active young boys, sadly, it wasn’t unusual for me to be resting in bed at that time of day. I remember the moment vividly, because it was when I received a life-changing call from our…
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