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The Diet That Brings Me Sweet Relief From AS Pain

After many months on the hospital waiting list, I was looking forward to my first rheumatologist appointment. I had high hopes that I’d be prescribed medication that could help with my horrible nighttime pain from ankylosing spondylitis (AS). I already wasn’t coping with the pain and insomnia, and because…

The Ups and Downs of Parenting When You Have AS

“Ooh, my back hurts!” my 3-year-old son groaned, clutching it dramatically as he crouched on the carpet amid a pile of Duplo blocks and miniature cars. He glanced at me cheekily from under his long eyelashes, checking to see if I was paying attention. “What’s going on, buddy? Are you…

How Minimizing My Symptoms Delayed My AS Diagnosis

“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…