Joint Journey — Jemma Newman

It helps when someone understands what it’s like to live with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). My only sister, Angie Lole, and I live on different sides of the world (she’s in the U.S., and I’m in Australia), but we…

My first symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) weren’t the commonly discussed sacroiliac pain, which is at the base of the spine. Instead, I was waking up in the wee hours of the night with intense burning in…

As I slowly loaded packets of minced beef and frozen salmon onto the supermarket checkout conveyor belt, I heard a loud and impatient sigh from behind me. Another customer was standing close by, brows furrowed, with a partly full…

When I was pregnant before I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), I was pretty tired. Particularly at the end of my pregnancy, when I could hardly take a breath, my organs were all squished, and my body…

Confession time: I wasn’t always a big advocate for gut health. I’m a skeptical person, so I mentally categorized it with unproven alternative therapies and fad diets. I’ve always eaten pretty healthily, but I didn’t make the connection that…

Last night, as I was drifting off to sleep, I was picturing swimming underwater with my diving tank on my back. Imagine sinking down through cool, shimmering water while kicking your fins to propel yourself slowly toward the white,…

Lately, one of my favorite shows has been “The Mandalorian,” a Disney+ original spinoff series from the epic “Star Wars” chronicles. Every time I watch an episode, it makes me think about the importance of friends when…

A few weeks ago, I experienced what I’d call one of my most painful ankylosing spondylitis (AS) flares. I want to share this experience not to complain, but to talk freely about the difficulties of this chronic disease.

Last in a series. Read part one. Welcome back to my ultimate roundup of tools that help my husband, Dave, and I manage our ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Come on in to my virtual home, and let’s…

First in a series. The pain and stiffness of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) ebb and flow like the tide. Some days are calm and relatively pain-free, while others are awash in a crashing wave of joint and muscle pain.

It’s the beginning of the long and hot summer holidays here in Western Australia, and groups of parents are standing around chatting outside the classrooms while swatting away the pesky flies. “So what have you got planned for…