Joint Journey — Jemma Newman

“So what does it feel like, your back problem?” my friend asked, as she tucked her hair behind her ears and picked up a steaming mug of coffee from the table between us. By “back problem” I knew she was referring to my ankylosing spondylitis (AS). “Well,” I said…

Yesterday I did something that I instantly regretted. I was shopping online for a birthday present for a family member who lives in New Zealand, scanning through websites and comparing sizes and prices, looking for the perfect gift. Finally, I added what looked like a beautiful pair of warm sheepskin…

My husband, Dave, has been talking about his ankylosing spondylitis (AS) symptoms for almost 20 years, though for more than a decade, neither of us realized that AS was the cause of them. Although we didn’t know why he had a terribly sore back or strangely stiff and…

Driving through early-morning city traffic on the way to a Western Australia hospital for my rheumatology appointment, I had what felt like a hundred questions running through my head. Because of COVID-19, I hadn’t been able to see a rheumatologist face to face since lockdowns put the clamps on…

Lately, I’ve had an enormous grin plastered across my face, thanks to lots of exciting life events happening over the last three months. This week, I’m holding my very first art exhibition, which I’ve been feverishly preparing for. In addition, I was recently offered an amazing part-time job, as well…

I first started experiencing ankylosing spondylitis (AS) symptoms in 2018, shortly after my son was born. I couldn’t figure out why my spine and ribs were hurting in such a bone-achingly deep way. At the time of my diagnosis, I was trying everything I could think of to…

The last trip I made to a hospital in Perth, Australia, to see a rheumatologist for my ankylosing spondylitis (AS) was before the world was disrupted by COVID-19. It’s been several years since I’ve sat in a sterile waiting room, watching the clock hands tick slowly around,…

As our sedan sped along the highway to our destination in Margaret River, in Western Australia, I realized with delight that this was the first holiday in the last few years that hasn’t made me feel anxious. Holidays have been rare since my husband, Dave, and I were…

If you have an invisible disease like ankylosing spondylitis (AS), as my husband, Dave, and I do, perhaps you’ve noticed that people only realize something’s wrong if you say it out loud. Sometimes I find it hard to make people understand the impact this autoimmune disease has on…

My husband, Dave, and I both have ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and when we’re struggling to live with the disease, even simple things can seem difficult. A normally easy activity, like commuting to work on the train, can feel daunting because it’s going to cause extra pain. When I…

Note: This column describes the author’s husband’s experiences with meloxicam. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Sleeping beside my husband, Dave, who has ankylosing spondylitis (AS), I’ve noticed that his nights are more restless when his…

The drizzle swept down on us during a stormy night in Perth, Western Australia, last month as my husband, Dave, and I joined some friends outside a cozy downtown bar. The babysitter was paid for, our stomachs were full of grilled steak from a lovely restaurant dinner, and we weren’t…