My Holiday Hibernation ChecklistI can't be the only one jealous that bears get to spend most of the holidays hibernating in caves. They go sauntering into their caves, easy as they please to nap... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
New Year WishesI love Christmas. I love everything about it. The joy, the social gatherings, the music (come at me, Michael Buble!), the food, the movies. But it is madness. From panic... By Fiona Olegasegarem3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
My Recipe For Holiday HibernationDo you ever feel jealous that bears get to hibernate through the holidays? They go sauntering into their caves, easy as they please to nap through the lousy weather, shopping... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
I Have A Chronic Illness And Chronic DepressionHaving a chronic illness like ankylosing spondylitis takes its toll on us physically, but it also takes a huge toll on us mentally, too. It’s no secret that a lot... By Steff Di Pardo3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Dealing With Difficult Family Members Over The HolidaysI’m sure most of us have at least one (or more) family member that just doesn’t quite get what we go through. No matter how many times we try to... By Steff Di Pardo2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
Spondylitis Communication 104: Your Personal PolicyHave you ever seen a high drama press conference? They tend to follow a formula. Something big happened and we know that lots of uncomfortable and repetitive questions are about to fly... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Writing Poetry About AS: How and Why It HelpsI'm not sure if you know this, dear reader, but my background is in poetry! I got a Master's degree in writing (yes, I do have regrets), I've published several... By Lisa Marie Basile3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Realizing AS Changes EverythingGrowing up, I had heard of others in my family being diagnosed with serious and life-changing illnesses, but they were older. That's when life deals that card to us. It's... By Auldyn Matthews4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
What Bothers Us The Most About AS?Lately, I’ve been experiencing an SI joint flare-up. I’ve had the fatigue, the difficulty moving around, the all-over pain, and just about everything else. I started to wonder what other... By Steff Di Pardo2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
How To Get The Most Out Of Doctor AppointmentsMedical appointments seem simple enough: just book, show up, be seen, and follow up, right? Wrong! For many of us, patient care may as well be happening on the dark... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments7 comments
Weathering the Storm: Getting Through Joint Pain During Weather ChangesKeegan knows when a storm is coming, and often more accurately than what my iPhone weather app tells me. Changes in the weather, particularly large shift in temperature, pressure, and/or... By Auldyn Matthews2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
My Nighttime Routine For Emergency SituationsThe summer of 2019 was the most stressful time of my life. I put The Dude (my elderly uncle and Ward) on hospice, sold his house on an emergency basis... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
My Trip To The Zoo: An Accessibility Learning ExperienceIf you read my article “The River Denial” (all about the difficulty of asking for and accepting accommodations) you read that I was planning on taking my wheelchair to the... By Jed Finley4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
What an AS Flare is LikeIf you don’t deal with chronic pain or illness, you’re probably wondering what it’s actually like to experience a flare-up. Lucky for you, I’ve been through enough for a lifetime... By Steff Di Pardo3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments41 comments
Having AS and Always Fighting for YourselfI'm writing this article to air a frustration I have with something a lot of us with AS have to deal with. I feel like I’m constantly fighting for myself... By Steff Di Pardo2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Spondylitis Communication 103: ClarityHave you ever fallen asleep watching one movie and woke up to another? One minute Harrison Ford is Indiana Jones, then you pull that soft blanket up under your chin... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Three Unnerving Questions Most ASers Ask ThemselvesThe notion that people could fake a disability is widely held in our culture. Maybe it's a form of denial around life changing illness and disability? Maybe it's because we... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
“Shawn” Feels Guilty About Her SpondylitisImagine a spondylitis patient called Shawn. She's an African-American forty-something that most people think younger because she's prone to giggling, can't stop retweeting anything with frolicking otters, and wears lip... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Why Am I So Open?I feel like a lot of people that follow me on social media probably wonder “Why is she so open about everything?”. Why do I talk so much about my... By Steff Di Pardo2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Planning For Self-Care Success: Three Good ThingsLiving with AS can feel like a buzz saw merry-go-round. The saw blades are composed of the health issues and symptoms we're fighting back against. The merry-go-round, a mash-up of... By Dawn Gibson2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments