Arthritis Life

Meaghan shares her journey growing up with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, which turned into psoriatic arthritis (PSA) in her twenties. She busts common myths about PSA and delves into the importance of advocacy, mental health, sharing our stories and more. ##Episode at a glance: Meaghan’s Diagnosis story / saga for JIA and then PsA: medical gaslighting, delays in care, learning to advocate for her...

As a child and teenager growing up with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Jen Blair often felt lonely, isolated and "broken."  Fast forward to the present: Jen is a  mother of three, accepts her "new normal" and has come to see herself as strong rather than broken.  This episode delves into Jen’s story and includes details about her different prescription treatments, how she came to embrace exercise...

Emily Johnson, the Arthritis Foodie, shares her journey from medical gaslighting to a diagnosis of seronegative arthritis during her university years. She and Cheryl discuss how they combine lifestyle changes with western medication to manage rheumatoid arthritis.  Emily also explains how her experiences inspired her to write a book about lifestyle changes for rheumatoid arthritis, called “ Beat A...

Cheryl and Eileen’s personal stress management toolboxes include: formal  therapy, delegating tasks, prioritizing self care, snuggling with their pets, acceptance, mindfulness, addressing past traumas, advocacy and more. This conversation originally took place as an Instagram Live discussion in March 2022. Medical disclaimer: All content found on Arthritis Life public channels was created for gene...

Camille and Gittel share how lost and overwhelmed they felt trying to manage rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis on their own. They describe how  Rheum to THRIVE helped them not only on a practical level but also emotionally, and share their best tips for managing flare-ups. This conversation originally took place as an Instagram Live discussion in September 2021. Episode at a glance:...

Erin & Heather share their diagnosis journeys for rheumatoid arthritis, and how Cheryl’s “Rheum to THRIVE” program helped them become more empowered and supported.  This conversation originally took place as an Instagram Live discussion in September 2021. Episode at a glance: Erin shares her diagnosis story: originally ankylosing spondylitis, then changed to rheumatoid arthritis Heather shares how...

Episode at a glance: Catina’s Diagnosis journey/saga for endometriosis, RA, fibromyalgia: was initially told it was “growing pains,” not believed for years How Catina managed to push through pain and work as a nurse Catina’s experiences as a black woman managing multiple chronic conditions How Catina’s experiences inspired her to form the Nurse Loves Essentials company, community and coaching serv...

Amy shares what she’s learned while managing a fast paced, mentally taxing career as a lawyer while living with rheumatoid arthritis. Amy & Cheryl share their experiences in peer support groups, and explore how they've both learned how to challenge their internalized ableism and overcome shame through connecting with others in Cheryl' s Rheum to THRIVE support group.  Episode at a glance Amy’s dia...

Erika Bustos and Rachel Albo share how their individual journeys with managing rheumatoid arthritis and holistic health coaching led them to connect on social media. They then transformed their virtual relationship to a “real life” friendship and business partnership in their podcast “ Autoimmune & You ."   Episode at a glance: Rachel and Erika’s diagnosis stories for rheumatoid arthritis in their...

 Paulina, Ananthi and Jo update the audience about their methotrexate journeys for rheumatoid arthritis, including having to titrate the dosage up or down due to liver enzyme numbers, decisions about whether to add a biologic medication in addition to methotrexate, and reflections on the emotional ups and downs of living with a chronic, unpredictable illness during a pandemic. This episode is a fo...

Dr. Victoria Sampson explains how oral health, the oral microbiome and rheumatoid arthritis inflammation are all interrelated. She provides ample details about why people with rheumatoid arthritis should take extra care with their oral health, and explains how altering the oral microbiome can potentially lead to improvements in RA disease activity. See full episode notes including a detailed trans...

After living with rheumatoid arthritis, a disease characterized by at times unpredictable flare-ups and remissions) for nineteen years, host Cheryl Crow is no stranger to uncertainty. However, the pandemic has brought a whole new level of uncertainty to the lives of those who are vulnerable, including Cheryl. In this discussion, mental health occupational therapist Carlyn Neek and Cheryl focus dis...

What happens when the person who loves everything suddenly likes nothing? Arthritis Life founder and Arthritis Life host Cheryl Crow shares her rocky transition to motherhood while managing a rheumatoid arthritis flare up. She also opens up about her experience with symptoms of postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, and highlights the importance of therapy in helping her get back to her “us...

Episode at a glance: Tiffany’s diagnosis journey: from initial diagnosis of RA to eventual diagnosis of non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis How Tiffany learned the importance of patient advocacy Why Tiffany formed AiARTHRITIS -  International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis” What is precision medicine and why is it important? Tiffany’s best advice to newly diagnosed pat...

Episode at a glance: Colleen shares what it was like to grow up with one hand. Colleen’s diagnosis story for rheumatoid arthritis and treatments that have helped. How Colleen met her husband and her tips for chronically ill relationships. How Colleen maintains a “glass half full” attitude and a brief discussion of “toxic positivity.” Pain management strategies that helped Colleen after over 4 join...

Episode at a glance: Natalie’s diagnosis stories for fibromyalgia, migraine, celiac, cold urticaria, Hashimoto’s, and other conditions What does fibromyalgia feel like? Cheryl & Natalie discuss how useful the “faulty battery charger” metaphor is for explaining fatigue How Natalie uses humor to cope with her chronic illnesses, and how that led her to create funny T-shirts and ultimately the Uncharg...

Episode at a glance: 0:00 - 3:25: Lene’s journey with juvenile idiopathic arthritis from diagnosis at age 9 to using a power wheelchair starting at age 16 to now 3:25 - 10:40: What is ableism, and how does it relate to other forms of descrimination such as racism or sexism? 10:40 - 17:51 - What is health privilege? 17:51 - 24:30 -  What is internalized ableism and how might it manifest in a person...

In this episode I share why I became an occupational therapist (spoiler alert - it wasn’t about arthritis initially!), answer your “just for fun questions” (including my favorite Taylor Swift songs), answer your arthritis related questions and share insights about coping with the roller coaster of emotions that accompanies chronic illness life.  I’m beyond honored and touched to have reached fifty...

Episode at a glance: Ashley’s rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis story: getting the diagnosis at age twenty-seven after being told she was “too young” when she first presented with symptoms Faith: How Ashley’s different kinds of faith help her: faith in God, and faith in herself that she can persevere and achieve her goals, and faith that she can change her mindset. Fitness: Ashley’s journey becoming...

Natasha and Cheryl discuss her treatment journey, how her social life was affected by JIA, the importance of diet and stress management in her treatment plan, and why Natasha formed the nonprofit Take a Pain Check. Episode at a glance: Natasha’s diagnosis story and early experiences with juvenile idiopathic arthritis Different treatments Natasha has tried, including steroid joint injections, metho...

Episode at a glance Occupational therapy (OT): Why Lindsay became an OT, and Lindsay & Cheryl’s definitions of the profession. (1:00-6:00) Things to think about when accessing a home when you have arthritis: steps, ramps and more, plus tips on aging in place.  (6:00-14:29) Tips for the Bathroom with Arthritis: wiping, bidets, toilet seat height, grab bars, shower gadgets, drying hair and more.  (1...

Episode at a glance Full transcript and additional notes available at the Arthritis Life website here. 1:00 - 7:30 Unity’s shares her diagnosis story at 15 months old and details her young childhood experiences growing up with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) 7:30 - 15:00: How Unity became more active in her care management as an adolescent and explored alternate ways of managing JIA including...

In this episode, eight women share their journeys with methotrexate as of July 2020. You can hear an update from Jo, Ananthi and Paulina from October 2021 in episode 58. Episode at a glance Introduction to Episode with Methotrexate facts (0:00-5:00) Patient introductions (5:00-10:00) Patient stories about being on methotrexate: Paulina, Cheryl, Ali & Ananthi (10:00 - 41:00) Discussion about natura...

Episode at a glance Grace’s introduction & diagnosis story (3:22 - 9:00) Grace’s experience with pregnancy remission and a postpartum flare up (9:21 - 15:00) What has helped Grace cope mentally and emotionally with chronic pain and stress (15:50 - 32:00) Grace describes her current business coaching work (32:00 - 37:00) Speaker Bios: Grace Nelson is a business coach, specializing in supporting wom...

Episode at a glance Introduction & definition of terms: What is stress, pain versus suffering, statistics on mental health and arthritis, common causes of stress with chronic illness (1:30 - 12:00) Cognitive behavior therapy for “thinking problems”: How “Catching ANTs” is a helpful tool for “thinking problems” (when your stress is caused by maladaptive thinking patterns) (12:30 - 20:45 ) Mindfulne...