The Seated View

I used to contribute posts to CreakyJoints and was very happy to be part of the community. Alas, when my workload increased, something had to give. I've missed that community, which is why I was thrilled when they asked me to write a guest post about the holidays and chronic illness (and perhaps mention Chronic Christmas) Each guest post I write has a different approach to enjoying the holidays. This one shares tips about how to manage multiple holiday social events: "The holiday season is full of joy. Singing along with the carols playing everywhere, giggling to yourself as you wrap the perfect present for that special someone, and eating all the cookies that somehow broke in the transition from oven to cookie tin.  But let’s face it — the season is also very stressful. And when you live with chronic illness, reducing stress can be an important aspect of managing the symptoms and pain associated with your condition. So how do you balance celebrating the holidays...

Last week’s excellent CreakyChat on family planning and rheumatic diseases brought up some memories. I remember the moment I decided not to have children of my own. My mother is pushing my manual chair through the old part of Rigshospitalet , the hospital where I spent several years waiting for hip replacements. The hospital where I go to see my rheumatologist. Where we have just been, on one of the regular checkup visits to see how I’m doing. The older area is composed of a multitude of red brick three-story buildings, each containing a different department, different offices, all connected by elaborate tunnels underground. Both my sister and I were born in one of those buildings. I remember visiting my mother while she was on bedrest, holding on to my sister who, just like me, was in a rush to get out. I remember the old linoleum, the tall windows, the smells of beds, babies, and breast milk. It is early summer, on the cusp between May and June. All the trees ar...

Also posted on CreakyJoints   “People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along? Can we get along?” -           Rodney King A few weeks ago, I took to email and social media to ask about a certain undercurrent   in the RA online community where people felt there wasn’t room for them. The stories I was told, from people feeling left out   to being outright bullied and harassed, formed the basis for my first post on divisions in the RA community . In my second post, I will look whether we in the RA community can ever get along.  On a personal level, it boggles my mind that we are vicious towards each other. It makes me angry, makes me want to defend those who are bullied. And I am so sad that the division in this community result in people being further isolated. We all have one overarching thing in common: RA. We understand each other on a more basic level than anyone else because we und...

Also posted on CreakyJoints “I had to stop going online because there was no comfort for me there.” (Kim Bruno, @kaurorab ) “ I have been made to feel that you will only be accepted in these groups and listened to, if you only share your woes and not your victories.” (Brenda Kleinsasser, editor of CreakyJoints Poet’s Corner ) “While looking for the silver lining has gotten me through many difficult periods in life, I too need support – daily.” (Britt Johnson, @HurtBlogger ) “I t does NO good in this online community or in everyday life to tear each other down or to look at life from a bitter perspective.” (Ashley Boynes-Shuck on her Facebook page , @ArthritisAshley ) We don’t talk about this. We pretend we are all together, but that’s not really the case. Underneath the cohesive surface of the online RA community, there is division, factions, disagreements. Even bullying. And it’s time to talk about it. In this first of two posts on the topic, several mem...