The Single Gal's Guide to Rheumatoid Arthritis

Have you Heard about My Ra Fit Kit?

Not sure if I'm the last one to catch on, but I just saw a commercial for the first time about something called My RA Fit Kit.  From the commercial and the website, it looks like it's a customizable, web-based exercise program for folks like you and me.  

UCB (who makes Cimzia) has teamed up with a non-profit, The Cooper Institute, to develop it.  I haven't registered yet, and it apparently is free- though I'm guessing you have to give them your info as nothing is *really* free, but I'm super curious what others know about it.  Have you seen the commercial?  Have any of you used it?

I have to give them one thing- I thought their commercial was pretty spot on, or at least it was leaps ahead of what I'm used to seeing about RA.  The opening got my attention with a woman proclaiming that 'My RA is not like your RA.'  It was definitely geared towards the community- they didn't even say rheumatoid arthritis full out until half way through, and the people they showed were young. Like me!!! Someone's been doing good research and listening to all of us! Not sure if they consulted with anyone, but I wouldn't be surprised.  

What was surprising was seeing something like this on the TV.  If ONLY this kind of ad had been out when I was first diagnosed. I might not have felt like such a misfit.

Know anything about it?  If so, please leave a comment!

Fizzled

Today was like a slow leak. I woke up feeling tired, but got ready for work anyway. I had some things I really needed to do at the office, so I dragged myself in to work. As soon as I sat down in my chair, though, I knew I wouldn't make it through the day. When I get really fatigued, I also tend to feel flushed and a little feverish. Today was no exception. 

So, instead of having a productive day, I have camped out on the couch napping on and off.  Here shall I be a little longer, and then it's off to bed properly at an obscenely early hour.  Hoping it will do the trick, and tomorrow I'll feel restored.

This gray weather sure doesn't help, either. Feels like I'm in a fog, in more ways than one.

 

Yoga as a Tool for Health

Well, September was National Pain Awareness month, and October - as I'm sure we are all aware- is all about breast cancer.  I confess I sometimes have mixed feelings about the Pink Ribbon rollercoaster that is this month. You could say I've got a case of Pink Ribbon Fatigue. Nonetheless, breast cancer has certainly had an impact on my own life in a very personal way, and my articles for MyRACentral.com this month reflect exactly that.  

In my first article, I sat down to talk with Tari Prinster, a yoga teacher and mentor whom I first met before RA entered my life. At the time, I had no idea how important the lessons she would teach me about yoga and illness would become.   

Read my full article here and feel free to share your own experiences about yoga, breast cancer and rheumatoid arthritis at MyRACentral.com or below.

Chew on this:

One of my very favorite chefs, Seamus Mullen, was featured this month in Food & Wine. In addition to being a world class chef, Seamus also has rheumatoid arthritis.  Word on the street is that, since leaving the restaurant Boqueria behind over the summer, he's now working on a cookbook that will be chock full of recipes using what he refers to as 'hero' foods. You can preview a few tasty sounding recipes in the Food & Wine article and read more about his take on why they are especially healthy for us.  One of them is for kale chips, something I've become obsessed with the last few months.  It's super easy to make, and kale is purportedly one of the best foods one can eat- whether you have RA or not!