It was my nap that taught me about boundaries and my role in maintaining them. Years ago, my rheumatoid arthritis (RA) progressed to the point that I needed a daily rest to manage fatigue and pain. And that’s when I banged hard up against other people’s preconceptions. “It must be wonderful to| The Seated View
How do you learn to pace yourself with chronic illness? It’s more complicated than just deciding to do things more slowly — there are a lot of emotional aspects to this process, as well as learning a whole new way of leading your life. One of the most frustrating aspects of chronic illness is tha| The Seated View
In my 5+ decades of living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I’ve learned that setbacks are inevitable, whether caused by flares, difficulty finding effective treatment, overdoing it, or injuries. Once the flare ends or an injury improves, you need to build back your strength and stamina, but sometimes exercise can be complicated by the state of…| The Seated View
Motivation is your get up and go, determination, the drive and interest in doing something. Whether it’s exercise, brushing your teeth, writing (or reading) a book, painting a picture or wall, making that call to your insurance company, or simply getting out of bed on a high-pain day. All of it takes motivation. One of…| The Seated View
2 Days. 6 Advocates. 22 events. This will be my fifth year of taking part in the Talk Over RA Open Mic events and I’m very excited! This year, over the course of September 24 and 25, six RA advocates are creating unique and interesting content about RA and how we cope with its, doing…| The Seated View
In April 2023, I received a letter from the Ontario government with information about the new biosimilar switching policy. I had until the end of the year to switch from the biologic medication I take to treat my rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to a biosimilar. I did my best to be hopeful and believe it would…| The Seated View
In March 2023, I received a letter from the Ontario government. It informed me that a biosimilar switching policy was now in place. People like me who receive funding from the government to pay for Biologics for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn’s disease, and other forms of autoimmune disease were given until the end of 2023…| The Seated View
Rheumatoid arthritis and the accompanying brain fog make it hard to keep on top of the chaos in the house. In my new column for HealthCentral, I share how decluttering minimized the impact of my brain fog and share tips for how to get things organized: “I have always been a collector. I like to…| The Seated View
In a new monthly feature for HealthCentral, I provide snackable summaries of all the information that impacts your chronic life. This is November’s edition: “Grab yourself a hot beverage and get ready to click through some news you can really use. HealthCentral rheumatoid arthritis (RA) columnist Lene Andersen offers her monthly roundup of must-read news…| The Seated View
Nothing with RA is simple and that includes exercise. In my new CreakyJoints Canada column, and write about my experience approach to keeping physically active with my RA and disability: rheumatoid arthritis ““How do you exercise? Do you go to physiotherapy?” The are many different specialties and professions within health care, some specifically medical, others supportive…| The Seated View
Going to yet another medical appointment, waiting for hours, andall the rest that comes with chronic illness can make you feel like a number. In this column for HealthCentral, I share tips for person-first care at the doctor’s office: ““See how the vocal cords are stiff? This is common in people with rheumatoid arthritis or…| The Seated View
I have lived with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for over five decades and for me, one of the most debilitating symptoms is the fatigue. I’m not alone in dealing with this symptom. In fact, according to the Talk Over RA website, 79% of people who live with RA also have fatigue. RA fatigue is very much li| The Seated View
Welcome to the new and shiny The Seated View!| The Seated View
It arrived like clockwork the second week of February. I’ve had Seasonal Affective Disorder for as long as I can remember, as do several other people in my family. This year’s was a humdinger. I started isolating (remember this was before COVID-19), the world lost its colours, I got really sad, and| The Seated View
