A Living With Arthritis Blog
The first stories I told were on the stage. A Saturday morning arts class when I was four years old introduced me to ballet, tap and theatre, and I was infatuated. I have spent most of my life on the stage. Ballet was my first love, but I adored all forms of dance, and I... Continue Reading →
The winter solstice is a time of hibernation and restoration. After the solstice, the days start to get a little longer and the light returns.
"I had always moved and keeping my body flexible and strong, especially as a dancer, was always a top priority. RA didn’t change that priority, but it did bring some challenges on how to maintain my physical health without hurting my joints – not only that, but I wanted to find exercise that would do... Continue Reading →
It’s 2:00 am in the morning, and the fan has been on most of the night. The temperature reads 26 Celsius (78.8 Fahrenheit) in our apartment. The balcony door is open in the hope that a smidge of cool air might waft up from the ocean and offer some relief. A few hours from now... Continue Reading →
It’s a warm sunny afternoon, a week before the official arrival of spring. Wild crocuses and daffodils are erupting from the fresh soil, and the cherry blossoms have started painting neighbourhoods in a blushing pink hue. The birds are nesting and celebrating the arrival of a new season of hope and life in song -... Continue Reading →
It’s an early Friday morning in February. The mild west coast weather has been draped in an arctic outflow. The white puff of my breath disintegrates in the cold air. It’s a chilly - 3 Celsius (26 Fahrenheit), and I’m sitting on my patio with a hot cup of coffee and taking in the morning.... Continue Reading →
Just over a year ago, on December 31st of 2019, my husband and I returned home from our yearly getaway to Las Vegas, the last international trip we took before the world changed. At that time Covid was still a distant ghost in the headlines, something far away and across the seas. Shortly after returning... Continue Reading →
The west coast windstorms swept in from the ocean drowning December in its usual cyclical trend. This year, the rain and wind seemed particularly heartless in the year we call 2020. When the rain stopped for a few days, the twinkling lights on houses and patios lit up the night sky, and filled the air... Continue Reading →
The weak light of the sun filters through the clouds, radiating a soft glow on a grey November day. Soggy amber leaves thread the groove beneath the curb of the sidewalk. The road stretches clear and quiet ahead. A cool breeze rushes over my face, each breath reminding me how lucky I am to be... Continue Reading →
“We never saw it coming. We never could have guessed that a virus would change our world. The possibility only existed in movies, and there was always a dynamic hero that came to the rescue with a cure.” - J.G. Chayko - Imagine RA Network: Chronic Illness in a Pandemic Life. The year is 2020.... Continue Reading →
The Old Lady in my Bones 