Arthritis Life

By Cheryl CrowMedicine Health & Fitness Mental Health Education Self-Improvement

Arthritis Life episodes

July 28, 2020Best Advice for Newly Diagnosed Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
This episode including tips for to cope with the initial diagnosis, how to best educate yourself about your condition, ways to utilize social support without getting overwhelmed, how to best collaborate with your provider and make treatment decisions, and finally how to take care of your mind and manage stress.
Episode breakdown:
1:10 - Episode Introduction
2:08 - Analogy for those newly diagnosed - a tourist in an unplanned for land
4:08 - Advice for the initial adjustment period
6:30 - Tips for educating yourself about your condition
10:00 - How to best utilize social support, including social media
18:15 - How to best interact with your providers and medical team.
20:15 - How to choose the best treatment ideas for you
31:44 - Tips for managing stress and taking care of your mind
40:00 - Concluding thoughts
Medical disclaimer:
All content found on Arthritis Life public channels was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Episode Sponsor
Rheum to THRIVE, an online course and support program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected. See all the details and join the program or waitlist now!
Links discussed in this episode:
"Welcome to Holland" essay by Emily Perl Kingsley
Free handout: 6 Things Everyone with Arthritis Should Know
Free handout: Master RA Management Checklist
Free Facebook Group: Arthritis Life Podcast, Practical Tips and Positive, Realistic Support
A great letter to newly diagnosed patient from my friend and fellow Chronic Illness advocate Chronic Eileen: The Letter I Wish I sent to Myself the Day I was Diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Thank you so much to those who contributed their words of wisdom!
From Instagram: @hopeamidthepain, @Rheumatoiddiaries, @TheNarcissistGames, @Sje70, @deepa.venkatraman, @drmaggiecadet, @A.shrummer, @Jbayze2018, @worldofot, @boop911, @Kimesue, @Mommywithmctd, @ra.and.me , @Paulaburza, @_chronically_happy_, @warriorsmovemountains, @graceandable_official
From Facebook: Monica Thomas, Laura Muller, Christopher Vance.

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44 min
July 21, 2020Pregnancy, Parenting and More with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Episode at a Glance:
The following is a breakdown of the main topics we discussed - scroll to the end to see hyperlinks for resources mentioned in this episode! As a reminder: this episode was originally recorded in 2019.
01:35 - Claire diagnosis journey for rheumatoid arthritis: difficulty being believed by providers through her official diagnosis and her journey towards accepting it
10:30 Claire’s pregnancy and childbirth experience
14:20 - Claires postpartum experience with RA coming back slowly
16:20 - How Claire parents a Toddler with Rheumatoid Arthritis
18:15 Claire’s advice for people with RA who might want to have a child
20:20 - How to Manage Stress and Anxiety with chronic illness, including tips for finding a good fit with a provider (
26:40: Claire’s advice for newly diagnosed patients
30:10: What Claire wishes doctors did better
31:26: Claire’s tips for a good patient-provider relationship and tips for advocating for yourself
35:36: The Difference between living with an invisible illness and living with a visible one when Claire had to wear a splint!
38:55: How RA affected Claire’s choice of work, and her employment
41:42: How RA affected Claire’s relationship with her husband
44:00 - Fatigue and RA
45:44 – How RA affects friendships and relationships in adulthood
Get More Support at:
Rheum to THRIVE, an online course and support program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected**.** See all the details and join the program or waitlist now!
External resources mentioned in this episode or relevant to it:
Suzie Edward May “Arthritis Pregnancy and the Path to Parenthood”
Mother to Baby - website for evidence based information for pregnancy and medications
Arthritis Life Podcast, Practical Tips & Support - Cheryl's Facebook group
Free download from Cheryl: my Master RA Checklist
Free download: the 6 Things Everyone with Arthritis Should Know
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER:
All content found on the Arthritis Life public channels was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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48 min
July 14, 2020Episode 2: Rheumatology Basics with Dr. Balderia
Episode at a Glance
Cheryl (rheumatoid arthritis patient and occupational therapist) and rheumatologist Dr. Percy Balderia discuss:
1:00-2:00: - What is Rheumatology?
2:00 - Why did Dr. Balderia choose to become a Rheumatologist?
04:50- Day in the life of a Rheumatologist
06:45 - How to build a good relationship with your provider & prepare for appointments
11:16- What should patients know about Rheumatology?
13:07- Meeting the mental health needs of people with chronic illnesses
14:02- How to pick the best treatment plan & utilize supports available to you!
This interview was originally conducted in April 2019.
Episode is brought to you by:
Rheum to THRIVE, an online course and support program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected. See all the details and join the program or waitlist now!
Additional links relevant to this episode:
Arthritis Life Podcast, Practical Tips & Support - Cheryl's Facebook group
Free download from Cheryl: my Master RA Checklist
Free download: the 6 Things Everyone with Arthritis Should Know
Dr. Percy Balderia is a rheumatologist who sees patients at The Polyclinic Madison Center and The Polyclinic Downtown in Seattle, Washington. He has a special interest in rheumatoid arthritis. He trained at the University of Washington and was awarded The Arthritis Foundation fellowship.
Thank you to our podcast interns, Sarieni & Laura from The Modern OTs podcast, for your help in editing this episode!
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER:
All content found on the Arthritis Life Youtube Channel was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Please seek the advice of a physician or other appropriate healthcare provider before putting information from this channel to use. Links to educational content not created by Cheryl Crow of Arthritis Life are taken at your own risk. Reliance on any information provided by Arthritis Life is solely at your own risk.

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18 min
July 07, 2020Episode 1: Sarah Dillingham
Episode at a Glance
She and Cheryl discuss their best advice for newly diagnosed patients, explore how fatigue can be more debilitating than pain, highlight the importance of mental health treatment for chronic conditions, and dig into the impact of rheumatoid disease on everyday life.
Sarah's experience designing her own custom wedding day splint (due to not wanting to wear the typical ugly splints available in the current market) led her to form a start-up called Grace and Able, where she's developing more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing wrist braces. She also runs the Women with Rheumatoid Disease Facebook community.
Here's the show breakdown:
01:25 - Sarah's diagnosis story and brief medical history
08:30 - Highlights and lowlights from Sarah's experience with medical providers
23:34 - Sarah's advice for newly diagnosed patients (includes a discussion on social media)
38:00 - How rheumatoid disease has affected Sarah's experiences at work
42:27 - The effects rheumatoid disease has had on Sarah's friendships and romantic relationships
47:11 - The origin of Sarah's custom wedding day splint, which led her to form Grace & Able.
51:00 - How chronic illness has affected Sarah and Cheryl's mental health.
59:54 - Why fatigue is the hardest part of coping with RA (even more so than pain).
1:07:20 - What to do when there are no more treatment options - how to have this discussion with your doctor and care team.
1:11:41 - Sarah's frustrations with day to day living, and how she's learned much of what she's needed to cope with pain and daily living challenges from other patients and not health professionals.
1:18:00 - The three MOST important parts of Sarah's current management of her condition.
Additional links relevant to this episode:
Arthritis Life Podcast, Practical Tips & Support - Cheryl's Facebook group
Free download from Cheryl: my Master RA Checklist
Free download: the 6 Things Everyone with Arthritis Should Know
Get more support at:
Rheum to THRIVE, an online course and support program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected**.** See all the details and join the program or waitlist now!
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER:
All content found on this podcast was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or heard on this channel.

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1 hr 20 min
June 21, 2020Welcome to the Arthritis Life Podcast!
This episode is brought to you by Rheum to THRIVE, an online course and support program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected. See all the details and join the program or waitlist now!
Learn more at:
Cheryl's full diagnosis story video (20 minutes)
Arthritis Life Podcast, Practical Tips & Support - Cheryl's Facebook group
Free download from Cheryl: my Master RA Checklist
Free download: the 6 Things Everyone with Arthritis Should Know
Arthritis Life Youtube Channel, where you can find life hack demonstrations, patient interviews, provider advice and more.
Cheryl's Instagram account where she regularly shares stories, infographics and life hacks.
Arthritis Life Facebook Page
Arthritis Life Website
Cheryl's Twitter Account

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13 min

About Arthritis Life

From the publisher's feed

Arthritis life features real patient stories, expert advice, life hacks and more to help you feel more empowered and less alone. Host Cheryl Crow shares her insights from both as a rheumatoid arthritis patient for over twenty years and as an occupational therapist, a health profession that focuses on empowering people with health challenges to function in their daily lives.