Rheumatoid Arthritis

I first met JY 2 weeks ago. A 35-year-old, tall, lanky male with a 2-year history of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA), JY initially presented to a rheumatologist in my...

I was diagnosed with my first chronic illness at age 5, so I’ve taken medication daily for basically as long as I can remember. As a result, I didn’t have any trouble...

In October 2017, I met JP, a 66-year-old female patient, for the first time. During our initial meeting, JP reported that she had been recently seen by a new primary care...

When I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at the age of 25, one of my first concerns was how it would impact my ability to start a family. Though I was lucky to...

As rheumatology nurses, we see many patients in what should be the prime years of their lives. In their 20s or 30s, I currently have numerous recently married women in my...

Being a new parent is never easy, but it can be especially challenging for patients with a chronic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here are some tips I have given...

“How are my numbers?” It’s a question that I get daily from my patients, often on several occasions. Patients will call and ask for a copy of their lab report or, if they...

We all have patients who are hard to connect with, stubborn beyond belief despite what we think is clear evidence that refutes their deep-seated obstinence. How often do we...

As a rheumatology nurse practitioner with 16 years of experience, I have seen a lot of patients with rapidly progressing disease. Unquestionably, after nearly 2 decades of...