Arthritis Storytelling Hour: Real Stories from People with Inflammatory Arthritis
Channel: Arthritis Life
Date: 06/12/2020

In this live event, twelve patients living with inflammatory arthritis shared humorous, heartfelt and compelling stories for a good cause: the Arthritis Foundation and Cheryl Crow’s “Arthritis Life Jinglers” Jingle Bell Run team! (Join or donate here: https://events.arthritis.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=23466) 

Listen and learn about how difficult the diagnosis process is for some, how people with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis learned to advocate for themselves, how to navigate work life with your condition, what it’s like to be a “spoonie mom,” the importance of mindset, acceptance and self-care, and more! 

Video details:
Topic: Basics of life with RA, diagnosis stories, how diagnosis led to career
1:50 - Chloe Umpleby JIA (Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis) journey
7:02 - Kia Peters: diagnosis of RA (rheumatoid arthritis) during graduate school
11:31 - Sammantha Dorazio: diagnosis led to career as Nurse Practitioner
14:56 -Paulina Burzynsk: how RA helped her take better care of your body 
 
Topic: Advocacy / Learning to speak up
25:00 -  Jed Finley  example of how he learned how to advocate for himself in the context of medical appointments for his ankylosing spondylitis 
30:30 -  Mimi Cross - how she learned that if something makes you uncomfortable you need to speak up even if that feels awkward

RA’s Effect on Work
36:32 - Sarah Dillingham - how she became comfortable talking about RA at work
42:49 - Effie Koliopoulos - how RA led her to her passion for writing 

RA and Family
46:40 - Ushma Sampat - how RA affects family relationships and life partnership / marriage
55:07 - Jes Hosjan  How AS affects her experience as a mom and how she learned to advocate as a “spoonie mom!”

Humor, Mindset and Acceptance 
1:03:45 - Cristina Montoya - Humorous take on life with RA
1:10:40 - Krista - Her experience chasing a past life to be the same “pre diagnosis” and how she learned to embrace the present
1:18:36 - Cheryl Crow - My journey to acceptance of discomfort and uncertainty in life, how ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) and my two therapists helped me!
 
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.

Links to speaker pages and websites:

Chloe Umplby - instagram https://www.instagram.com/xchloeumplebyx/ and https://www.instagram.com/spoonfulofchronic/ 

Kia Peters Instagram https://www.instagram.com/livewellwithkia/ 

Sammantha Dorazio https://www.instagram.com/samdorazio8/ 

Paulina  Burzynsk - https://www.instagram.com/with.paulina/ 

Jed Finley Jed’s twitter https://twitter.com/JediMaster941 and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jedimaster941/ 

Mimi Cross - https://www.instagram.com/inflammationvacation/

Sarah Dillingham 
- Grace and Able page https://www.graceandable.com/
- Women with Rheumatoid Disease Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/WomenwithRD 

Effie Koliopoulos - Effie’s blog: https://risingabovera.com/ Effie’s Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/risingabovera/ 

Ushma Sampat - Ushma’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/worldofot/ 

Jes Hosjan - Instagram https://www.instagram.com/house_of_spoons/ 

Cristina Montoya - on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/arthritisdietitian/ 

Krista Rowan - Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kickra18/, TikTok  https://www.tiktok.com/@kickra18

**FIND MORE ARTHRITSI TIPS AND LIFE HACKS on Cheryl’s website:
https://arthritis.theenthusiasticlife.com/  

**STAY CONNECTED ON: 
Arthritis Life Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritis_life_cheryl/ 
Arthritis Life Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritislife 
Arthritis Life Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/arthritisLIFE 
Cheryl’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/realcc
Arthritis Life Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/arthritislifepodcastandsupport 

** ARTHRITIS SUPPORT GROUP:
Join Rheum to THRIVE, a support group & education program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected: https://arthritis.theenthusiasticlife.com/rheum-to-thrive/ 

** Learn how confidently manage pain, fatigue, social and emotional life with RA in my “RA Roadmap” self-paced course: https://arthritis.theenthusiasticlife.com/beginners-guide-to-life-with-rheumatoid-arthritis/ 

**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.