Health Expert Cathy shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/311516/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/311516/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/311516/index http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/152247/au Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:23:00 -0400 Cathy Unlike the flowers and leaves that have made an early presence this year in many locations, I am a little late in sharing about National Public Health Week which was the week of April 2-8.  But, as I often tell my adult students, “Better late than never.”   And as I strongly believe that preventative care is vital for our planet and overall health, I would rather be late in sharing my views on public health than to... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/152247/au http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/151313/top Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:51:00 -0400 Cathy Spring has come early for those of us in Chicago and we are welcoming it with open arms.    For the last few weeks my morning walks have been energized by the sounds of birds chirping early in the morning.  I find myself laughing out loud as I watch both the squirrels and the birds chase each other in play.  I feel like a child as I run with Izzy to chase after a flock of geese.  I have become obsessed with the sky... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/151313/top http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/150462/ex Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:10:00 -0500 Cathy The year I started kindergarten was a year of big changes for my family and me.  For me it meant the first time I would be away from my mom as I was given the gift of staying home with my mom and siblings as a young child rather than being sent to preschool.  For my two older brothers and my older sister, it meant leaving Catholic school and attending public school for the first time.  The two oldest siblings attended the local... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/150462/ex http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/150193/don Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:12:00 -0500 Cathy "Throughout February, writers from many of HealthCentral's communities are writing about sex, romance and the other relationships in your lives and how they interact with your condition. Check out our special Valentine's Day area  - new posts will be added every week!" Sex.  It is the topic rarely discussed in the rheumatoid arthritis community but something I feel is crucial to continuing a good relationship with your spouse and for... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/150193/don http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/149335/don Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:40:00 -0500 Cathy Rheumatoid arthritis and I have been in a relationship for eight years now.  The first year was rough as we got to know each other.  In fact, it kind of reminds me of the relationships I see now between the teenagers in my kid's circle of friends.  There was a lot of crying, lots of yelling, and lots of misunderstandings. Like a teenager in his/her first relationship I was immature in my understandings of RA and l admit that RA... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/149335/don http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/148313/rh Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:13:00 -0500 Cathy This summer I was in Maine with my five siblings and mom when I saw this T-shirt.                                               I am generally not a T-shirt wearing gal, but it seemed to say exactly how I feel about life.   2011... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/148313/rh http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/147799/rh Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:03:00 -0500 Cathy For me, the holidays are a time of slowing down. This is the time of the year when my classes come to stopping point and I have more time at home.  The weather gets colder and I feel it is telling me to stay home where it is warm.  I have no problem obeying.    I figured out years ago, maybe even pre-RA that being super busy with a long list of "to do" things does not nourish me and even robs me of the holiday spirit. ... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/147799/rh http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/147044/re Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:24:00 -0500 Cathy Deepak Chopra says in his book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, "You have a unique talent and a unique way of expressing it.  There is something that you can do better than anyone else in the whole world."   I think often when disease becomes a part of our lives and puts limits on us that we have never experienced, we think that we no longer have gifts or unique talents to share with this world any longer.  I think this... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/147044/re http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/146609/rh Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:22:00 -0500 Cathy Rheumatoid arthritis gets blamed for a lot of my aches and pains and although I know that it plays a huge part in this recent round of foot pain, I have decided to give RA a break from the constant blame and instead put the blame of my foot pain on my SHOES.    Last December,  I received a pair of minimalist shoes for Christmas and began an experiment with the chronic pain in my feet. Basically the experiment was to... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/146609/rh http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/145141/pe Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:57:00 -0400 Cathy Around the time I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2004, I was beginning to realize the connection between how the foods that enter our body contribute to how we feel and possibly even to the diseases that our bodies take on.  I began searching for food choices that eliminated artificial food colorings and preservatives, hormones, and other undesirable ingredients.  I wanted to make choices for my family and myself that not... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/311516/145141/pe