Health Expert Brad 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/968433/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/968433/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/968433/index http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/160307/ra-funny-bone Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:28:00 -0400 Brad So, I asked my Rheumy, if I get the joint replacements in my hands as you suggested, will I be able to play the piano? He said YES, I said that's odd, I never could before! BA DUMP BUMP! Sorry....... I told you, I have RA in my funny bone....   Well, that's not really true, in fact I think that is the only joint (plus the seedy bar down the street) that is not affected by RA. However, your funny bone can affect your RA! It's... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/160307/ra-funny-bone http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/159793/importance Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:59:00 -0400 Brad There is a lot of buzz every year about "The Flu Shot." The debate rages every fall, "should I or should I not get the vaccine?" There are more opinions than you could shake a stick at, but I would like to focus on just a couple of the ones I hear all the time, and talk about the risks and benefits of the vaccines to those of us with RA, or if you are caretaker of someone with RA.    Fist lets look at some seldom heard facts about... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/159793/importance http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/159157/au Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:36:00 -0500 Brad With the crazy weather lately, all the news about hospitals being full of flu patients, some actually overflowing out to parking lot tents, major cities declaring public health state of emergencies. I was thinking just after the holidays I would like to post an article on the added risks we face due to our suppressed immune systems.    Little did I know I would have real time, up close and personal facts to report to you on the... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/159157/au http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/157867/be Mon, 17 Dec 2012 20:08:00 -0500 Brad I have to admit, when Lene asked me to write about Endings and Beginnings this month all sorts of things bounced around in my head. Anything from TV shows to projects in my small wood shop and at this time of year who could not think of the obvious end of year and looking forward to the new year. What struck me the most though was the Endings and Beginnings posed by being diagnosed with RA.   I received my DX several years ago, and pretty... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/157867/be http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/157055/ra Mon, 12 Nov 2012 21:52:00 -0500 Brad If you have had RA for any length of time and did research on it online, you have undoubtedly seen a link for the term RA Lung. I know I have seen it many times, and breezed right past it. I believe I had clicked on it once as I know it refers to RA affecting the lungs, and is not extremely uncommon. That was about the depth of my knowledge on this issue though. That all changed over the last couple of weeks.    I had my... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/157055/ra http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/156572/ra Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:35:00 -0400 Brad Probably one aspect you do not think of much is fire prevention and fire safety. I know I do not dwell on the subject. But, being we suffer from RA, it really is something that should be planned out in case the unthinkable happens. Its not like most of us could snap out of bed, and fly around the house collecting kids or pets and dash out the back door. Just is not going to happen with RA. I am lucky to get OUT of bed, much less jump up to the... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/156572/ra http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/156165/me Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:40:00 -0400 Brad If you suffer from pretty much any sort of Arthritis, auto immune such as RA, PsA, AS etc, or good old OA, the wear and tear sort of arthritis, you are no stranger to pain. One thing I have noticed over and over in support groups around the internet and in person, there seems to be no end to myths, legends, falsehoods and sometimes outright fright about narcotic pain medications. I cannot say that I was forever immune to this, when I was first... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/156165/me http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/155564/rh Wed, 29 Aug 2012 03:00:00 -0400 Brad I am sure many of you may know, I am not a father, at least to two-legged kids. I have had many four-legged ones over the years, and many many nieces and nephews. However, being the "Go to Toymaker" in my neighborhood, I usually have a long line of clients out the door of my wood shop, and when walking my dog with my power chair, we also attract the youngsters in droves. You can imagine, I get a LOT of innocent questions about my power chair, or... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/155564/rh http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/154962/ha Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:26:00 -0400 Brad Well, not really! But it COULD have! The point is I believe you have to look for the funny side of life at times, its there, even in the Auto Immune world. When you find it, it can help relieve some of your symptoms! I would much rather be able to laugh at something, including myself, than to be down and feel sorry for myself. So I DO look for the funny side of RA. I am going to share a one of my stories and hope you will as well, after all, we... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/154962/ha http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/154591/jia Tue, 17 Jul 2012 02:28:00 -0400 Brad Michelle Maria is an advocate for JRA and RA, an Ambassador for several RA support groups even starting her own on Facebook: CRY (Changed by RA Young). She has worked with the Arthritis Foundation and the American College of Rheumatology. She has been featured in many newspaper and magazine articles as well. She is also a JRA patient, and most importantly to me, a great, longtime friend. I recently had the opportunity to interview her for JRA... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/968433/154591/jia