Vanessa Collins

Loss is part of the human condition. It is inevitable. The loss of a loved one quickly springs to mind when I think about this topic. That particular type of loss is pure anguish. There are other types of losses that we all experience in our lives. S...

A sense of humor is a gift. The ability to laugh at oneself is an even greater gift. Those of us living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have many challenges, but laughter in stressful situations can lift us up. Not all of the following situations are ...

Would you like to do something meaningful for a friend in pain, but don’t know what they need? Here are ten suggestions.

Shopping of any kind can sometimes be overwhelming and stressful. Add RA to that equation and you could find yourself avoiding shopping altogether. But it doesn’t have to be that daunting—follow these ten simple tips to make shopping an easier experi...

Living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often means living with foot pain. Topical anti-inflammatories (liquids and creams) can ease that pain to some extent. Warm water soaks can also help temporarily. When topical types of pain relief stop working, y...

Taking care of someone else who is sick is hard enough, but what about when you have a chronic illness too?

This open letter to the community offers insight for friends and family to better comprehend how RA affects someone’s life on a daily basis.

Doing small, kind things for others, particularly strangers, can brighten up someone’s day–and help lighten your own frustrations.

Technology is neither good nor bad. It is like everything else. It depends on how you use it. Personally, I am thankful for the technology tools available to us today. If our hands are hurting, we can use the software, Dragon Naturally Speaking, to c...

It may not seem as though winter is over, but Spring is officially here. It has been a long, cold winter season. I know we are all ready for some bright sunshine and yellow daffodils blowing in the breeze. Spring often spurs us to action… Out with th...