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Kate the (Almost) Great

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Kate Mitchell

Image alt text: Looking at a gray kiosk at an angle inside a building. The image on the front says “Safe Drug Disposal” in large text and the Spanish translation below in smaller text. (“Eliminación Segura de Medicamentos”). In the red text below is “Return Your Unused Prescription Medications Here”. The text below is blurry but most likely the Spanish version of that.
Image alt text: Looking at a gray kiosk at an angle inside a building. The image on the front says “Safe Drug Disposal” in large text and the Spanish translation below in smaller text. (“Eliminación Segura de Medicamentos”). In the red text below is “Return Your Unused Prescription Medications Here”. The text below is blurry but most likely the Spanish version of that.
in Health · March 5, 2023

Essential Prescription Tips

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Essential Prescription Tips

Text reads: 2022 Recent Reads, October - December (end text). Background is a white femme person with an open book on their lap, a leaf in the book, and a piece of cake on a plate near their leg. Credit at the bottom is www.katethealmostgreat.com
Text reads: 2022 Recent Reads, October - December (end text). Background is a white femme person with an open book on their lap, a leaf in the book, and a piece of cake on a plate near their leg. Credit at the bottom is www.katethealmostgreat.com
in Lifestyle · February 7, 2023

2022 Recent Reads: October-December

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2022 Recent Reads: October-December

Text reads: Buy my ebook for chronic health bloggers, worth $140, but buy for $10! There is also an image of the ebook cover. The ebook is named "Take Your Blog (And Income!) To The Next Level: Resources for Chronic Health Bloggers".
in Writing & Blogging · January 24, 2023

Best Social Media for Bloggers: How To Manage Your Social Media

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Best Social Media for Bloggers: How To Manage Your Social Media

Text reads: Can chronic pain go away? What you should know (end text). People without chronic pain have questions that they often don’t feel comfortable asking of a patient, such as, “Can chronic pain go away?” Most of these questions - this one included - have nuanced answers! Which is why I’m answering a bunch of them in this post.
Text reads: Can chronic pain go away? What you should know (end text). People without chronic pain have questions that they often don’t feel comfortable asking of a patient, such as, “Can chronic pain go away?” Most of these questions - this one included - have nuanced answers! Which is why I’m answering a bunch of them in this post.
in Health · January 17, 2023

Can Chronic Pain Go Away? What You Should Know

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Can Chronic Pain Go Away? What You Should Know

Text reads: Food for TMJ Flares, the best recipes to help heal, www.katethealmostgreat.com (end text). Whether you have TMJ arthritis or problems with the muscles around your TMJs, it can be difficult to manage TMJ jaw pain. But since I have 12+ years of experience with this, and plenty of people don’t, I wanted to share my favorite food for TMJ flares. I mean, every year or so I go through a period of 1-2 months when I have a hard time chewing. That’s at least a year’s worth of time! 
Text reads: Food for TMJ Flares, the best recipes to help heal, www.katethealmostgreat.com (end text). Whether you have TMJ arthritis or problems with the muscles around your TMJs, it can be difficult to manage TMJ jaw pain. But since I have 12+ years of experience with this, and plenty of people don’t, I wanted to share my favorite food for TMJ flares. I mean, every year or so I go through a period of 1-2 months when I have a hard time chewing. That’s at least a year’s worth of time! 
in Health, Lifestyle · January 3, 2023

Food for TMJ Flares: The Best Recipes To Help Heal

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Food for TMJ Flares: The Best Recipes To Help Heal

Text reads: 15 best blogging tools for 2023 (end text). As always, I’m rounding up the blogger tools I used this past year, and I’m only using tools that helped me grow in some way. I did plenty of other things, but since they didn’t work, I haven’t included them.
Text reads: 15 best blogging tools for 2023 (end text). As always, I’m rounding up the blogger tools I used this past year, and I’m only using tools that helped me grow in some way. I did plenty of other things, but since they didn’t work, I haven’t included them.
in Writing & Blogging · December 30, 2022

15 Best Blogger Tools To Try in 2023

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15 Best Blogger Tools To Try in 2023

Text reads: gift ideas, gifts to make (end text). I’ve pulled together 35 homemade gifts you can make between now and Hanukkah, which is the first of the 3 holidays.
Text reads: gift ideas, gifts to make (end text). I’ve pulled together 35 homemade gifts you can make between now and Hanukkah, which is the first of the 3 holidays.
in Lifestyle · December 16, 2022

Homemade Gifts

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Homemade Gifts

Text reads: gift ideas, gifts that give back (end text). I love writing this gift guide as it includes gifts you can cross off your to-buy list AND gifts that help others. This post includes 6 brands that provide a variety of gifts and that all help improve the world in some way. 
Text reads: gift ideas, gifts that give back (end text). I love writing this gift guide as it includes gifts you can cross off your to-buy list AND gifts that help others. This post includes 6 brands that provide a variety of gifts and that all help improve the world in some way. 
in Lifestyle · December 2, 2022

Gift Ideas: Gifts That Give Back

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Gift Ideas: Gifts That Give Back

Text reads: 52 blog post ideas health bloggers need (end text). We’re approaching the end of the year! As we get closer to 2023, many people are planning for the new year, and I’m one of them. If you are, too, I’m sharing 1 blog post idea for every week of 2023. These post ideas are mostly for health bloggers, although some of them apply to all bloggers. 
Text reads: 52 blog post ideas health bloggers need (end text). We’re approaching the end of the year! As we get closer to 2023, many people are planning for the new year, and I’m one of them. If you are, too, I’m sharing 1 blog post idea for every week of 2023. These post ideas are mostly for health bloggers, although some of them apply to all bloggers. 
in Writing & Blogging · November 29, 2022

52 Blog Post Ideas Health Bloggers Need

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52 Blog Post Ideas Health Bloggers Need

Text reads: gift ideas, expensive gifts (end text). Whether you’re shopping for yourself or someone else, you can take advantage of the deals in this Black Friday/Cyber Monday gift guide. 
Text reads: gift ideas, expensive gifts (end text). Whether you’re shopping for yourself or someone else, you can take advantage of the deals in this Black Friday/Cyber Monday gift guide. 
in Lifestyle · November 25, 2022

Gift Ideas: Expensive Gifts

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Gift Ideas: Expensive Gifts

Text reads: gift ideas, chronic illness must haves (end text). Patients might want these because they will make their life easier. Patients might want them because they have to spend their money on things like medications and doctor’s visits. Patients might want them because they are illness-specific products. Whatever the reason, there are plenty of reasons why chronic illness patients might want these gifts.
Text reads: gift ideas, chronic illness must haves (end text). Patients might want these because they will make their life easier. Patients might want them because they have to spend their money on things like medications and doctor’s visits. Patients might want them because they are illness-specific products. Whatever the reason, there are plenty of reasons why chronic illness patients might want these gifts.
in Health, Lifestyle · November 18, 2022

Gift Ideas: Chronic Illness Must-Haves

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Gift Ideas: Chronic Illness Must-Haves

Text reads: Gift ideas, personalized gift ideas (end text). That’s right - it’s gift guide season! As always, we’re starting off with personalized gift ideas. I always start with this one because personalized gifts can take longer to arrive because they have to be personalized.
Text reads: Gift ideas, personalized gift ideas (end text). That’s right - it’s gift guide season! As always, we’re starting off with personalized gift ideas. I always start with this one because personalized gifts can take longer to arrive because they have to be personalized.
in Lifestyle · November 11, 2022

Personalized Gift Ideas

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Personalized Gift Ideas

Text reads: 2022 recent reads, July through September
Text reads: 2022 recent reads, July through September
in Lifestyle · November 1, 2022

2022 Recent Reads: July-September

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2022 Recent Reads: July-September

Text reads: Hack for chronic disease management (end text). Living with chronic illness is damn difficult. If you’re reading this post, you probably know that. I’ve lived with it for over 20 years, and I’ve tried all sorts of different things over the years to make life easier with it. Skip a few decades of struggles by checking out my hacks for chronic disease management in this post.
Text reads: Hack for chronic disease management (end text). Living with chronic illness is damn difficult. If you’re reading this post, you probably know that. I’ve lived with it for over 20 years, and I’ve tried all sorts of different things over the years to make life easier with it. Skip a few decades of struggles by checking out my hacks for chronic disease management in this post.
in Health · October 25, 2022

Hacks for Chronic Disease Management That You Need

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Hacks for Chronic Disease Management That You Need

Text reads: How to brainstorm blog post ideas, 12 questions to ask yourself (end text). Sometimes you know exactly what a post will be about, but sometimes you need to come up with ideas. To help you with that, I’m sharing 12 questions you should ask yourself as part of how to brainstorm blog post ideas.  
Text reads: How to brainstorm blog post ideas, 12 questions to ask yourself (end text). Sometimes you know exactly what a post will be about, but sometimes you need to come up with ideas. To help you with that, I’m sharing 12 questions you should ask yourself as part of how to brainstorm blog post ideas.  
in Writing & Blogging · October 11, 2022

How To Brainstorm Blog Post Ideas: 12 Questions To Ask Yourself

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How To Brainstorm Blog Post Ideas: 12 Questions To Ask Yourself

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Kate the (Almost) Great

Chronic health lifestyle blog

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And don’t forget that you’re so strong, even i And don’t forget that you’re so strong, even if you wish you didn’t have to be. 

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Video: A video of Kate typing on her computer before a series of videos of doctor’s offices. Text reads “ How To Win a Medical Appointment”, “ 1. Come prepared with notes of what’s been going on”, “ 2. Take notes in the appointment.”, “ 3. Wear clothes that make the exam easier”, “ 4. If you get emotional, explain why.”, “5. Remember that if they’re unhelpful or rude, that’s a reflection on them and not you. ”

#AlmostGreatHealth #ChronicallyIll #RheumatoudArthritis #SjogrensSyndrome #SjogrensDisease #Fibromyalgia #Endometriosis #Adenomyosis #POTS #Dysautonomia #trending #explore
Week 23 of #2025Weekly ⁣ ⁣ 1️⃣ A normal-is Week 23 of #2025Weekly ⁣
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1️⃣ A normal-ish start to the week ⁣
2️⃣ My nurse after I had a problematic tooth removed. Inflammation is everywhere and out to get you!⁣
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No, but seriously. A tooth that was fine in January had such a bad cavity that it was better to remove it now instead of getting a root canal this year and removing it next year. I almost definitely have periodontal disease, which is often caused by lots of long-term inflammation It was also fused to my jawbone, which is, you guessed it, often caused by inflammation.⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 7+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣
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1️⃣ Kate takes a selfie. She's a auburn-haired white woman wearing a green dress, silver Celtic knot necklace, and round tortoiseshell glasses. ⁣
2️⃣ Kate takes another selfie with a golden retriever. Her face is swollen and she looks unhappy. She's wearing a blue Patriots t-shirt and round tortoiseshell glasses.⁣
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#AlmostGreatHealth #AlmostGreatLife #ChronicallyIll #SpoonieLife #RheumatoidArthritis #RheumatoidDisease #Autoimmune #ButYouDontLookSick #AutoimmuneDisease #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #DisabledAndCute
💃🏼 Video: Kate looks around like she’s tr 💃🏼

Video: Kate looks around like she’s trying to find something. Text reads “Trying to find an eff to give when someone tells me “You shouldn’t talk about your health problems so publicly and so much”” 

#ChronicallyIll #InvisibleIllness #TrialReels
Most people who follows me have at least one illne Most people who follows me have at least one illness or love someone who does (either because that's why you followed me or just statistically). ⁣
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But if you're not the patient, you may not know just how stressful managing your illness(es) can be. ⁣
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I've been doing this for a long time, and I've got a system down pretty solidly. But that doesn't mean it isn't stressful. ⁣
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Honestly, my therapy focuses pretty equally on the emotional side of my illnesses (including PTSD) as well as the stress from just managing things. ⁣
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Managing your illnesses includes: ⁣
▪ taking all of your medications⁣
▪ keeping track of all your appointments⁣
▪ preparing for and having your appointments⁣
▪.finding the lifestyle changes that work for you and your body ⁣
▪ understanding, avoiding, and managing your symptom triggers ⁣
▪ and so much more⁣
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How do you handle the stress of managing your illness(es)?⁣
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⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 7+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣⁣
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ID: Kate takes a selfie in an infusion chair. She is a brunette white woman wearing a Boston Red Sox shirt, blue mask, and round tortoiseshell glasses.⁣⁣ A white box reads "The Stress of Managing Illnesses".
POV My Camera Roll _______ Video: a series of POV My Camera Roll 

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Video: a series of videos. They include Kate - a redheaded white woman who wears round tortoiseshell glasses - dogs, coffee, a lake, the Maine woods, doctors offices, and more. 

#AlmostGreatLife #AlmostGreatHealth #ChronicallyIll #NewEnglandLife
Being home in Maine is always idyllic, no mater wh Being home in Maine is always idyllic, no mater what does or doesn't happen. While this past week was hectic between birthdays and my cousin's graduation, it was still really nice to just be there and take some time to rest. ⁣
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As you may or may not have noticed, I've been taking a break from blogging. I'll definitely return at some point - probably later this year - but I just need a break. Between the hecticness of normal life and going through the diagnostic process for some new conditions, I'm at my stress limit. ⁣
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On top of that, my summer is so all over the place that I don't know a single guaranteed date that I'll be in Maine. Normally, I block out my time months in advance, but I had to change those plans so often that I gave up. I have a bunch of appointments in the next few weeks, and I will absolutely have follow-ups after them that aren't scheduled yet. I also anticipate that I will have more appointments for testing, but nothing is guaranteed yet. ⁣
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I love making plans because i love knowing what is happening. But it is more stressful for me (and my family) for me to keep changing them, so I'm doing this thing called "winging it". I have vague ideas of when I'll go up and what I'll do, but I can't make those plans until I have more information. ⁣
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Until then, I'll appreciate every chance I get to be home in the woods, and I will try to not stress so much about putting things on the calendar. ⁣
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⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 7+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣⁣
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ID: A lake as seen through a tree. There a dock partially visible.⁣
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#AlmostGreatHealth #rheumatoidarthritis #arthritis #spoonielife #autoimmune #autoimmunedisease #chronicallyill #dysautonomia #fibro #fibromyalgia #endo #chronicallyill #disability #disabled #invisibleillness #207 #MaineLife #MaineTheWay #Vacationland
🎂 Week 22 of #2025Weekly 🎂 ⁣ ⁣ Birthday 🎂 Week 22 of #2025Weekly 🎂 ⁣
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Birthday week! ⁣
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1️⃣ Finished the work day and went to read on the deck with Harley ⁣
2️⃣ I did a lot of reading outdoors last week, which was lovely.⁣
3️⃣ There is a fox family living near my mom's sheep! Here is an incredible picture she tool of one of them. 📸 @healyheritagefarm ⁣
4️⃣ Birthday cupcakes for my birthday on Thursday ⁣
5️⃣ A beautiful gift from my grandma. Now to see if I can keep it alive! ⁣
6️⃣ Harley holding his blankie between his front paws will never not be adorable ⁣
7️⃣ Friday was my lovely mother’s birthday. She and my dad went on an excursion, where he snapped this picture.⁣
8️⃣ And Saturday was my cousin’s HS graduation party. Last one of our generation!⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 7+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣⁣⁣
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IDs: ⁣
1️⃣ Kate takes a selfie with Harley the golden retriever. Kate is a redheaded white woman wearing jeans, a green shirt, a silver Celtic knot necklace, and round tortoiseshell glasses. She has a Kindle in a pink case on her lap.⁣
2️⃣ Kate's point of view from sitting on outdoor furniture. On her lap is a closed pink Kindle case and she's holding a color tumbler with a straw in it. ⁣
3️⃣ A fox on grass⁣
4️⃣ 12 chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting⁣
5️⃣ Yellow-and-purple orchids on a wood table⁣
6️⃣ Harley laying on a dog bed with a white fleece blanket between his front paws.⁣
7️⃣ A picture of Tricia taking a picture of a beautiful New England house. Tricia is a white woman with silver hair wearing a blue-and-white striped dress. ⁣
8️⃣ A picture of a poster. Top text reads “Welcome To” and the bottom text reads “The Graduation of Natalie May Healy”. In between there’s a photo of Natalie sitting on a rock in front of a pond.⁣
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#AlmostGreatHealth #AlmostGreatLife #SpoonieLife #RheumatoidArthritis #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #DisabledAndCute
Don’t give up hope. (And you’re not giving up Don’t give up hope. (And you’re not giving up hope or a faker if you need a break from trying to get answers)

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Video: a lake with music playing over it. Text reads “Just because one doctor or specialty doesn’t have the answers you need doesn’t mean they aren’t out there.” There is small closed captioning. 

#AlmostGreatHealth #ChronicallyIll #ChronicPain #Spoonie #SpoonieProblems
A letter to my past self 💖 (Disclaimer: I’m o A letter to my past self 💖 (Disclaimer: I’m only speaking about myself, my life, and my experiences. My birthday is tomorrow so do NOT make me deal with comments about toxic positivity) 

Video: a series of videos of Kate, pouring coffee, a lake, pill boxes, and a doctor’s office. Kate speaks in a voiceover with an intercom style and there are captions.
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