• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Kate the (Almost) Great

Chronic illness blog

  • Home
  • Start Here
    • About
    • As Seen On
    • Tags & Topics
    • Popular Posts
  • Blogging Resources
  • Freebie
  • Shop the Blog
    • Products for the Chronically Ill
  • Contact & Work with Me
    • Ads and Sponsoring
  • Follow
  • Holiday
    • Gift Guides

Kate Mitchell

Text reads: 20 plus of the best history novels (end text). There are some incredible books in this post, and I’ve left out any books that I don’t think belong in a list of the best history novels. Happy reading!
Text reads: 20 plus of the best history novels (end text). There are some incredible books in this post, and I’ve left out any books that I don’t think belong in a list of the best history novels. Happy reading!
in Lifestyle &middot June 28, 2022

20+ of the Best History Novels

Read the Post »

20+ of the Best History Novels

Text reads: What Sjögren's Syndrome Is, a beginner's guide (end text). As an arthritis advocate and someone who knows people with Sjögren’s, I knew a lot more than the average person does, but I still wondered what Sjögren’s syndrome is. We’re going to look at the definition, the symptoms, the treatments, and more, including, of course, how “Sjögren’s” is pronounced. 
Text reads: What Sjögren's Syndrome Is, a beginner's guide (end text). As an arthritis advocate and someone who knows people with Sjögren’s, I knew a lot more than the average person does, but I still wondered what Sjögren’s syndrome is. We’re going to look at the definition, the symptoms, the treatments, and more, including, of course, how “Sjögren’s” is pronounced. 
in Health &middot June 14, 2022

What Sjögren’s Syndrome Is: A Beginner’s Guide

Read the Post »

What Sjögren’s Syndrome Is: A Beginner’s Guide

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".
Text reads: Blog traffic for beginners, keep your traffic up this summer (end text). When it comes to blog traffic for beginners, you might be wondering what’s happening to your blog and how you can keep your traffic up. In this post, I’m sharing why your blog traffic is decreasing and nine things you can do to keep your traffic steady, if not increasing.
Text reads: Blog traffic for beginners, keep your traffic up this summer (end text). When it comes to blog traffic for beginners, you might be wondering what’s happening to your blog and how you can keep your traffic up. In this post, I’m sharing why your blog traffic is decreasing and nine things you can do to keep your traffic steady, if not increasing.
in Writing & Blogging &middot June 7, 2022

Blog Traffic for Beginners: Keep Your Traffic Up This Summer

Read the Post »

Blog Traffic for Beginners: Keep Your Traffic Up This Summer

Text reads: Tips to make living indepdently living with a chronic illness easier (end text). I know how difficult independently living with a chronic illness can be. Whether you’re looking to be independent or you already are and want tips, this post will help.
Text reads: Tips to make living indepdently living with a chronic illness easier (end text). I know how difficult independently living with a chronic illness can be. Whether you’re looking to be independent or you already are and want tips, this post will help.
in Health, Lifestyle &middot May 31, 2022

Tips To Make Independently Living with a Chronic Illness Easier

Read the Post »

Tips To Make Independently Living with a Chronic Illness Easier

Text reads: What's chronic pain? What you should know if you love someone with it (end text). You can’t know what it’s like living with chronic pain unless you have it, and understanding what it’s like living with chronic pain dramatically affects how you treat someone who lives with it. I hope this post helps you!
Text reads: What's chronic pain? What you should know if you love someone with it (end text). You can’t know what it’s like living with chronic pain unless you have it, and understanding what it’s like living with chronic pain dramatically affects how you treat someone who lives with it. I hope this post helps you!
in Health &middot May 17, 2022

What’s Chronic Pain? What You Should Know If You Love Someone with It

Read the Post »

What’s Chronic Pain? What You Should Know If You Love Someone with It

Text reads: How to improve your blogging skills, 8 skills you need (end text). As humans, we want to be good at the things we do, or at the very least we don’t want to be bad at them. That, of course, applies to blogging. In this post, I’m going to talk about how to improve your blogging skills, from writing to photography, from research to SEO, and more.
Text reads: How to improve your blogging skills, 8 skills you need (end text). As humans, we want to be good at the things we do, or at the very least we don’t want to be bad at them. That, of course, applies to blogging. In this post, I’m going to talk about how to improve your blogging skills, from writing to photography, from research to SEO, and more.
in Writing & Blogging &middot May 10, 2022

How To Improve Your Blogging Skills: 8 Skills You Need

Read the Post »

How To Improve Your Blogging Skills: 8 Skills You Need

Text reads: What is considered a chronic illness? And other chronic illness basics (end text). When it comes to chronic illness, there's a lot to learn. Maybe you have a chronic illness, maybe someone in your life has one. I've talked a lot about specific elements to chronic illness over the years, but I thought I would go into some chronic illness basics today, such as the question, "What is considered a chronic illness?"  
Text reads: What is considered a chronic illness? And other chronic illness basics (end text). When it comes to chronic illness, there's a lot to learn. Maybe you have a chronic illness, maybe someone in your life has one. I've talked a lot about specific elements to chronic illness over the years, but I thought I would go into some chronic illness basics today, such as the question, "What is considered a chronic illness?"  
in Health &middot May 3, 2022

What Is Considered a Chronic Illness? And Other Chronic Illness Basics

Read the Post »

What Is Considered a Chronic Illness? And Other Chronic Illness Basics

Text reads: 2022 Recent Reads, January-March (end text). In this blog post, blogger and bookworm Kate the (Almost) Great shares and reviews what she read in quarter 1 of 2022.
Text reads: 2022 Recent Reads, January-March (end text). In this blog post, blogger and bookworm Kate the (Almost) Great shares and reviews what she read in quarter 1 of 2022.
in Lifestyle &middot April 29, 2022

2022 Recent Reads: January-March

Read the Post »

2022 Recent Reads: January-March

Text reads: Authentic mental health blog post ideas; that people actually want to read! (end text). If you’re a blogger, you’re always looking for new blog post ideas. Sometimes you need a little help, such as that from a list of ideas! I’ve posted several ideas over the years, and there are even more in my ebook for health bloggers. But today I thought I would share mental health blog post ideas for those of who blog about mental health and/or mental illness. 
Text reads: Authentic mental health blog post ideas; that people actually want to read! (end text). If you’re a blogger, you’re always looking for new blog post ideas. Sometimes you need a little help, such as that from a list of ideas! I’ve posted several ideas over the years, and there are even more in my ebook for health bloggers. But today I thought I would share mental health blog post ideas for those of who blog about mental health and/or mental illness. 
in Writing & Blogging &middot April 19, 2022

Authentic Mental Health Blog Post Ideas That People Actually Want

Read the Post »

Authentic Mental Health Blog Post Ideas That People Actually Want

Text reads: What to do when in Boston (end text). I’ve done a lot of things in the city and I have plenty of recommendations for people looking for what to do when in Boston. To that end, I’m going to share attractions to check out, restaurants to eat at, places to shop, and so much more. 
Text reads: What to do when in Boston (end text). I’ve done a lot of things in the city and I have plenty of recommendations for people looking for what to do when in Boston. To that end, I’m going to share attractions to check out, restaurants to eat at, places to shop, and so much more. 
in Lifestyle &middot April 12, 2022

What To Do When in Boston

Read the Post »

What To Do When in Boston

Text reads: 9 Ways To Advocate for Disability Rights (end text). I absolutely love the disability community and am a vocal advocate for disability rights, so I thought it was a good idea to help any of you who want to be an advocate or be a better one. We’re going to talk about what the disability rights movement is, as well as 9 ways that you can advocate for disabled people and our rights.
Text reads: 9 Ways To Advocate for Disability Rights (end text). I absolutely love the disability community and am a vocal advocate for disability rights, so I thought it was a good idea to help any of you who want to be an advocate or be a better one. We’re going to talk about what the disability rights movement is, as well as 9 ways that you can advocate for disabled people and our rights.
in Health &middot April 5, 2022

9 Ways To Advocate for Disability Rights

Read the Post »

9 Ways To Advocate for Disability Rights

Text reads: writing about health on social media like a pro (end text). I’m going to share why you should write about health on social media, what you need to know to write about health, why you should share your personal experiences, dos and don’ts for posting about health, how to make your social media campaign featuring health, and all the resources I have to help you be your best.
Text reads: writing about health on social media like a pro (end text). I’m going to share why you should write about health on social media, what you need to know to write about health, why you should share your personal experiences, dos and don’ts for posting about health, how to make your social media campaign featuring health, and all the resources I have to help you be your best.
in Writing & Blogging &middot March 15, 2022

Writing about Health on Social Media Like a Pro

Read the Post »

Writing about Health on Social Media Like a Pro

Text reads: 17 Classic Novels Worth Reading (end text). It’s no secret to the people in my life that I like classic novels. I’ve been reading classics since I was 10, and in grad school I focused on literature from before 1600. I still read classics in my spare time! All of that is to say that I’ve read a lot of classics, so I feel somewhat able to give a recommendation of the classic novels worth reading. 
Text reads: 17 Classic Novels Worth Reading (end text). It’s no secret to the people in my life that I like classic novels. I’ve been reading classics since I was 10, and in grad school I focused on literature from before 1600. I still read classics in my spare time! All of that is to say that I’ve read a lot of classics, so I feel somewhat able to give a recommendation of the classic novels worth reading. 
in Lifestyle &middot March 8, 2022

17 Classic Novels Worth Reading

Read the Post »

17 Classic Novels Worth Reading

Text reads: 8 essential tips for living with POTS (end text). If you live with POTS, you know that spring tends to bring with it increased POTS symptoms. As we gear up for warmer weather, I thought I was should share some of my tips for living with POTS to help you be as prepared as possible.
Text reads: 8 essential tips for living with POTS (end text). If you live with POTS, you know that spring tends to bring with it increased POTS symptoms. As we gear up for warmer weather, I thought I was should share some of my tips for living with POTS to help you be as prepared as possible.
in Health &middot March 1, 2022

8 Essential Tips for Living with POTS

Read the Post »

8 Essential Tips for Living with POTS

Text reads - how to be good at blogging: how to blog with limited time (end text). Humans as a species don’t want to be bad at things, so it makes sense that plenty of people wonder how to be good at blogging. If we do something, we don’t want to be bad at it! I won’t lie and say that I’m good at all aspects of blogging - that would be a flat-out lie - but I am good at one part of blogging: blogging with limited time. 
Text reads - how to be good at blogging: how to blog with limited time (end text). Humans as a species don’t want to be bad at things, so it makes sense that plenty of people wonder how to be good at blogging. If we do something, we don’t want to be bad at it! I won’t lie and say that I’m good at all aspects of blogging - that would be a flat-out lie - but I am good at one part of blogging: blogging with limited time. 
in Writing & Blogging &middot February 22, 2022

How To Be Good at Blogging: Blogging with Limited Time

Read the Post »

How To Be Good at Blogging: Blogging with Limited Time

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Page 7
  • Page 8
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 64
  • Go to Next Page »

Footer

Sign Up for FREE Instagram Challenge

Get 25 FREE Instagram prompts for chronic health creators!

You can unsubscribe anytime. For more details, review our Privacy Policy.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Get your FREE Instagram challenge here 

and 

For just $5 get your copy of my ebook Take Your Blog (And Income!) to the Next Level with code "greatest".

.

Kate the (Almost) Great

Chronic health lifestyle blog

Lets Go!
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Dos and don'ts for when someone in your life is di Dos and don'ts for when someone in your life is diagnosed with autoimmune arthritis! What are some that you would add?⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
⁣
⁣⁣⬛⁣⁣⁣
⁣
ID: "So someone you know was diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis". Under the Do column (indicated with a green checkmark) is:⁣
"As how they feel about it⁣
Offer specific ways to help⁣
Treat them normally⁣
Ask follow-up questions⁣
Wear a mask around them when sick."⁣
Under the don't don't column (indicated with an x in a red circle) is:⁣
"Say “At least it’s not xyz!”⁣
Say that and not follow through⁣
Assume nothing about their lives has changed⁣
Conflate autoimmune arthritis with osteoarthritis⁣
Pass your cold to an immunosuppressed person".⁣
⁣
#AutoimmuneDisease #RheumatoidArthritis #PsoriaticArthritis #AnkylosingSpondylitis #JuvenileArthritis
Weekj 26 of 2026 Weekly Scenes of a summer week Weekj 26 of 2026 Weekly 

Scenes of a summer week in Maine! So glad I work from home, which means I can work from my real home (Maine, if that wasn’t clear)

1️⃣ Lots of Harley time
2️⃣ Working from home means saving my PTO for fun things!
3️⃣ Lots of duck families (📸 my dad)
4️⃣ What a lot of my days look like - Harley and my current project (needlepoint). And, yes, I’m still in a cast.
5️⃣ Learned how to play Mahjong, which my parents love
6️⃣ Lake views on the 4th

⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣⁣⁣⁣

⬛⁣⁣⁣

IDs:
1️⃣ Harley the golden retriever on a deck as seen through some plants
2️⃣ Kate takes a selfie
3️⃣ A duck with little ducklings following on a lake
4️⃣ Harley coming up to Kate. Her legs are out on an ottoman, 1 foot in a walking cast, and an in-progress needlepoint project
5️⃣ Looking down at a Mahjong table with the game set up
6️⃣ A kayak on the shore of a lake 

#MaineTheWay #MaineSummer #Needlepoint #MaineLife
Living with chronic pain is really hard. You’re wi Living with chronic pain is really hard. You’re winning every day you’re still here.⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
⁣
⁣⁣⬛⁣⁣⁣
⁣
ID: The background image is a lake at sunset. Text reads what's above the first square and also "katethealmostgreat".⁣
⁣
#ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RheumatoidArthritis #Fibromyalgia #Endometriosis
I've been spending a fair amount of time at my foo I've been spending a fair amount of time at my foot surgeon's office this year, and boy has it been messing with my head. ⁣
⁣
I spent a lot of time from 2001-2010 dealing with my left foot. Long story short, it took until this foot surgeon saw me in 2010 after fixing this foot for me to be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. But I spent those 9 years going from doctor to doctor, having surgery after surgery, trying to figure out what was causing my pain and to fix it. ⁣
⁣
Was it the tarsal coalition? Did I have another chronic health issue? Etc. ⁣
⁣
I spent from age 10 to 19 unsure what exactly was wrong with me and in huge amounts of pain. We thought we figured it out, and then something else happened. ⁣
⁣
We know exactly what is wrong with this foot this time around: in 2024, I got 3 stress fractures, and no one put me in a boot. They almost fully healed before breaking in 2025, and then the same thing happened in 2026. ⁣
⁣
This is a different part of the foot than I used to deal with, but any problems with my feet and especially my left foot messes with me. While this doctor eventually fixed the problems and even got me diagnosed with RA, every time I go back to his office, I have to fight not to become 17 again. ⁣
⁣
PTSD is a bitch.⁣
⁣
(PS - if you want to know why I'm going back to this guy when it messes with me, it's because I don't trust anyone else to fix my foot.)⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
⁣
⁣⁣⬛⁣⁣ ⁣
⁣
ID: Kate takes a selfie in a doctor's office. ⁣
⁣
#PTSDAwareness #ChronicallyIll #TarsalCoalition #RheumatoidArthritis #Osteoporosis
Week 25 of #2026Weekly Happy to be in Maine for Week 25 of #2026Weekly 

Happy to be in Maine for a few weeks! I didn’t get up to a lot, so another week of very few pictures

1️⃣ IVIG 
2️⃣ Lots of beautiful birds have been coming to my mom’s bird feeder!

⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣⁣⁣⁣

⬛⁣⁣⁣

IDs: 
1️⃣ Looking at Kate’s lap. Tubes are coming out from under her shirt and there’s a Kindle
2️⃣ Birds arriving at a bird feeder as seen through a window

#ChronicallyIll #InvisibleIllness #ChronicPain #IVIG
What do you have to do every day for your chronic What do you have to do every day for your chronic illnesses? ⁣
⁣
For context, I have rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, POTS, heart disease, osteoporosis, and more. ⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
⁣
⁣⁣⬛⁣⁣
⁣
ID: ⁣
Things I Do Every Day for My Chronic Illnesses⁣
Take pills at least 4 times a day⁣
Don’t eat gluten, dairy, corn, soy, or eggs⁣
Sleep 7+ hours a night⁣
Consume 80-100 grams of protein, 120 mg of calcium, 5-10 grams of sodium⁣
Wear a mask whenever I leave the house⁣
Do pilates 4+ days a week⁣
Work from home⁣
⁣
#ChronicallyIll #InvisibleIllness #RheumatoidArthritis #Fibromyalgia
Filmed this back in April (hence the sweater) but Filmed this back in April (hence the sweater) but it applies to whenever I have appointments! 

Video: Kate talks to the camera while holding a purse. She holds up individual items mentioned in the video before putting them in the bag. There are captions. 

#ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #Osteoporosis #ChronicPain
There are a lot of medical advancements that I'm g There are a lot of medical advancements that I'm grateful for, but one of them is the ability to do IVIG at home. ⁣
⁣
I'm on IVIG - or, in my case, subcutaneous immunoglobulin replacement therapy - because I have to kill the better part of my immune system. There are, in fact, some parts of my immune system that don't attack me, which is why we add them back in. This helps reduce my chance of serious infection and also made my rheumatologist feel comfortable enough to increase my Rituxan dose. ⁣
⁣
This is a weekly treatment that I do, but it's so much better that I can do it at home than going into the hospital. It takes around 2.5 hours from taking my pre-meds to tossing my needles into a Sharps container. While it's another thing that I have to do, because I do it at home, I don't have to risk exposure to infections at the hospital or deal with Boston traffic, which would add another hour to the process. ⁣
⁣
I can finish my treatment and then go about my day, which I'm very grateful for.⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
⁣
⁣⁣⬛⁣⁣⁣
⁣
ID: A Kindle on Kate's legs. There are tubes for an infusion coming out of her shirt.⁣
⁣
#IVIG #ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #Autoimmune #AutoimmuneDisease
Weeks 23 and 24 of 2026 Weekly! The last two wee Weeks 23 and 24 of 2026 Weekly! 

The last two weeks were prepping for my infusion, having/recovering from my infusion, and getting caught up after. This meant things were very busy but also I don’t have a lot to show for them. 

1️⃣ New glasses! I really like having multiple pairs so I can switch them as I want.
2️⃣ One of my current projects. I got this standing hoop for my birthday and I’m working on an alphabet (uppercase and lower, although I’m still working on the lower) with extra floss.
3️⃣ Infusion time! I got my higher dose so hopefully my symptoms improve a lot in the upcoming weeks🤞🏻

⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣⁣

⬛⁣

IDs: 
1️⃣ Kate takes a selfie. Her new glasses are thin silver circles
2️⃣ An in-progress cross-stitched alphabet in a special hoop stand that Kate is sitting on.
3️⃣ Kate takes a selfie in an infusion chair.

#ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #AutoimmuneDisease #CrossStitcher
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2026 · Kate the (Almost) Great · Design by Studio Mommy