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in Lifestyle &middot August 29, 2017

Currently [Vol. 12]

And another month has come to a close! It’s hard to believe that we are now about 2/3 done with the year but I am okay with it. September through New Years is my favorite time of the year, so I’m so glad that we are just about there. This month was kind of all over the place; lots of trips to Maine, lots of family time, writing pretty much non-stop, a ton of medical appointments, starting homework for the new semester, and more.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you click them and buy something I get a small profit. This post also contains a product that I was sent for free in exchange for my honest review. However, that review was not on here and was instead on Sephora’s website. My posting about it here isn’t part of that review exchange. As always, my opinions about everything here are my own. You can learn more here.

Sharing what I've been up to, listening to, feeling, reading, and more!

I’m currently …

looking forward to … fall really getting here, being done with grad school, and the new season of Outlander starting in less than 2 weeks – I started my last semester of school yesterday! It’s hard to believe that 2.5 years of hard work is almost over. But I’m so excited for fall weather, especially since my body apparently hates temperatures over 80, and one of my all-time favorite shows comes back on the 10th. You should really be watching Outlander. It has time travel, intense and well-met romance, war drama, and more. It’s based on the book series, which is some of my all-time favorite books.

wearing … Old Navy boyfriend shorts, The Future Is Accessible shirt, Make Up Forever foundation, Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara, Too Faced Love Light Prismatic Highlighter, Tarte Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Birthday Suit – If you want a The Future Is Accessible Shirt, they’re available for 10 more days. They come in 5 colors and 17 styles, and you can pick one up here. (Eyebrow quirk comes separately 😉)

Sharing what I've been feeling, hoping for, reading, wearing, and more! Check out where you can get this The Future Is Accessible Shirt, too! Perfect if you are disabled or you care about disabled people.

feeling … excited for the school year, happy that I finally finished writing the first draft of TLM (my second novel) – After YEARS of work, I finally finished the first draft of TLM on Sunday. I’m so excited to have that done – and now I can start editing.

watching … Gotham, Big Brother, CSI.

loving … the fall-ish weather we’ve been having in Boston – Have I mentioned that I don’t like the warmth any more? Give me fall!

listening to … my Working playlist, the new Old Dominion album, Thomas Rhett’s new song Unforgettable.

grateful for … my medical team, but especially my physical therapy and my gynecologist; everyone who has supported me while writing TLM – Every since I started having episodes of multiple ovarian cysts rupturing, I haven’t gone more than 2 months without having an episode. Until now. I started a new medication for my endometriosis (the cause behind the episodes) back in May and I successfully made it to the next dose this month without having another episode. I’m so, so grateful for that. Additionally, I’ve made the progress that I have with my knee recovery thanks to my physical therapist. I’m super grateful for that.

reading … The Bat, The Problem of Pain, and Moonglow for myself and Framely Parsonage and The Woman in White for school. The Bat is a detective novel set in Sydney in the 2000s. It’s the first Harry Hole novel by Jo Nesbo and I’m really enjoying it! There are some terms used that aren’t considered okay now (transmisic terms really) because it was written in the 2000s, but overall I enjoy the story. The Problem of Pain was a reread and basically it’s perfect for anyone who has asked the question, “If God is real and good, why do bad things happen in the world?” I’m currently listening to Moonglow on Audible and it’s really engrossing. It’s framed as a memoir of the narrator’s grandfather (might be loosely based on the author’s life; I’m confused on that front) and it’s really interesting, funny, touching, and more. I strongly suggest it.

I’ve just about finished re-reading this, and it’s just as good as I remembered. It’s all about answering the question, “If God is real and He is good, how can bad things happen?” If you’ve wondered that, I suggest you read this masterpiece by C. S. Lewis. | #amreading #bookworm #booklover #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofig #cslewis #whatiread

A post shared by Kate | Boston Blogger & Writer (@katethealmostgreat) on Aug 19, 2017 at 7:01am PDT

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Kate Mitchell

Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.

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SHARING YOUR HEALTH EXPERIENCES PUBLICLY⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ I sh SHARING YOUR HEALTH EXPERIENCES PUBLICLY⁣⁣⁣
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I share my personal health experiences online, which I find it somewhat easy to do because I've been talking publicly - albeit to a smaller audience - since my health problems started in 2001. ⁣⁣⁣
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If you share something online, you need to be prepared for people to ask questions or argue with you. Should they? No. Will that stop them? Also do. ⁣
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That's one of the reasons that talking online about what can be trauma is not easy or for everyone. That's why it's important to practice self-care and to consciously think about what you want to share online before you do it. ⁣⁣⁣
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For example, I generally only talk publicly about a health situation once it has passed, especially if it's an emergency. I also make sure that I'm in a good place mentally before I talk about it. That way, I don't share things I'll regret sharing publicly later. It also helps me be less anxious about sharing these details.⁣⁣⁣
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And I don't share everything! There's lot of stuff that I haven't talked about not only online but with people in real life. It might seem like I share everything I've experienced, but I don't. ⁣
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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⁣⁣.⁣
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IDs: Kate works on a laptop offscreen. She's a redheaded white woman wearing a beige-and-navy striped sweater, silver Claddagh necklace, and pink glasses.⁣
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#ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #ChronicPain #Endometriosis #SjogrensSyndrome
Week 18 of 2026 Weekly 1️⃣ Cross-stitch and IVIG Week 18 of 2026 Weekly 

1️⃣ Cross-stitch and IVIG 
2️⃣ Another trip to the foot doctor. We’re officially in Try To Avoid My 6th Foot Surgery mode 🤞🏻 
3️⃣ At least there were lilacs?

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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⁣⁣.

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IDs: 
1️⃣ Looking down at Kate’s lap. Tubes are coming out of her shirt. She’s working on a cross stitch.
2️⃣ Kate takes a selfie in a doctor’s office. She’s wearing a lilac mask.
3️⃣ A lilac bush

#IVIG #CrossStitching #ChronicIllness #ChronicallyIll #InvisibleIllness
FAQ: Have I Tried Yoga for My Pain? This is a se FAQ: Have I Tried Yoga for My Pain? 

This is a series where I answer questions I frequently get about my rheumatoid arthritis. I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice - just saying the truth about my body in particular. 

Video: Kate speaks to camera. There are captions. A black text box reads “FAQ: Have I Tried Yoga for My Pain?” 

#RheumatoidArthritis #AutoimmuneArthritis #Arthritis #ArthritisAwarenessMonth
May is Arthritis Awareness Month, which is the per May is Arthritis Awareness Month, which is the perfect time to remind people of these facts. Here's today's fact.⁣
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Like, comment, and share to spread awareness 💖⁣
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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⁣⁣.⁣
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ID: Fact or Fiction? Let's Check! ⁣
Fiction⁣
Arthritis only affects people as they age.⁣
Fact⁣
Arthritis can affect anyone at any age, including kids as young as 3.⁣
katethealmostgreat⁣
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#ArthritisAwareness #Arthritis #RheumatoidDisease #RheumatoidArthritis #ArthritisAwarenessMonth
I’ve been on IVIG since September. So what does su I’ve been on IVIG since September. So what does success look like? ⁣
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*This is all just for me and my case!*⁣
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1️⃣ I haven't gotten sick at all since I started, not even a cold. ⁣
2️⃣ My lungs are clear of any ground glass opacities, which was what pushed us over to finally doing IVIG regularly. ⁣
3️⃣ We feel better about saying that I don't have any infections. Because symptoms are often signs of the body fighting an infection, we couldn't always trust that I wasn't sick because I didn't have symptoms. ⁣
4️⃣ Because of all of this, we're increasing my next Rituxan dose! This will mean better RA symptoms and hopefully no new illnesses for a few years.⁣
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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⁣⁣.⁣
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ID: A bunch of IVIG supplies, including a pump. ⁣
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#ChronicallyIll #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #AutoimmuneDisease #Autoimmune
Week 17 of 2026 Weekly 1️⃣ Making some real progr Week 17 of 2026 Weekly

1️⃣ Making some real progress with this cross stitch
2️⃣ Walking casts have multiple uses, including holding down your mat! (Don’t worry - I only did broken-foot-compatible things) 

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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⁣⁣.

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IDs:
1️⃣ An in-progress cross stitch. You can see that Kate stitched 2 bears.
3️⃣ A walking cast lies on a black yoga mat 

#CrossStitching #CrossStitcher #RheumatoidArthritis #Osteoporosis #LoopsAndThreads
Can we talk about fatigue for a sec? ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ Fatigue Can we talk about fatigue for a sec? ⁣⁣⁣
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Fatigue is so much more than being tired. It's sleeping 10 hours at night and then struggling to stay awake during the day. It's trouble focusing because, even though you just had 3 cups of coffee, you're thinking about sleep. It's needing to factor rest in during the day because you have plans at night. ⁣⁣⁣
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It's a lot. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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It's no secret that I have multiple chronic illnesses. But did you know that all of them - all 11+ of them - have fatigue as a symptom? Sometimes the fatigue is worse than the pain and, uh, I live with a lot of pain.⁣⁣
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This picture was taken when I was super anemic and waiting for 4 iron infusions. Now, months later, I can see it. And I also don't know how I got through the months of that anemia. ⁣
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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⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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ID: Kate takes a selfie. She's a redheaded white woman wearing a gray sweater and pink glasses.⁣
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#ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #Fibromyalgia #Endometriosis #POTS
Week 16 of 2026 This week had EVERYTHING 1️⃣ Cr Week 16 of 2026 

This week had EVERYTHING

1️⃣ Cross-stitch during virtual mass 
2️⃣ Tuesday featured a 90-minute meeting during work and then an hour advocacy work call after my day job (both were good!)
3️⃣ Wednesday started at my foot doctor’s office and I left in a walking boot. Hopefully these 3 fractured bones will heal correctly this time 🤞🏻
4️⃣ Thursday started back at MGH for my annual neurology appointment + foot CT scan
5️⃣ Then I went up to Maine … 
6️⃣ to celebrate my grandma’s 85th birthday! 

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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⁣⁣.

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IDs: 
1️⃣ In the foreground is an in-progress cross-stitch piece. The background shows an open laptop streaming Catholic mass.
2️⃣ Kate takes a selfie. She’s a white woman with auburn hair and green glasses.
3️⃣ Kate takes a selfie in a doctor’s office. 
4️⃣ Kate takes a selfie in a car.
5️⃣ Kate takes a selfie snuggling with a golden retriever.
6️⃣ Kate and her cousins stand with their grandmother in front of a sign saying "Happy Birthday." 

#CrossStitch #ChronicPain #ChronicallyIll #InvisibleIllness
My face comes with subtitles, so .. ⁣ ⁣ ⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ I My face comes with subtitles, so .. ⁣
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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⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣.⁣
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ID: Kate drinks coffee giving side eye. White text box reads "My Face When Someone Says 'You Shouldn't Need a Cane At Your Age'" ⁣
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#ChronicPain #ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #Fibromyalgia
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