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Kate the (Almost) Great

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in Health &middot February 12, 2021

Living with a Suppressed Immune System in a Pandemic

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in Health &middot February 12, 2021

Living with a Suppressed Immune System in a Pandemic

Friends, we are about a year into COVID-19 being a recognized worldwide problem. And we still have a ways to go ... especially for people with suppressed immune systems. I've ... Read the Post...

Gluten-Free St. Patrick's Day Food | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Lifestyle &middot February 5, 2021

Gluten-Free St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

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in Lifestyle &middot February 5, 2021

Gluten-Free St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

Gluten-Free St. Patrick's Day Food | Kate the (Almost) Great

We are a little over a month way from St. Patrick's Day! As we are still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, you shouldn't be going out for the holiday, but you might still ... Read the Post...

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".
What Is a Chronic Illness? And Other Frequently Asked Questions
in Health &middot January 29, 2021

What Is a Chronic Illness? And Other Frequently Asked Questions

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in Health &middot January 29, 2021

What Is a Chronic Illness? And Other Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Chronic Illness? And Other Frequently Asked Questions

As someone who has been publicly chronically ill for a very long time - since I started this blog in 2013 - I have been asked a lot of questions about chronic illness over the ... Read the Post...

How I Manage Social Media Platforms for My Blog
in Writing & Blogging &middot January 22, 2021

How I Manage Social Media Platforms for My Blog

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in Writing & Blogging &middot January 22, 2021

How I Manage Social Media Platforms for My Blog

How I Manage Social Media Platforms for My Blog

The thing about blogging for as long as I have is that the way things work has changed a lot. But one thing that has stayed the same is that social media is absolutely ... Read the Post...

Self-Care Tips That Chronic Illness Patients Need | Health & Lifestyle
in Health, Lifestyle &middot January 15, 2021

Self-Care Tips That Chronic Illness Patients Need

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in Health, Lifestyle &middot January 15, 2021

Self-Care Tips That Chronic Illness Patients Need

Self-Care Tips That Chronic Illness Patients Need | Health & Lifestyle

I hope everyone's January and 2021 are off to a good start! This time of year is often thought of as being a time for starting over or starting new habits. I don't know about ... Read the Post...

The Mistakes I Made That Made Me Lose Blog Traffic
in Writing & Blogging &middot January 8, 2021

The Mistakes I Made That Made Me Lose Blog Traffic

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in Writing & Blogging &middot January 8, 2021

The Mistakes I Made That Made Me Lose Blog Traffic

The Mistakes I Made That Made Me Lose Blog Traffic

Heyo! Like I said on Tuesday, I have a couple of wrap-up posts about 2020 things and then it's onto the future. I think this is the last one about 2020, and it's the December ... Read the Post...

2020 Recent Reads: October-December
in Lifestyle &middot January 5, 2021

2020 Recent Reads: October-December

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in Lifestyle &middot January 5, 2021

2020 Recent Reads: October-December

2020 Recent Reads: October-December

Happy 2021! In true tradition, I have a couple of posts to wrap of the previous year, and then it's all about the future. One of those posts is this one where I wrap up the ... Read the Post...

13 Blog Strategies for 2021 | Kate the (Almost) Great, Health Blog
in Writing & Blogging &middot December 29, 2020

13 Blog Strategies for 2021

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in Writing & Blogging &middot December 29, 2020

13 Blog Strategies for 2021

13 Blog Strategies for 2021 | Kate the (Almost) Great, Health Blog

We are in that weird week in between Christmas and New Years, and normally it's a week filled with family Christmas celebrations and not wanting Christmas to end. But in 2020, ... Read the Post...

What Is Self-Advocacy? An Answer + Strategies | Health Lifestyle Blog
in Health &middot December 22, 2020

What Is Self-Advocacy? An Answer + Strategies To Help

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in Health &middot December 22, 2020

What Is Self-Advocacy? An Answer + Strategies To Help

What Is Self-Advocacy? An Answer + Strategies | Health Lifestyle Blog

When I first started this blog, it was partially to have a creative outlet and partially to have a platform through which I could focus my advocacy. I was inspired to advocacy ... Read the Post...

Sneaky Ways To Grow Your Blog Traffic | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Writing & Blogging &middot December 15, 2020

Sneaky Ways To Grow Your Blog Traffic

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in Writing & Blogging &middot December 15, 2020

Sneaky Ways To Grow Your Blog Traffic

Sneaky Ways To Grow Your Blog Traffic | Kate the (Almost) Great

You know that things are hectic when I'm posting my blog traffic report halfway through the month! This is for a couple of reasons. One, it's gift guide season, so all of my ... Read the Post...

Gifts Supporting Good Causes | Health Lifestyle Blog
in Lifestyle &middot December 11, 2020

Gifts Supporting Good Causes

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in Lifestyle &middot December 11, 2020

Gifts Supporting Good Causes

Gifts Supporting Good Causes | Health Lifestyle Blog

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Kate the (Almost) Great! A few months ago, I asked on Twitter what gift guides you wanted this year, and ... Read the Post...

in Health &middot December 8, 2020

My Life with Endometriosis: Development to Today

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in Health &middot December 8, 2020

My Life with Endometriosis: Development to Today

Thank you Edelweiss Study for sponsoring this post. Be sure to visit the Edelweiss Endometriosis Study landing page to see if you or a loved one qualifies to ... Read the Post...

Small Business Gift Guide | Health Lifestyle Blog, Kate the (Almost) Great
in Lifestyle &middot December 4, 2020

Small Business Gift Guide

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in Lifestyle &middot December 4, 2020

Small Business Gift Guide

Small Business Gift Guide | Health Lifestyle Blog, Kate the (Almost) Great

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Kate the (Almost) Great! Shopping small isn't just for Small Business Saturday! So if you're working on your ... Read the Post...

Living Life with Chronic Illness: Common Problems & Their Solutions
in Health &middot December 1, 2020

Living Life with Chronic Illness: Common Problems & Their Solutions

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in Health &middot December 1, 2020

Living Life with Chronic Illness: Common Problems & Their Solutions

Living Life with Chronic Illness: Common Problems & Their Solutions

Living life with chronic illness is hard. This might feel obvious, but it's still harder than most people realize. We have so much to stay on top of - taking all medications, ... Read the Post...

Cyber Monday 2020 Gifts | Health Lifestyle Blog, Kate the (Almost) Great
in Lifestyle &middot November 27, 2020

Cyber Monday 2020 Gifts

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in Lifestyle &middot November 27, 2020

Cyber Monday 2020 Gifts

Cyber Monday 2020 Gifts | Health Lifestyle Blog, Kate the (Almost) Great

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Kate the (Almost) Great! It honestly feels a little silly to make a gift guide for Cyber Monday in 2020 ... Read the Post...

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Kate the (Almost) Great® is a chronic illness lifestyle blog. It is a resource for chronic illness patients and their loved ones.

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Kate the (Almost) Great

Chronic health lifestyle blog

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Reminder: you can be proud of your disability comm Reminder: you can be proud of your disability community while wishing your body cooperated more⁣
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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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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: Screenshot of a thread post. The background is dark teal, and it's written by katethealmostgreat. ⁣The text reads what's above the first black box.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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#DisabilityPride #ChronicallyIll #InvisibleIllness #Disabled #Disability
I don’t know the exact date of my RA diagnosis, bu I don’t know the exact date of my RA diagnosis, but this is from right around then in July 2010. ⁣
⁣
When I was diagnosed, I had been having symptoms for 9 years. ⁣
- 9 years of foot pain (partially from tarsal coalition)⁣
- Arthritic damage in said food⁣
- Carpal tunnel off and on for several years⁣
- And more⁣
⁣
I was finally diagnosed because I woke up one morning and was unable to open my jaw more than 8 mm. It turned out that I had horrible arthritic damage to my TMJs, which got me off the waiting list at MGH rheumatology. I left that appointment with an autoimmune arthritis diagnosis. ⁣
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The fact that July is not only my diagnosis anniversary but also Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month has always seemed right. I may not have been diagnosed with JA, but given the amount of arthritis I had along with my many years of symptoms, it's generally accepted that I had it. ⁣
⁣
This year marks 16 years since diagnosis and this fall marks 25 years since my symptoms started. It's pretty weird that so much time has already passed!⁣
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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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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 at 19 at Fenway Park for a Red Sox game. ⁣
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#RheumatoidArthritis #AutoimmuneDisease #Arthritis #JuvenileArthritis #JRA
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?⁣
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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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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: "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".⁣
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#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.⁣
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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: The background image is a lake at sunset. Text reads what's above the first square and also "katethealmostgreat".⁣
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#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. ⁣
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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. ⁣
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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. ⁣
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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. ⁣
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PTSD is a bitch.⁣
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(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.)⁣
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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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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 in a doctor's office. ⁣
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#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? ⁣
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For context, I have rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, POTS, heart disease, osteoporosis, and more. ⁣
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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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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: ⁣
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⁣
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#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
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