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Kate the (Almost) Great

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Gift Guide: Great Gifts for Mom | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston lifestyle
in Lifestyle &middot November 22, 2019

Gift Guide: Great Gifts for Mom

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in Lifestyle &middot November 22, 2019

Gift Guide: Great Gifts for Mom

Gift Guide: Great Gifts for Mom | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston lifestyle

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Kate the (Almost) Great! It's time for another gift guide! In this one, as you can tell from the title, I'm ... Read the Post...

Why I Switched to MailerLite from MailChimp for My Email Newsletter
in Writing & Blogging &middot November 19, 2019

Why I Switched to MailerLite from MailChimp for My Email Newsletter

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in Writing & Blogging &middot November 19, 2019

Why I Switched to MailerLite from MailChimp for My Email Newsletter

Why I Switched to MailerLite from MailChimp for My Email Newsletter

The world of blogging is very different now than when I started in 2013. One way in particular is how important having an email newsletter is. This is because, other than your ... 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".
Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Custom Gifts | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Lifestyle &middot November 15, 2019

Gift Guide: Custom Gifts

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in Lifestyle &middot November 15, 2019

Gift Guide: Custom Gifts

Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Custom Gifts | Kate the (Almost) Great

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Kate the (Almost) Great! It's that time again - holiday gift guide time! I know it might seem early to some ... Read the Post...

Master Blogging and SEO in 1 Month: October Blog Traffic Report | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Writing & Blogging &middot November 8, 2019

Master Blogging and SEO in 1 Month: October Blog Traffic Report

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in Writing & Blogging &middot November 8, 2019

Master Blogging and SEO in 1 Month: October Blog Traffic Report

Master Blogging and SEO in 1 Month: October Blog Traffic Report | Kate the (Almost) Great

If you have had a website for more than a few months, you have probably heard about search engine optimization (aka SEO) and that it's important if you want to grow your ... Read the Post...

How To Stay Healthy in Flu Season | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston Lifestyle Blog
in Health &middot November 5, 2019

How To Stay Healthy in Flu Season

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in Health &middot November 5, 2019

How To Stay Healthy in Flu Season

How To Stay Healthy in Flu Season | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston Lifestyle Blog

Somehow it's November already, which means that we are heading into flu season! While you can get it year-round, in the US you're more likely to get it in December through ... Read the Post...

2019 Recent Reads: July-September | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston Lifestyle Blog
in Lifestyle &middot October 25, 2019

2019 Recent Reads: July-September

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in Lifestyle &middot October 25, 2019

2019 Recent Reads: July-September

2019 Recent Reads: July-September | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston Lifestyle Blog

We're back with another episode of 2019 Recent Reads! I love doing these quarterly recaps of what I've been reading. It's a fun way to share the books that I've been enjoying, ... Read the Post...

Why Isn't My Blog Getting Traffic? | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston Lifestyle Blog
in Writing & Blogging &middot October 18, 2019

Why Isn’t My Blog Getting Traffic?

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in Writing & Blogging &middot October 18, 2019

Why Isn’t My Blog Getting Traffic?

Why Isn't My Blog Getting Traffic? | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston Lifestyle Blog

The longer I blog, the more often I see people asking, "Why isn't my blog getting traffic?" on Facebook groups, Twitter, and more. Blogging has changed a lot since I started, ... Read the Post...

Things To Do in Ireland for First-Time Visitors | Kate the (Almost Great)
in Lifestyle &middot October 15, 2019

Things To Do in Ireland for First-Time Visitors

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in Lifestyle &middot October 15, 2019

Things To Do in Ireland for First-Time Visitors

Things To Do in Ireland for First-Time Visitors | Kate the (Almost Great)

As you know if you follow my Instagram, I spent the first week of September in Ireland. While this was my first time, it was my parents' third. This was great because they ... Read the Post...

How To Be a Hero for Chronic Illness Patients | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Health, Lifestyle &middot October 11, 2019

How To Be a Hero for Chronic Illness Patients

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in Health, Lifestyle &middot October 11, 2019

How To Be a Hero for Chronic Illness Patients

How To Be a Hero for Chronic Illness Patients | Kate the (Almost) Great

This is a sponsored post, but as always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Kate the (Almost) Great! As of 2014, there are approximately 133 million ... Read the Post...

September 2019 Blog Traffic Report | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Writing & Blogging &middot October 8, 2019

September 2019 Blog Traffic Report

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in Writing & Blogging &middot October 8, 2019

September 2019 Blog Traffic Report

September 2019 Blog Traffic Report | Kate the (Almost) Great

Before we get into this part of my 2019 blog traffic report, a few comments from yours truly. I'm not going to lie: September was all over the place in regards to my ... Read the Post...

How I Prepared My Blog for Vacation | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Writing & Blogging &middot September 24, 2019

How I Prepared My Blog for Vacation

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in Writing & Blogging &middot September 24, 2019

How I Prepared My Blog for Vacation

How I Prepared My Blog for Vacation | Kate the (Almost) Great

As you may or may not know, I spent the first week of September in Ireland! (Stay tuned for a post about that.) Because it was my first proper vacation in years and years, I ... Read the Post...

How To Make Baseball Pancakes
in Lifestyle &middot September 20, 2019

How To Make Baseball Pancakes

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in Lifestyle &middot September 20, 2019

How To Make Baseball Pancakes

How To Make Baseball Pancakes

This is a sponsored post done in collaboration with Nellie's Free Range Eggs. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Kate the (Almost) Great! I love this time ... Read the Post...

Chronic Illness Advice: Resources for the Newly-Diagnosed Patient
in Health &middot September 17, 2019

Chronic Illness Advice: Resources for the Newly-Diagnosed Patient

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in Health &middot September 17, 2019

Chronic Illness Advice: Resources for the Newly-Diagnosed Patient

Chronic Illness Advice: Resources for the Newly-Diagnosed Patient

As this month marks 18 years since my chronic pain started, I've been reflecting a lot on what my life has looked like and how it has been impacted by this pain. I have said ... Read the Post...

Get More Visitors to Your Blog: August Blog Traffic Report
in Writing & Blogging &middot September 13, 2019

Get More Visitors To Your Blog: August Blog Traffic Report

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in Writing & Blogging &middot September 13, 2019

Get More Visitors To Your Blog: August Blog Traffic Report

Get More Visitors to Your Blog: August Blog Traffic Report

I'm back from vacation! If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I was in Ireland last week. I got back about a week ago, and I'm back in the swing of things now. Which ... Read the Post...

POTS Exercise Protocol Diary: Month 3 | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Health &middot September 3, 2019

POTS Exercise Protocol Diary: Month 3

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in Health &middot September 3, 2019

POTS Exercise Protocol Diary: Month 3

POTS Exercise Protocol Diary: Month 3 | Kate the (Almost) Great

While neither of the first 2 months of this exercise protocol were easy, month 3 was so. hard. Which is why this post is coming out at the beginning of September and not ... 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. ⁣
⁣
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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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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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. ⁣
⁣
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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