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The Best WordPress Plugins: The Plugins I Use and Love
in Writing & Blogging &middot August 27, 2019

The Best WordPress Plugins: The Plugins I Use And Love

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in Writing & Blogging &middot August 27, 2019

The Best WordPress Plugins: The Plugins I Use And Love

The Best WordPress Plugins: The Plugins I Use and Love

When I switched to WordPress in 2015, I found it a bit overwhelming. There was so much to learn, and the most overwhelming were the plugins. Some plugins I've used since 2015, ... Read the Post...

DNFd Books: The Books I Couldn't Finish | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston Lifestyle Blogger
in Lifestyle &middot August 23, 2019

The Books I Couldn’t Finish

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in Lifestyle &middot August 23, 2019

The Books I Couldn’t Finish

DNFd Books: The Books I Couldn't Finish | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston Lifestyle Blogger

I've talked a lot about books that I like, books from different genres that I love, books I want to read, and just generally a variety of book topics. But one topic I haven't ... 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".
How Is Arthritis Treated? | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Health &middot August 20, 2019

How Is Arthritis Treated?

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in Health &middot August 20, 2019

How Is Arthritis Treated?

How Is Arthritis Treated? | Kate the (Almost) Great

One of the most common questions I'm asked is, "How is arthritis treated?" Most people just think of arthritis as someone everyone has to deal with as they get older, so ... Read the Post...

July 2019 Blog Traffic Report | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Writing & Blogging &middot August 9, 2019

July Blog Traffic Report

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in Writing & Blogging &middot August 9, 2019

July Blog Traffic Report

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

I feel like I say this every month, but it shocks me that we are already over a week into August. What?! This month is going to be very busy for me personally, so there will ... Read the Post...

How To Actually Rest When You Take Breaks | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Health, Lifestyle &middot August 2, 2019

How To Actually Rest When You Take Breaks

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in Health, Lifestyle &middot August 2, 2019

How To Actually Rest When You Take Breaks

How To Actually Rest When You Take Breaks | Kate the (Almost) Great

At least once a week, I ask my Twitter or Facebook followers what sort of blog posts they would like to see. After all, I'm looking to help you guys! Someone suggested tips on ... Read the Post...

The Products I Loved and Wanted in Grad School | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Lifestyle &middot July 30, 2019

The Products I Loved (And Wanted) in Grad School

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in Lifestyle &middot July 30, 2019

The Products I Loved (And Wanted) in Grad School

The Products I Loved and Wanted in Grad School | Kate the (Almost) Great

We are at the end of July, which means that the new school year is around the corner! It's wild to think that four years ago I started my MA at Boston College and that I'm ... Read the Post...

Using Tailwind: How To Get the Most Out of Tailwind
in Writing & Blogging &middot July 26, 2019

How To Get the Most Out of Tailwind for Pinterest

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in Writing & Blogging &middot July 26, 2019

How To Get the Most Out of Tailwind for Pinterest

Using Tailwind: How To Get the Most Out of Tailwind

Whether you're new to blogging or you've been doing it for a little while, you've probably heard about Tailwind. I've been blogging since 2013 and using Tailwind since 2017. ... Read the Post...

Arthritis Glossary: Frequently Used Terms | Kate the (Almost) Great
in Health &middot July 23, 2019

Arthritis Glossary: Frequently Used Words

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in Health &middot July 23, 2019

Arthritis Glossary: Frequently Used Words

Arthritis Glossary: Frequently Used Terms | Kate the (Almost) Great

I've been in the arthritis world for 9 years as of this month, and it's easy for me to forget that there are some words we use that people outside of or new to the arthritis ... Read the Post...

The Process of Writing a Blog Post
in Writing & Blogging &middot July 16, 2019

The Process of Writing a Blog Post

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in Writing & Blogging &middot July 16, 2019

The Process of Writing a Blog Post

The Process of Writing a Blog Post

Sometimes I think about the fact that I've been blogging for 6 years and have published nearly 1,000 posts and it's hard to believe. I really enjoy this corner of the ... Read the Post...

POTS Exercise Protocol Diary: Month 2
in Health &middot July 12, 2019

POTS Exercise Protocol Diary: Month 2

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in Health &middot July 12, 2019

POTS Exercise Protocol Diary: Month 2

POTS Exercise Protocol Diary: Month 2

Welcome back to my POTS exercise protocol diary! What is this series? Well, I'm trying a strict exercise protocol created by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia designed ... Read the Post...

2019 Recent Reads: April-June
in Lifestyle &middot July 9, 2019

2019 Recent Reads: April-June

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in Lifestyle &middot July 9, 2019

2019 Recent Reads: April-June

2019 Recent Reads: April-June

Books on books on books! That's right, it's time to talk about what I read in the second quarter of 2019. In these posts, I not only share what I read in the previous 3 ... Read the Post...

Can Canva Pinterest Templates Help Your Blog? June 2019 Blog Traffic Report
in Writing & Blogging &middot July 2, 2019

Can Canva Pinterest Templates Actually Help Your Blog?

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in Writing & Blogging &middot July 2, 2019

Can Canva Pinterest Templates Actually Help Your Blog?

Can Canva Pinterest Templates Help Your Blog? June 2019 Blog Traffic Report

Happy July, friends! Before we get into the July blog traffic report (in which I share my experience using Canva Pinterest templates), I wanted to give you all a heads up that ... Read the Post...

What Every POTS Syndrome Patient Needs for the Summer
in Health &middot June 21, 2019

What Every POTS Syndrome Patient Needs for the Summer

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in Health &middot June 21, 2019

What Every POTS Syndrome Patient Needs for the Summer

What Every POTS Syndrome Patient Needs for the Summer

Today is the first official day of summer! If you're someone living with POTS syndrome (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) then you know what that means: HELL. For ... Read the Post...

What Should I Blog About? | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston Lifestyle Blog
in Writing & Blogging &middot June 18, 2019

What Should I Blog About?

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in Writing & Blogging &middot June 18, 2019

What Should I Blog About?

What Should I Blog About? | Kate the (Almost) Great, Boston Lifestyle Blog

Whether you're a beginning blogger or an old pro, at some point you're going to ask yourself, "What should I blog about?" This question can be very general - as in, what type ... Read the Post...

What's in My Bag: A Millennial's Work Bag
in Lifestyle &middot June 11, 2019

What’s in My Bag: A Millennial’s Work Bag

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in Lifestyle &middot June 11, 2019

What’s in My Bag: A Millennial’s Work Bag

What's in My Bag: A Millennial's Work Bag

You know, I don't even know if what's in my bag posts are still a thing people want to read, but I guess we're going to find out. Anyway. Now that I've been at my current job ... 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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Most Popular Posts

  • Beginner’s Guide: Rheumatoid Arthritis Flare Up
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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. ⁣
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Was it the tarsal coalition? Did I have another chronic health issue? Etc. ⁣
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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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