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Is Chronic Illness a Disability
in Health &middot August 17, 2018

Is Chronic Illness a Disability?

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in Health &middot August 17, 2018

Is Chronic Illness a Disability?

Is Chronic Illness a Disability

When I say that I'm disabled, most people are surprised. If they don't know me, it's because they don't know that I have invisible illnesses. If they do know me, it's because ... Read the Post...

6 Reasons Why You Should Start Blogging
in Writing & Blogging &middot August 14, 2018

6 Reasons Why You Should Start Blogging

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in Writing & Blogging &middot August 14, 2018

6 Reasons Why You Should Start Blogging

6 Reasons Why You Should Start Blogging

These days, it feels like everyone and their mother is a blogger. I started way back in 2013, and blogging as an industry has changed a lot since then and there are so many ... 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".
in Lifestyle &middot August 10, 2018

Most Popular Books Published in 2018 (So Far)

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in Lifestyle &middot August 10, 2018

Most Popular Books Published in 2018 (So Far)

It's no secret that I love books. I feature them on my Instagram, I talk about them in my Currently posts, I share what I've read for each quarter of the year, and I write ... Read the Post...

Why Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Hard to Diagnose?
in Health &middot August 7, 2018

Why Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Hard to Diagnose?

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in Health &middot August 7, 2018

Why Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Hard to Diagnose?

Why Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Hard to Diagnose?

People are generally shocked when I tell them that it took 9 years before I received my rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. 9 years of surgeries, pain, seeing doctor after doctor, ... Read the Post...

What I Did To Improve Site Traffic in July & If It Worked
in Writing & Blogging &middot August 3, 2018

What I Did To Improve Site Traffic in July & If It Worked

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in Writing & Blogging &middot August 3, 2018

What I Did To Improve Site Traffic in July & If It Worked

What I Did To Improve Site Traffic in July & If It Worked

There are a variety of reasons why I can't wait for summer to be over - my bad reaction to the heat, my love of sweaters, etc. - but one of them is definitely because then my ... Read the Post...

Currently [Vol. 21]
in Lifestyle &middot July 31, 2018

Currently [Vol. 21]

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in Lifestyle &middot July 31, 2018

Currently [Vol. 21]

Currently [Vol. 21]

Well, July has come to a close. This means that it's time for the next installment in my Currently series! This is a series where I open up with you guys about my feelings and ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot July 30, 2018

Kate’s Historical Fun Facts [Vol. 3]

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in Lifestyle &middot July 30, 2018

Kate’s Historical Fun Facts [Vol. 3]

Welcome to the 3 edition of Kate's Historical Fun Facts, a monthly blog post where I compile all the fun facts I can think of or learn in the course of the month. It's a way ... Read the Post...

Tips for New Bloggers
in Writing & Blogging &middot July 27, 2018

Tips for New Bloggers

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in Writing & Blogging &middot July 27, 2018

Tips for New Bloggers

Tips for New Bloggers

I know, I know. Aren't there enough posts about this? Yes and no. I've been a blogger since 2013 (2012 if we want to get technical), and I've learned a lot and seen a lot over ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot July 24, 2018

My Workwear

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in Lifestyle &middot July 24, 2018

My Workwear

New week, new post! Today, I thought I would share with you what I wear to work. I started my new job in June, and it's the first time since 2014 that I'm working at least 4 ... Read the Post...

Chronically Ill Tips: Preparing for Medical Appointments + Freebies To Help
in Health &middot July 20, 2018

Chronically Ill Tips: Preparing for Medical Appointments + Freebies To Help

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in Health &middot July 20, 2018

Chronically Ill Tips: Preparing for Medical Appointments + Freebies To Help

Chronically Ill Tips: Preparing for Medical Appointments + Freebies To Help

Not to brag, but with anywhere from 2 to 8 medical appointments a week, I'm pretty skilled at preparing for them. In all seriousness, I have 6 chronic illnesses - 3 of which ... Read the Post...

in Writing & Blogging &middot July 17, 2018

How Blog Traffic Reports Can Get Traffic to Your Blog

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in Writing & Blogging &middot July 17, 2018

How Blog Traffic Reports Can Get Traffic to Your Blog

Over the weekend, I asked you guys in my Instagram stories if you wanted to see this post or one with a roundup of blogging tutorials. (If you want to see that, definitely let ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot July 13, 2018

2018 Recent Reads: April-June

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in Lifestyle &middot July 13, 2018

2018 Recent Reads: April-June

Anyone else shocked that we're halfway through 2018? It felt like I blinked and now it's suddenly July. But know what that means? (Well, you're already reading this post, so ... Read the Post...

The Emotional Side to My Tarsal Coalition Surgery Recovery
in Health &middot July 10, 2018

The Emotional Side to My Tarsal Coalition Surgery Recovery

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in Health &middot July 10, 2018

The Emotional Side to My Tarsal Coalition Surgery Recovery

The Emotional Side to My Tarsal Coalition Surgery Recovery

Now that I'm 15 weeks/3.5 months post-op, I feel like I'm in a position where I can finally talk a bit more about my surgery recovering - the emotional side, to be precise. ... Read the Post...

in Writing & Blogging &middot July 3, 2018

The Impact of Personal Blog Posts on Blog Traffic: June Blog Traffic Report

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in Writing & Blogging &middot July 3, 2018

The Impact of Personal Blog Posts on Blog Traffic: June Blog Traffic Report

Well, it's officially summer. Know what means? Tanking blog traffic! I'm serious - starting on Memorial Day Weekend, my blog traffic has been very low on weekends. In the ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot June 30, 2018

Kate’s Random Historical Fun Facts [Vol. 2]

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in Lifestyle &middot June 30, 2018

Kate’s Random Historical Fun Facts [Vol. 2]

Welcome to another edition of my blog series meant to save my family from my historical "fun" facts! As I said last time, this series is mainly for me and my family. ... 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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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. ⁣
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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. ⁣
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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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