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Currently [Vol. 20]
in Lifestyle &middot June 29, 2018

Currently [Vol. 20]

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in Lifestyle &middot June 29, 2018

Currently [Vol. 20]

Currently [Vol. 20]

It's the end of June already? It has flown by and also taken forever - aka most of 2018. This month was great because I celebrated my birthday and my mom's birthday, started a ... Read the Post...

in Writing & Blogging &middot June 26, 2018

5 Ways To Master Instagram Hashtags + Free Hashtag Tracker

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in Writing & Blogging &middot June 26, 2018

5 Ways To Master Instagram Hashtags + Free Hashtag Tracker

Not another post about the Instagram algorithm! Okay, so this post is kinda related to that, but we're going to focus on the algorithm alone. Anyone who has been on the ... 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 Health, Lifestyle &middot June 22, 2018

10 Simple Self Care Methods That Will Improve Your Life

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in Health, Lifestyle &middot June 22, 2018

10 Simple Self Care Methods That Will Improve Your Life

For the past couple of years, self care has been all over the Internet. But what is it exactly and how can you practice it? Well, my therapist told me once that I'm good a ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot June 19, 2018

The Wife Between Us + Giveaway

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in Lifestyle &middot June 19, 2018

The Wife Between Us + Giveaway

I partnered with St. Martin's press for this post, I received compensation for this post, and this post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own. New week ... Read the Post...

Where I Found My Book Ideas + How You Can Find Yours
in Writing & Blogging &middot June 15, 2018

Where I Found My Book Ideas + How You Can Find Yours

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in Writing & Blogging &middot June 15, 2018

Where I Found My Book Ideas + How You Can Find Yours

Where I Found My Book Ideas + How You Can Find Yours

As I'm twenty-seven and am working on my third novel, I'm regularly asked, "Where do you get your book ideas?" What I find interesting is that the answer to this question is ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot June 13, 2018

2018 Reader Survey + Visa Gift Certificate Giveaway

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in Lifestyle &middot June 13, 2018

2018 Reader Survey + Visa Gift Certificate Giveaway

Welcome to the annual reader survey! If you're new around here, here's what happens: every year, I ask my readers to fill out a survey. It gives me more information about you ... Read the Post...

Answering Questions about Being Chronically Ill
in Health &middot June 11, 2018

Answering Questions about Being Chronically Ill

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in Health &middot June 11, 2018

Answering Questions about Being Chronically Ill

Answering Questions about Being Chronically Ill

Happy Monday! Before we get into today's post, I want to give you guys a heads up: this will be the last week of posts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a little while. ... Read the Post...

My Skin Care Regimen
in Lifestyle &middot June 8, 2018

My Skin Care Regimen

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in Lifestyle &middot June 8, 2018

My Skin Care Regimen

My Skin Care Regimen

This post turned out a bit longer than I anticipated, but I'm glad you guys wanted to read it! This is another one that I decided on after running a poll in my Instagram ... Read the Post...

in Health &middot June 6, 2018

Why You Should Try Meditation

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in Health &middot June 6, 2018

Why You Should Try Meditation

A fun thing that I do sometimes is ask you guys to help me decide on a blog post topic! On Twitter and Facebook, I regularly ask what you guys want to see, and sometimes I ask ... Read the Post...

in Health &middot June 5, 2018

Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep

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in Health &middot June 5, 2018

Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep

This is a sponsored post not written by Kate.  Thanks to technology, we’re able to stay awake and be productive long after the sun has gone down. The problem is that, ... Read the Post...

in Writing & Blogging &middot June 4, 2018

How To Drive Traffic to Your Website: May Blog Traffic Report

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in Writing & Blogging &middot June 4, 2018

How To Drive Traffic to Your Website: May Blog Traffic Report

How is it June already? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be 5/12 done with the year, but I'm also surprised. Especially because my birthday is tomorrow! Time flies ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot June 1, 2018

Currently [Vol. 19]

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in Lifestyle &middot June 1, 2018

Currently [Vol. 19]

What I really love about these posts is that I get to share my life in a way that includes the things that I've been feeling and what I've been doing, like reading, watching, ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot May 31, 2018

Kate’s Random Historical Fun Facts [Vol.1]

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in Lifestyle &middot May 31, 2018

Kate’s Random Historical Fun Facts [Vol.1]

Welcome to a new series! In an effort to save my family from my historical fun facts while still sharing them so they don't get bottled up inside me, I'll be doing a post ... Read the Post...

Everyday Summer Makeup
in Lifestyle &middot May 29, 2018

Everyday Summer Makeup

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in Lifestyle &middot May 29, 2018

Everyday Summer Makeup

Everyday Summer Makeup

It's hard to believe it, but we're at the unofficial start of summer! But that means that the next 3-4 months are filled with heat and humidity, which can do a number on your ... Read the Post...

All about Clinical Trials
in Health &middot May 23, 2018

All about Clinical Trials

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in Health &middot May 23, 2018

All about Clinical Trials

All about Clinical Trials

A very important part of the medical system that isn't talked about a lot are clinical trials. Without this research, our medications wouldn't be available, we wouldn't know ... 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. ⁣
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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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