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in Lifestyle &middot April 13, 2018

2018 Recent Reads: January-March

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in Lifestyle &middot April 13, 2018

2018 Recent Reads: January-March

It's here - the first 2018 Recent Reads post! Basically, 4 times a year, I'll have a post where I talk about the books that I read in the previous 3 months. I did this last ... Read the Post...

How I Grew My Blog Traffic by 50%: March Blog Traffic Report
in Writing & Blogging &middot April 11, 2018

How I Grew My Blog Traffic by 50%: March Blog Traffic Report

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in Writing & Blogging &middot April 11, 2018

How I Grew My Blog Traffic by 50%: March Blog Traffic Report

How I Grew My Blog Traffic by 50%: March Blog Traffic Report

I'm back from my surgery absence! I'm definitely feeling better, but it will be a while before I'm at tip-top shape. I want to take a moment to thank all the people who guest ... 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 &middot April 9, 2018

4 Ways To Be Healthier Right Now – For Free

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in Health &middot April 9, 2018

4 Ways To Be Healthier Right Now – For Free

Thank you to Amanda for this guest post! I should be back later this week. “It’s too expensive to be healthy – first there’s the food, then the workout programs, then the ... Read the Post...

How To Stay Motivated & Productive as a College Student with Chronic Illness
in Health &middot April 6, 2018

How To Stay Motivated & Productive as a College Student with Chronic Illness

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in Health &middot April 6, 2018

How To Stay Motivated & Productive as a College Student with Chronic Illness

How To Stay Motivated & Productive as a College Student with Chronic Illness

Whether you’re an undergraduate college student or a grad student and teaching assistant like me, it’s impossible to deny that staying motivated for schoolwork can be ... Read the Post...

6 Ways To Find Extra Time for Writing
in Writing & Blogging &middot April 3, 2018

6 Ways To Find Extra Time for Writing

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in Writing & Blogging &middot April 3, 2018

6 Ways To Find Extra Time for Writing

6 Ways To Find Extra Time for Writing

Note from Kate: Enjoy this guest post from Samantha while I'm still recovering from surgery! Did you know that almost 80% of Americans think they have a book inside ... Read the Post...

Myths about Going Gluten-Free
in Health &middot March 30, 2018

Myths about Going Gluten-Free

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in Health &middot March 30, 2018

Myths about Going Gluten-Free

Myths about Going Gluten-Free

After feeling pretty icky for several months, I was willing to try anything. I'd been experiencing joint pain, and exhaustion, and what sure felt like a gallbladder attack. My ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot March 23, 2018

Tips for Working from Home

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in Lifestyle &middot March 23, 2018

Tips for Working from Home

Working from home can be a blessing, for sure. You don't have to deal with a commute, you can work in your PJs until you have a Skype meeting, and your pets make great ... Read the Post...

in Health &middot March 20, 2018

Hacks for Living with Chronic Conditions

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in Health &middot March 20, 2018

Hacks for Living with Chronic Conditions

Last weekend, I asked on Instagram if you wanted to read a post about my surgery or my chronic illness hacks, and while the winner was my surgery, a lot of people also wanted ... Read the Post...

31 Historical Fiction Novels To Take You Back in Time
in Lifestyle &middot March 16, 2018

31 Historical Fiction Novels To Take You Back in Time

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in Lifestyle &middot March 16, 2018

31 Historical Fiction Novels To Take You Back in Time

31 Historical Fiction Novels To Take You Back in Time

I was thinking about it and I'm pretty sure the genre that I read the most is historical fiction. Because of this, I have many recommendations for anyone interested in the ... Read the Post...

in Health &middot March 14, 2018

On My March 26 Ankle Surgery

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in Health &middot March 14, 2018

On My March 26 Ankle Surgery

Over the weekend, I asked you guys on my Instagram stories if you wanted to see an overview of my upcoming surgery or my chronic illness hacks in today's post, and it was ... Read the Post...

in Writing & Blogging &middot March 12, 2018

How To Promote Your Blog Posts: Sharing How I Promote Mine

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in Writing & Blogging &middot March 12, 2018

How To Promote Your Blog Posts: Sharing How I Promote Mine

If you've read my blog traffic reports, you know that I always link to a post explaining how I promote my posts. But I realized recently that the most recent post about it was ... Read the Post...

Resources for the Freshly-Diagnosed Chronic Illness Patient
in Health &middot March 9, 2018

Resources for the Freshly-Diagnosed Chronic Illness Patient

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in Health &middot March 9, 2018

Resources for the Freshly-Diagnosed Chronic Illness Patient

Resources for the Freshly-Diagnosed Chronic Illness Patient

If you're at this blog post, you or someone you know has probably recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness. It can be scary but freeing - you finally have an answer, but ... Read the Post...

Writing is fun, but sometimes you don't have any story ideas. Here are 6 tips to help you find ideas.
in Writing & Blogging &middot March 7, 2018

6 Tips for Finding Story Ideas

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in Writing & Blogging &middot March 7, 2018

6 Tips for Finding Story Ideas

Writing is fun, but sometimes you don't have any story ideas. Here are 6 tips to help you find ideas.

One of the most important parts of being a novelist or short story writer is finding story ideas to write about. Some people are overwhelmed by ideas, while others are not. ... Read the Post...

What To Do If You've Wrecked Your New Year's Resolution
in Lifestyle &middot March 5, 2018

What To Do if You’ve Wrecked Your New Year’s Resolution

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in Lifestyle &middot March 5, 2018

What To Do if You’ve Wrecked Your New Year’s Resolution

What To Do If You've Wrecked Your New Year's Resolution

We're officially 1/6 through 2018 and are heading towards the 1/3 mark! We have most of 2018 ahead of us, which is great if you made a New Year's resolution and didn't stick ... Read the Post...

February Blog Traffic Report
in Writing & Blogging &middot March 2, 2018

February Blog Traffic Report

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in Writing & Blogging &middot March 2, 2018

February Blog Traffic Report

February Blog Traffic Report

After The Never-Ending Month (January), February flew by. And now we're in March! This will be a short month for me because my surgery is on the 15th and will then be on ... Read the Post...

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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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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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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. ⁣
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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. ⁣
⁣
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⁣⁣.⁣
⁣
⁣⁣⬛⁣⁣
⁣
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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