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in Lifestyle &middot June 16, 2017

2017 Recent Reads: April-June

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in Lifestyle &middot June 16, 2017

2017 Recent Reads: April-June

One of the best things that I've done this year is do my best to read for fun. It's hard because I do so much reading for school, but with Audible and intentionally setting ... Read the Post...

Writing a Book: How To Power through the End
in Writing & Blogging &middot June 14, 2017

Writing a Book: How To Power through the End

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in Writing & Blogging &middot June 14, 2017

Writing a Book: How To Power through the End

Writing a Book: How To Power through the End

Writing a book is one of the most rewarding things that I have every done, but that doesn't mean that it's easy. If it was, everyone would be writing them! In my personal ... 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".
Why You Should Contact Your Representatives & How To Do It
in Health &middot June 12, 2017

Why You Should Contact Your Representatives & How To Do It

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in Health &middot June 12, 2017

Why You Should Contact Your Representatives & How To Do It

Why You Should Contact Your Representatives & How To Do It

I've spent a lot of time both here and on social media talking about how you should contact your representatives in the government to make your voice heard. This is true for ... Read the Post...

May Blog Traffic Report
in Writing & Blogging &middot June 8, 2017

May Blog Traffic Report

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in Writing & Blogging &middot June 8, 2017

May Blog Traffic Report

May Blog Traffic Report

I'm home from the hospital! Woohoo! I was discharged Monday night and got to end my birthday at my house. Thank you to everyone for the birthday and get-well wishes - it ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot June 5, 2017

26 Things about Me Because I’m 26 Today

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in Lifestyle &middot June 5, 2017

26 Things about Me Because I’m 26 Today

When you think you have the stomach flu and then your doctor tells you go to to the ER and end up hospitalized for several days ... autoimmune disease life is great, let me ... Read the Post...

Currently [Vol. 9]
in Lifestyle &middot May 30, 2017

Currently [Vo. 9]

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in Lifestyle &middot May 30, 2017

Currently [Vo. 9]

Currently [Vol. 9]

Another month has come and gone! I'm taking this time to talk about what's currently going on in my life. This approach is a little more fun than monthly favorites, in my ... Read the Post...

How You Can Keep Growing As a Person
in Lifestyle &middot May 26, 2017

How You Can Keep Growing As a Person

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in Lifestyle &middot May 26, 2017

How You Can Keep Growing As a Person

How You Can Keep Growing As a Person

You know how much you change over the course of high school or college? You go through a lot of life experiences and you learn a lot from these and your different classes. ... Read the Post...

Why the Traditional Pain Scale Needs To Go
in Health &middot May 22, 2017

Why the Traditional Pain Scale Needs To Go

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in Health &middot May 22, 2017

Why the Traditional Pain Scale Needs To Go

Why the Traditional Pain Scale Needs To Go

One of my biggest issues with medical appointments as a chronic illness patient is the traditional pain scale, aka, "How much pain are you in out of 10?" I'm not the only one ... Read the Post...

Writing Tips from Hamilton
in Writing & Blogging &middot May 19, 2017

Writing Tips from Hamilton

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in Writing & Blogging &middot May 19, 2017

Writing Tips from Hamilton

Writing Tips from Hamilton

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard about Hamilton, the musical about the Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. A lot of people have connected deeply ... Read the Post...

in Health &middot May 17, 2017

The Cost of Chronic Illness and How To Make It Easier + Giveaway

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in Health &middot May 17, 2017

The Cost of Chronic Illness and How To Make It Easier + Giveaway

I've talked before about the different ways that chronic illness can affect your life. It affects your relationships, your education, and your life in general. But one massive ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot May 15, 2017

4 Reasons To Meal Prep

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in Lifestyle &middot May 15, 2017

4 Reasons To Meal Prep

If you're on Instagram, you probably follow at least one person who does meal prep, or preparing your meals for several days (or a week) ahead of time. I've recently started ... Read the Post...

A Complete Guide to Advocating for Patients
in Health &middot May 12, 2017

A Complete Guide to Advocating for Patients

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in Health &middot May 12, 2017

A Complete Guide to Advocating for Patients

A Complete Guide to Advocating for Patients

As you probably know by now, advocating for patients is one of my life's callings. I do a lot of advocacy work because it's one way I can fight against my diseases and I want ... Read the Post...

5 Tips for Summer Decoration
in Lifestyle &middot May 9, 2017

5 Tips for Summer Decoration

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in Lifestyle &middot May 9, 2017

5 Tips for Summer Decoration

5 Tips for Summer Decoration

I have been compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. For more information, check out my disclosure policy! It's hard to believe that we're already heading into ... Read the Post...

in Health &middot May 5, 2017

Chronic Illness Bloggers To Follow

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in Health &middot May 5, 2017

Chronic Illness Bloggers To Follow

One of the great things about being a chronic illness patient now - in 2017 - is the community you can be a part of even if you don't know anyone in person who has a chronic ... Read the Post...

April Website Traffic Report
in Writing & Blogging &middot May 2, 2017

April Blog Traffic Report

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in Writing & Blogging &middot May 2, 2017

April Blog Traffic Report

April Website Traffic Report

I don't know how to feel about my website traffic this month. I think what's so frustrating is just how much work I put into this blog, and sometimes my traffic doesn't do ... Read the Post...

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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. ⁣
⁣
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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