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How To Stay Healthy During the Holidays
in Lifestyle &middot December 5, 2016

How To Stay Healthy During the Holidays

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in Lifestyle &middot December 5, 2016

How To Stay Healthy During the Holidays

How To Stay Healthy During the Holidays

I'm still recovering from my infusion and I'm also writing papers like there's no tomorrow, so please enjoy this guest post from Lydia. I'll be back later this week! Hey ... Read the Post...

Schizoaffective Disorder
in Health &middot November 30, 2016

The Brain’s Despair and Ultimate Joy?

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in Health &middot November 30, 2016

The Brain’s Despair and Ultimate Joy?

Schizoaffective Disorder

I'm out having my infusion today, so please enjoy this guest post from Michelle. I think it's one that most people should read since our perceptions of mental illnesses like ... 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".
Favorite Winter Makeup
in Lifestyle &middot November 28, 2016

November Favorites + Starbucks Giveaway

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in Lifestyle &middot November 28, 2016

November Favorites + Starbucks Giveaway

Favorite Winter Makeup

We are just about 91.7% over with 2016! Before I go offline for my infusion on Wednesday, let's talk about what I loved in November and a little holiday present from me to 2 ... Read the Post...

Gifts for Makeup Lovers
in Lifestyle &middot November 25, 2016

Gift Guide: Beauty

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in Lifestyle &middot November 25, 2016

Gift Guide: Beauty

Gifts for Makeup Lovers

Thanksgiving is over and we're officially one month from Christmas and less than one month from Hanukkah! Now is the time to do your holiday shopping. If you're shopping ... Read the Post...

in Health, Lifestyle &middot November 23, 2016

Chronic Medical Conditions and Family Discussions over the Holidays

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in Health, Lifestyle &middot November 23, 2016

Chronic Medical Conditions and Family Discussions over the Holidays

One of the classic elements of the holiday season is conversation with family members you haven't seen or talked to in a while about what your life is like right now. This can ... Read the Post...

Monogram and Preppy Gift Ideas
in Lifestyle &middot November 18, 2016

Gift Guide: Monograms

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in Lifestyle &middot November 18, 2016

Gift Guide: Monograms

Monogram and Preppy Gift Ideas

Aaaaand it's the holidays! The time from Halloween to New Year's is my favorite time of year, and it makes me so happy to be in the midst of it (even if 2 papers that will ... Read the Post...

The Best Pieces of Blogging Advice That I've Ever Received
in Writing & Blogging &middot November 16, 2016

The Best Pieces of Blogging Advice That I’ve Ever Received

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in Writing & Blogging &middot November 16, 2016

The Best Pieces of Blogging Advice That I’ve Ever Received

The Best Pieces of Blogging Advice That I've Ever Received

There are so many bloggers out there and even more pieces of blogging advice. Sometimes it feels like I can't scroll through Pinterest without seeing post after post with ... Read the Post...

in Health &middot November 14, 2016

How To Become an Advocate for Patients

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in Health &middot November 14, 2016

How To Become an Advocate for Patients

As you know if you've been following me for a while, I do some advocacy work for arthritis patients. I've attended the Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Summit in 2015 and 2016 - ... Read the Post...

Inspirational Bible Quotes
in Lifestyle &middot November 10, 2016

Inspirational Bible Quotes

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in Lifestyle &middot November 10, 2016

Inspirational Bible Quotes

Inspirational Bible Quotes

I don't have much to say about what has happened this week mostly because I don't know how to put into words how I feel AND I don't want to expend the mental energy on being ... Read the Post...

in Writing & Blogging &middot November 8, 2016

Tips for Writing from Famous Writers

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in Writing & Blogging &middot November 8, 2016

Tips for Writing from Famous Writers

Writing a book is such a weird action. An idea forms in your head, including multiple personas who all have different personalities and opinions, and you create their world in ... Read the Post...

in Writing & Blogging &middot November 2, 2016

October Blog Traffic Report

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in Writing & Blogging &middot November 2, 2016

October Blog Traffic Report

It's hard to believe it, but I'm already a year and a half into this journey of publishing my blog traffic each month in the search of openly sharing my attempts to increase ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot October 31, 2016

Favorite October Outfit & Makeup

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in Lifestyle &middot October 31, 2016

Favorite October Outfit & Makeup

I love fall so much. It's my favorite time of year! Other than a couple uncharacteristically warm days, we've been pretty solidly fall for the past month, and we will be for ... Read the Post...

in Health &middot October 28, 2016

Why I Hate Zombies

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in Health &middot October 28, 2016

Why I Hate Zombies

Since it's almost Halloween, it seems the right time to tell the story about why I hate zombies so much. I'm aware that it's a little strange since obviously they're not real, ... Read the Post...

Novel Writing Tips: How To Stay on Track While Writing
in Writing & Blogging &middot October 25, 2016

How To Stay on Track While Writing

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in Writing & Blogging &middot October 25, 2016

How To Stay on Track While Writing

Novel Writing Tips: How To Stay on Track While Writing

As any writer can probably tell you, one of the hardest things is meeting deadlines, self-imposed or agent/editor-imposed. Even if you're fine for a couple of weeks, ... Read the Post...

in Health &middot October 21, 2016

Don’t Say “It Could Be Worse”

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in Health &middot October 21, 2016

Don’t Say “It Could Be Worse”

I've dealt with a lot of crap over the past 15 years of health issues. I got to the point where it annoys me when people don't believe me but then I move on. But there are ... 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⁣
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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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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. ⁣
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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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