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Increase Blog Traffic: February Blog Traffic Report
in Writing & Blogging &middot March 2, 2016

February Blog Traffic Report + Enter To Win $135 to Etsy

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in Writing & Blogging &middot March 2, 2016

February Blog Traffic Report + Enter To Win $135 to Etsy

Increase Blog Traffic: February Blog Traffic Report

I didn't do as much to grow my traffic this month as I have in the past, and it kind of shows. By this I mean that I didn't do many new things - I still promoted my blog posts ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot February 29, 2016

February Favorites

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in Lifestyle &middot February 29, 2016

February Favorites

Another month down and we're somehow already 2 months into 2016 and it's time to talk February favorites. Listening Hamilton soundtrack, for obvious reasons TLM ... 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 February 26, 2016

A Random Thoughts Life Update

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in Lifestyle &middot February 26, 2016

A Random Thoughts Life Update

If you follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat (katebmitchell), you know that I've been sick this week. But not just sick - those of us with suppressed immune systems ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot February 25, 2016

Steps To Organize Your Life

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in Lifestyle &middot February 25, 2016

Steps To Organize Your Life

Life does get busy. We all have work or school, as well as a home and friends to keep up with. In between medical appointments and other parts of daily life, it can be hard to ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot February 24, 2016

A Weekend in Boston

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in Lifestyle &middot February 24, 2016

A Weekend in Boston

If there's any big city I know, it's Boston. I grew up in a suburb of Portland, Maine, which is just 2 hours north of the city, so we came down at least once a year. That ... Read the Post...

My Favorite writing Tools
in Writing & Blogging &middot February 22, 2016

My Favorite Writing Tools (Plus a Giveaway)

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in Writing & Blogging &middot February 22, 2016

My Favorite Writing Tools (Plus a Giveaway)

My Favorite writing Tools

Writing is a huge part of who I am, and it has been for the majority of my life. So of course I have lots of opinions when it comes to writing tools! Today I'm sharing what I ... Read the Post...

I Failed, And That's Okay
in Writing & Blogging &middot February 17, 2016

I Failed, And That’s Okay

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in Writing & Blogging &middot February 17, 2016

I Failed, And That’s Okay

I Failed, And That's Okay

At the end of December, I started talking about meeting my next writing goal. The plan was to write around 30,000 words between January 1, 2016 and January 21, 2016, which was ... Read the Post...

Must-Have Products for Spoonies
in Health &middot February 15, 2016

Must-Have Products for Spoonies

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in Health &middot February 15, 2016

Must-Have Products for Spoonies

Must-Have Products for Spoonies

I've ben doing this chronic illness thing for a while now. Like, I'm in my fifteenth year of pain. So this means that I know about some great products that will make your life ... Read the Post...

in Writing & Blogging &middot February 12, 2016

How To Use Evernote for Blogging

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in Writing & Blogging &middot February 12, 2016

How To Use Evernote for Blogging

There are a lot of tools out there for bloggers, and everyone is telling you how great they all are. But one of my favorites is Evernote. I've been using it since 2014 and I'm ... Read the Post...

People Prescribed Opioids for Pain Aren't Automatically Junkies
in Health &middot February 10, 2016

People Prescribed Opioids Are Not Automatically “Junkies”

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in Health &middot February 10, 2016

People Prescribed Opioids Are Not Automatically “Junkies”

People Prescribed Opioids for Pain Aren't Automatically Junkies

To say that I am upset about the response to one of the 2016 Superbowl ads is an understatement. You probably saw it and side eyed it because we can all agree that no one ... Read the Post...

Homemade Valentine's Day Gifts
in Lifestyle &middot February 8, 2016

10 Homemade Valentine’s Day Gifts

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in Lifestyle &middot February 8, 2016

10 Homemade Valentine’s Day Gifts

Homemade Valentine's Day Gifts

Low on cash? Still want a memorable and meaningful Valentine's Day? Try one of these homemade Valentine's Day gifts! For most of these, you can spend less than $25, if nothing ... Read the Post...

On Fear of the Known
in Health &middot February 5, 2016

On Fear of The Known

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in Health &middot February 5, 2016

On Fear of The Known

On Fear of the Known

I think pretty much everyone is afraid of their future on some level. Maybe they're afraid that they may not achieve their goals. Maybe they're afraid that they will. I'm ... Read the Post...

Makeup Reviews
in Lifestyle &middot February 4, 2016

Recent Sephora Buys and Reviews

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in Lifestyle &middot February 4, 2016

Recent Sephora Buys and Reviews

Makeup Reviews

While I'm nowhere near a professional or even a highly skilled amateur, I really love makeup. When I don't feel well, I either watch Netflix or makeup tutorials. I love ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot February 2, 2016

How To Find Time for Yourself

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in Lifestyle &middot February 2, 2016

How To Find Time for Yourself

In this fast paced world where everything seems to be moving at a mile a minute, it can be challenging to find time for yourself, so that you can recharge your batteries. To ... Read the Post...

Ways To Increase Blog Traffic
in Writing & Blogging &middot February 1, 2016

January Blog Traffic Report

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in Writing & Blogging &middot February 1, 2016

January Blog Traffic Report

Ways To Increase Blog Traffic

I've talked a lot in my traffic reports about different ways to increase blog traffic. Some have been successful, but some have not. All Traffic Reports Original ... 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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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. ⁣
⁣
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!⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
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: Kate at 19 at Fenway Park for a Red Sox game. ⁣
⁣
#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?⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
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: "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".⁣
⁣
#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.⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
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: The background image is a lake at sunset. Text reads what's above the first square and also "katethealmostgreat".⁣
⁣
#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. ⁣
⁣
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. ⁣
⁣
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. ⁣
⁣
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. ⁣
⁣
PTSD is a bitch.⁣
⁣
(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.)⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
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: Kate takes a selfie in a doctor's office. ⁣
⁣
#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? ⁣
⁣
For context, I have rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, POTS, heart disease, osteoporosis, and more. ⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
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⁣
⁣
#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
There are a lot of medical advancements that I'm g There are a lot of medical advancements that I'm grateful for, but one of them is the ability to do IVIG at home. ⁣
⁣
I'm on IVIG - or, in my case, subcutaneous immunoglobulin replacement therapy - because I have to kill the better part of my immune system. There are, in fact, some parts of my immune system that don't attack me, which is why we add them back in. This helps reduce my chance of serious infection and also made my rheumatologist feel comfortable enough to increase my Rituxan dose. ⁣
⁣
This is a weekly treatment that I do, but it's so much better that I can do it at home than going into the hospital. It takes around 2.5 hours from taking my pre-meds to tossing my needles into a Sharps container. While it's another thing that I have to do, because I do it at home, I don't have to risk exposure to infections at the hospital or deal with Boston traffic, which would add another hour to the process. ⁣
⁣
I can finish my treatment and then go about my day, which I'm very grateful for.⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
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: A Kindle on Kate's legs. There are tubes for an infusion coming out of her shirt.⁣
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#IVIG #ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #Autoimmune #AutoimmuneDisease
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