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January 2016 Favorites
in Lifestyle &middot January 29, 2016

January Favorites

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in Lifestyle &middot January 29, 2016

January Favorites

January 2016 Favorites

Another month has come and gone and it's time to talk about the things I loved in January! Don't forget to enter to win a Starbucks gift card! All Monthly ... Read the Post...

in Health &middot January 27, 2016

What’s Up with My Current Health?

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in Health &middot January 27, 2016

What’s Up with My Current Health?

I've talked a little about this in previous posts and on social media, but enough things have changed in my health situation that I think it warrants an entire blog post about ... 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 Writing & Blogging &middot January 25, 2016

How I Promote My Blog Posts

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in Writing & Blogging &middot January 25, 2016

How I Promote My Blog Posts

No matter how great your blog post is, it doesn't matter if no one reads it. If you don't know how to promote your blog posts, who cares if your post is amazing? About a year ... Read the Post...

Relationships and Chronic Pain
in Health &middot January 21, 2016

Relationships And Chronic Pain

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in Health &middot January 21, 2016

Relationships And Chronic Pain

Relationships and Chronic Pain

Relationships are tricky for anyone of any age. There's a lot of give and take and everyone has some sort of baggage. But what about when your baggage is up front and center? ... Read the Post...

in Writing & Blogging &middot January 15, 2016

How and Why To Make a Novel Playlist

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in Writing & Blogging &middot January 15, 2016

How and Why To Make a Novel Playlist

Writing is a wonderful thing, but it can be tough to get in touch with your story on a deeper level. Yes, you have the plot set and your characters identified and filled out. ... Read the Post...

in Health &middot January 14, 2016

Accepting Your Body with Chronic Illness

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in Health &middot January 14, 2016

Accepting Your Body with Chronic Illness

Interestingly, today's blog post topic was decided on weeks ago. I say "interestingly" because Tuesday was the worst pain day that I've had since I had knee surgery, and ... Read the Post...

Big Magic Quote
in Lifestyle &middot January 11, 2016

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert: A Review

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in Lifestyle &middot January 11, 2016

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert: A Review

Big Magic Quote

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you probably know that I recently read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, who also wrote Eat, Pray, Love.You probably also know that I ... Read the Post...

Get More Blog Traffic in 2016
in Writing & Blogging &middot January 8, 2016

10 Ways To Get More Blog Traffic in 2016

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in Writing & Blogging &middot January 8, 2016

10 Ways To Get More Blog Traffic in 2016

Get More Blog Traffic in 2016

2015 was a big year for Kate the (Almost) Great. My blog traffic increased dramatically from December 31, 2014 to December 31, 2015, and it wasn't pure luck. It was from a ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot January 7, 2016

Currently

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in Lifestyle &middot January 7, 2016

Currently

What I'm Up To Reading: I just finished Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (yes, I'm reviewing it next week because you may know that I'm obsessed with it) and I'm either going ... Read the Post...

Loving Someone with Chronic Pain: What You Should Know
in Health &middot January 4, 2016

Loving Someone with Chronic Pain

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in Health &middot January 4, 2016

Loving Someone with Chronic Pain

Loving Someone with Chronic Pain: What You Should Know

A significantly updated version of this post was published on May 17, 2022. Click here to view it. There are an estimated 100 million Americans who live with chronic pain, ... Read the Post...

Did my blog traffic increase in December?
in Writing & Blogging &middot January 1, 2016

Did My Blog Traffic Increase in December?

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in Writing & Blogging &middot January 1, 2016

Did My Blog Traffic Increase in December?

Did my blog traffic increase in December?

Happy 2016! We're starting off the year with a blog traffic report and I'm excited to see where this here blog goes in the new year. Without further ado, let's try to answer ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle &middot December 30, 2015

The Best of Kate the (Almost) Great in 2015

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in Lifestyle &middot December 30, 2015

The Best of Kate the (Almost) Great in 2015

Another year is (almost) in the books. I've never been much of one for resolutions, as my abilities and such are completely unpredictable given my health. However, I'm all for ... Read the Post...

Smashbox Palette Giveaway
in Lifestyle &middot December 28, 2015

Christmas Recap + Smashbox Palette Giveaway

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in Lifestyle &middot December 28, 2015

Christmas Recap + Smashbox Palette Giveaway

Smashbox Palette Giveaway

It's hard to believe that Christmas is already over and the end of 2015 is coming up soon. I spent the holiday up in Maine, and it was wonderful. Today I'm sharing a look at ... Read the Post...

What To Wear on Christmas
in Lifestyle &middot December 21, 2015

What To Wear on Christmas or Christmas Eve

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in Lifestyle &middot December 21, 2015

What To Wear on Christmas or Christmas Eve

What To Wear on Christmas

It's hard to believe it - especially if you live in New England in the United States - but Christmas is this week. But because of the warmer-than-usual temperatures, you may ... Read the Post...

1 Blog Post Idea for Every Week of 2016
in Writing & Blogging &middot December 16, 2015

Blog Post Ideas for Every Week of the Year

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in Writing & Blogging &middot December 16, 2015

Blog Post Ideas for Every Week of the Year

1 Blog Post Idea for Every Week of 2016

Start your blog off on the right foot in 2016 with a whole list of blog ideas! I'm giving you a blog post idea for every week next year. That's one blog post each week that ... Read the Post...

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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⁣⁣.⁣
⁣
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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?⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
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".⁣
⁣
#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. ⁣
⁣
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.)⁣
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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⁣
⁣
#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. ⁣
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I can finish my treatment and then go about my day, which I'm very grateful for.⁣
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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: 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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