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July 2015 Favorites
in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 31, 2015

$100 Amazon Giveaway and July Favorites

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in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 31, 2015

$100 Amazon Giveaway and July Favorites

July 2015 Favorites

Today is all about July favorites, but scroll down to the bottom to enter to win a $100 Amazon giveaway!     Listening Sheezus - Lilly Allen Wilder Mind ... Read the Post...

I Confess
in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 29, 2015

I Confess

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in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 29, 2015

I Confess

I Confess

  I confess ...   ... living in Nashville ruined summer for me. I just want it to be cool again, even though summer here is still much shorter than it is in ... 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".
Should You Switch to Wordpress?
in Uncategorized, Writing & Blogging &middot July 27, 2015

Should You Switch to WordPress?

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in Uncategorized, Writing & Blogging &middot July 27, 2015

Should You Switch to WordPress?

Should You Switch to Wordpress?

Last week, you may or may not have been surprised by my sudden switch from Blogger to self-hosted Wordpress. I explained on Wednesday a little bit about it, especially how I ... Read the Post...

How To Help Someone Who Has a Chronic Illness
in Health, Uncategorized &middot July 24, 2015

How To Help Someone Who Has a Chronic Illness

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in Health, Uncategorized &middot July 24, 2015

How To Help Someone Who Has a Chronic Illness

How To Help Someone Who Has a Chronic Illness

A question that I get asked a lot is how to help someone who has a chronic illness. There's only so much that a loved one can do, but a big way to help is by watching how you ... Read the Post...

5 Great Summer Dresses
in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 22, 2015

5 Great Summer Dresses

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in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 22, 2015

5 Great Summer Dresses

5 Great Summer Dresses

First of all, notice anything different today? A huge, huge thank you to Tanya of Blogelina for transferring Kate the (Almost) Great from Blogger to self-hosted Wordpress! All ... Read the Post...

10 quotes on writing from famous authors
in Uncategorized, Writing & Blogging &middot July 20, 2015

10 Quotes on Writing from Famous Authors

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in Uncategorized, Writing & Blogging &middot July 20, 2015

10 Quotes on Writing from Famous Authors

10 quotes on writing from famous authors

I'm in the midst of writing my second novel at the moment, and this process is so wonderful and awful at the same time. It helps to hear from famous authors and to know that ... Read the Post...

How To Decide Where To Go on Your Next Getaway
in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 18, 2015

How To Decide Where To Go on Your Next Getaway

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in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 18, 2015

How To Decide Where To Go on Your Next Getaway

How To Decide Where To Go on Your Next Getaway

If you’re planning a getaway but you’re not sure where to go, this post can help you. These days, there are so many wonderful places to visit that it can be hard to know where ... Read the Post...

in Uncategorized, Writing & Blogging &middot July 17, 2015

Why You Need a Media Kit

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in Uncategorized, Writing & Blogging &middot July 17, 2015

Why You Need a Media Kit

Once your blog starts going, you might be interested in starting to earn money from it, also known as monetizing. There are many ways to do this, but if you want to work with ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 16, 2015

Where To Go in London

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in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 16, 2015

Where To Go in London

Back in May 2012 - a year before I started blogging regularly - I spent a month in London, England for what Vanderbilt calls a Maymester. I took a class on the changes that ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 14, 2015

What To Binge Watch

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in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 14, 2015

What To Binge Watch

Hi, I'm Ashley and I blog over at The Nashvillian where I share my experiences with food, fashion, and fun in Nashville and occasionally other parts of the world...and on ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 13, 2015

Project Kate: 11 Months Later

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in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 13, 2015

Project Kate: 11 Months Later

Almost a year ago, I quit my job and moved back home with my parents. I vowed that I would use this time to better myself, and to do that, I started what I called Project ... Read the Post...

in Health, Uncategorized &middot July 12, 2015

Spoonie Spotlight: Anna Evangeline

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in Health, Uncategorized &middot July 12, 2015

Spoonie Spotlight: Anna Evangeline

I have to say, today's Spoonie Spotlight means so much to me because I'm featuring Anna. Anna and I met in person at the Arthritis Foundation's Advocacy Summit where we, with ... Read the Post...

in Health, Uncategorized &middot July 10, 2015

A Note on Living with Acute Chronic Pain

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in Health, Uncategorized &middot July 10, 2015

A Note on Living with Acute Chronic Pain

This post was originally written on my phone on Wednesday, July 1, 2015 when I couldn't sleep.   It's 9:41 on a Wednesday and I have been trying to sleep for almost 2 ... Read the Post...

in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 6, 2015

A Reintroduction

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in Lifestyle, Uncategorized &middot July 6, 2015

A Reintroduction

There are some new faces around here, so I thought that I would reintroduce myself. Hopefully this helps older and newer readers alike to get to know me better. My name ... Read the Post...

in Uncategorized, Writing & Blogging &middot July 3, 2015

June Traffic Report

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in Uncategorized, Writing & Blogging &middot July 3, 2015

June Traffic Report

Enter the BaubleBar Giveaway June was a much better month than May was! I was much happier with this month's stats than I was with May's. As a reminder, I'm trying to get to ... 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

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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. ⁣
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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⁣⁣.⁣
⁣
⁣⁣⬛⁣⁣⁣
⁣
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⁣⁣.⁣
⁣
⁣⁣⬛⁣⁣⁣
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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.⁣
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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: 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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