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chronic illness

Text reads: Tips to make living indepdently living with a chronic illness easier (end text). I know how difficult independently living with a chronic illness can be. Whether you’re looking to be independent or you already are and want tips, this post will help.
Text reads: Tips to make living indepdently living with a chronic illness easier (end text). I know how difficult independently living with a chronic illness can be. Whether you’re looking to be independent or you already are and want tips, this post will help.
in Health, Lifestyle &middot May 31, 2022

Tips To Make Independently Living with a Chronic Illness Easier

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Tips To Make Independently Living with a Chronic Illness Easier

Text reads: What is considered a chronic illness? And other chronic illness basics (end text). When it comes to chronic illness, there's a lot to learn. Maybe you have a chronic illness, maybe someone in your life has one. I've talked a lot about specific elements to chronic illness over the years, but I thought I would go into some chronic illness basics today, such as the question, "What is considered a chronic illness?"  
Text reads: What is considered a chronic illness? And other chronic illness basics (end text). When it comes to chronic illness, there's a lot to learn. Maybe you have a chronic illness, maybe someone in your life has one. I've talked a lot about specific elements to chronic illness over the years, but I thought I would go into some chronic illness basics today, such as the question, "What is considered a chronic illness?"  
in Health &middot May 3, 2022

What Is Considered a Chronic Illness? And Other Chronic Illness Basics

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What Is Considered a Chronic Illness? And Other Chronic Illness Basics

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".
Text reads: 9 Ways To Advocate for Disability Rights (end text). I absolutely love the disability community and am a vocal advocate for disability rights, so I thought it was a good idea to help any of you who want to be an advocate or be a better one. We’re going to talk about what the disability rights movement is, as well as 9 ways that you can advocate for disabled people and our rights.
Text reads: 9 Ways To Advocate for Disability Rights (end text). I absolutely love the disability community and am a vocal advocate for disability rights, so I thought it was a good idea to help any of you who want to be an advocate or be a better one. We’re going to talk about what the disability rights movement is, as well as 9 ways that you can advocate for disabled people and our rights.
in Health &middot April 5, 2022

9 Ways To Advocate for Disability Rights

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9 Ways To Advocate for Disability Rights

Text reads: 8 essential tips for living with POTS (end text). If you live with POTS, you know that spring tends to bring with it increased POTS symptoms. As we gear up for warmer weather, I thought I was should share some of my tips for living with POTS to help you be as prepared as possible.
Text reads: 8 essential tips for living with POTS (end text). If you live with POTS, you know that spring tends to bring with it increased POTS symptoms. As we gear up for warmer weather, I thought I was should share some of my tips for living with POTS to help you be as prepared as possible.
in Health &middot March 1, 2022

8 Essential Tips for Living with POTS

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8 Essential Tips for Living with POTS

Text reads - Alike: The Best Way To Feel Less Alone & Better Manage Your Chronic Illness Journey (text ends).
Text reads - Alike: The Best Way To Feel Less Alone & Better Manage Your Chronic Illness Journey (text ends).
in Health &middot February 11, 2022

Alike: The Best Way To Feel Less Alone & Better Manage Your Chronic Illness Journey

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Alike: The Best Way To Feel Less Alone & Better Manage Your Chronic Illness Journey

Text reads: 14 amazing simple healthy dinner recipes (end text). In advance of moving, I compiled a list of simple healthy recipes for dinner that I made previously and liked. I figured I would share them in case you’re looking for recipes that are delicious, healthy, and easy to make if you're like me and you have chronic illnesses, especially arthritis in your hands. 
Text reads: 14 amazing simple healthy dinner recipes (end text). In advance of moving, I compiled a list of simple healthy recipes for dinner that I made previously and liked. I figured I would share them in case you’re looking for recipes that are delicious, healthy, and easy to make if you're like me and you have chronic illnesses, especially arthritis in your hands. 
in Health, Lifestyle &middot February 8, 2022

14 Amazing Simple Healthy Recipes for Dinner

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14 Amazing Simple Healthy Recipes for Dinner

Text reads: 6 tips for how to accept your chronic illness (end text). I personally think that the hardest part is accepting you have a chronic illness. To make that easier, I thought I would share my tips for how to accept a chronic illness, as well as what that means.
Text reads: 6 tips for how to accept your chronic illness (end text). I personally think that the hardest part is accepting you have a chronic illness. To make that easier, I thought I would share my tips for how to accept a chronic illness, as well as what that means.
in Health &middot January 11, 2022

6 Tips for How To Accept a Chronic Illness

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6 Tips for How To Accept a Chronic Illness

Text reads: 10 ways to find fibromyalgia relief (end text). One of America's 4 million people with fibromyalgia shares 10 ways to find fibromyalgia relief, including 5 ways that help her personally.
Text reads: 10 ways to find fibromyalgia relief (end text). One of America's 4 million people with fibromyalgia shares 10 ways to find fibromyalgia relief, including 5 ways that help her personally.
in Health &middot December 10, 2021

10 Ways To Find Fibromyalgia Relief

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10 Ways To Find Fibromyalgia Relief

Text reads: Holiday gift ideas, chronic illness patients (end text). This post has the best gifts for someone with chronic pain or a chronic illness. I’m serious! Read on to see these 58 chronic illness gifts.
Text reads: Holiday gift ideas, chronic illness patients (end text). This post has the best gifts for someone with chronic pain or a chronic illness. I’m serious! Read on to see these 58 chronic illness gifts.
in Health, Lifestyle &middot December 3, 2021

Holiday Gift Ideas: Best Gifts for Someone with Chronic Pain & Illness

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Holiday Gift Ideas: Best Gifts for Someone with Chronic Pain & Illness

Text reads: 9 arthritis products that help my rheumatoid arthritis (end text) I've tried a lot of arthritis products over the years to help. my symptoms. Here are the products that have helped me!
Text reads: 9 arthritis products that help my rheumatoid arthritis (end text) I've tried a lot of arthritis products over the years to help. my symptoms. Here are the products that have helped me!
in Health &middot October 8, 2021

9 Arthritis Products That Help My Rheumatoid Arthritis

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9 Arthritis Products That Help My Rheumatoid Arthritis

Text reads: Starting a chronic illness blog, tips for blogging with fatigue and pain (end text) For those of you who want to blog but haven’t started to because you live with chronic illness, I figured I would share my tips. Starting a chronic illness blog isn’t always easy, but I hope that these tips help you succeed.
Text reads: Starting a chronic illness blog, tips for blogging with fatigue and pain (end text) For those of you who want to blog but haven’t started to because you live with chronic illness, I figured I would share my tips. Starting a chronic illness blog isn’t always easy, but I hope that these tips help you succeed.
in Writing & Blogging &middot August 24, 2021

Starting a Chronic Illness Blog: Tips for Blogging with Fatigue and Pain

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Starting a Chronic Illness Blog: Tips for Blogging with Fatigue and Pain

Text reads: resources for chronic illness, how organizing can make it easier (end text) If there’s one thing I love, it’s organizing. I’m a big planner person, I love planner stickers, it’s a whole thing. And that organization has helped me a lot with managing my life with chronic illness. I figured that I would share my organization tips for chronic illness life. I hope that these organizing tips and tricks help you out!
Text reads: resources for chronic illness, how organizing can make it easier (end text) If there’s one thing I love, it’s organizing. I’m a big planner person, I love planner stickers, it’s a whole thing. And that organization has helped me a lot with managing my life with chronic illness. I figured that I would share my organization tips for chronic illness life. I hope that these organizing tips and tricks help you out!
in Health, Lifestyle &middot August 17, 2021

Resources for Chronic Illness: How Organizing Can Make It Easier

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Resources for Chronic Illness: How Organizing Can Make It Easier

Text reads: Arthritis Diagnosis, Diagnosis Stories + The Diagnostic Process Explained Since July marks 11 years since my arthritis diagnosis, which was 9 years since I developed symptoms, I thought I would talk about the process for getting a diagnosis of arthritis. In this post, I’m sharing how 7 different forms of arthritis are diagnosed, as well as my rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis process.
Text reads: Arthritis Diagnosis, Diagnosis Stories + The Diagnostic Process Explained Since July marks 11 years since my arthritis diagnosis, which was 9 years since I developed symptoms, I thought I would talk about the process for getting a diagnosis of arthritis. In this post, I’m sharing how 7 different forms of arthritis are diagnosed, as well as my rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis process.
in Health &middot July 27, 2021

Arthritis Diagnosis: Diagnosis Stories + The Diagnostic Process Explained

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Arthritis Diagnosis: Diagnosis Stories + The Diagnostic Process Explained

life with chronic illness, living with chronic illness, how to live with chronic illness, living life with chronic illness, chronic illness symptoms, chronic illnesses, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, POTS, dysautonomia
life with chronic illness, living with chronic illness, how to live with chronic illness, living life with chronic illness, chronic illness symptoms, chronic illnesses, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, POTS, dysautonomia
in Health &middot July 2, 2021

Life with Chronic Illness: One Patient’s Life with 6 Illnesses

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Life with Chronic Illness: One Patient’s Life with 6 Illnesses

In this post, long-time arthritis patient Kate the (Almost) Great explains key information about TMJ arthritis, including answering your questions about it; shares the full details of her extremely messed up TMJs; and talks about TMJ arthritis treatment, both what doctors recommend and what she does for her flares.
In this post, long-time arthritis patient Kate the (Almost) Great explains key information about TMJ arthritis, including answering your questions about it; shares the full details of her extremely messed up TMJs; and talks about TMJ arthritis treatment, both what doctors recommend and what she does for her flares.
in Health &middot June 22, 2021

What You Should Know About TMJ Arthritis

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What You Should Know About TMJ Arthritis

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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. ⁣
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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. ⁣
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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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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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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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⁣⁣⬛⁣⁣⁣
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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⁣⁣.⁣⁣⁣⁣

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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
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. ⁣
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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. ⁣
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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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