When I started online dating again, I didn’t even think about having to bring up my arthritis. My main concern was that it had been a good few years since…

We have been out of lockdown a good few months now and mask use is dropping. However I am rapidly approaching my one year anniversary since I was first put…

About 13 years ago, around the same time I was diagnosed with severe seropositive rheumatoid arthritis, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, which has badly affected my lower spine. My osteoarthritis…

Within the next 24 hours, I’ll have had my first knee replacement surgery and turned another year older. It’s 12:02am on Friday 25 June 2021 and I’m still avoiding doing…

I knew when I started my drug trial that there would be an end point. It was one of the first things I asked about, because I didn’t want to…

Hey all! I hope everyone has been as safe and well as possible during the difficult time that has been ‘lockdown three’ in the UK. I’ve had some family and…

Hi everyone, I’m Sophie. I’m 27 and live with Mikey, my husband and our 18-month-old daughter, Amelia. I have Still’s Disease, which was diagnosed eight years ago, while I was at university studying to become a midwife.

Hello, I’m Vicky! I’m 36 and was finally diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis in my early thirties.  It took me a long time to accept my condition for lots of reasons.…

At the age of 27, I was working full-time as a teaching assistant and studying for a degree in my spare time. Although I’ve always wanted a family, I had…

Hey all, welcome back to my little corner, on Arthur’s Place. First of all, I’m really sorry that I’ve been so quiet of late, however the last few months have…

Arthur’s Place is a very special community – and it’s all the amazing young people who join our social media networks and contribute to our website who make it so…

The end of lockdown has not been officially announced yet, but for the past few weeks the UK has been juddering towards a new phase, with fewer restrictions. In the…

If I hear one more well-meaning person saying: “don’t worry coronavirus only kills the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions!” I might actually explode. As young people with arthritis,…

We’re only a few weeks into 2020 and my tree is still lying in the driveway, but somehow it feels like its been several months since Christmas and several lifetimes…

I have been a fan of the Jonas Brothers since I was 12 years old (I’m now 23). Last December I went with my older sister to Omaha, Nebraska, to…

On Valentine’s Day this year, I found out how bad my arthritis in my ankle had become. I got my x-rays as soon as I got into the hospital, after…

Kaytie is 27 years old and was diagnosed with Still’s disease, a rare type of arthritis, at the age of 15. She describes her battle to come to terms with…

Searching for love when you have a chronic illness is a challenge — an often lonely challenge. Telling someone you are chronically ill is not sexy. Telling them you have…

It’s a well-known fact that moving house is almost unavoidably stressful. Unless you have your own personal team of minions to pack up all your stuff, deep-clean the grossest corners…

Arthritis and exercise are two things that go hand in hand but I personally found them very challenging to combine. I suffer from psoriatic arthritis and I feel pain and…

To break convention a bit, I’ve decided not to make a list in this post (don’t worry, I’m shocked too) and instead tell you a story about a standard night…

Ever since I was diagnosed last year with rheumatoid arthritis, I have been searching for a way to get back to enjoying movement. Prior to diagnosis, I loved to run.…

Mental health month has just passed, and the focus was on body image. This is a topic that I’ve been thinking about pretty much since I joined the online chronic…

Hello everyone! I’m Jess and this is my first blog post for Arthur’s Place, so I’ll start by introducing myself. I’m Jess – never, ever Jessica – I’m 22 years…

Teri wrote this post as part of Project Mum, our Wellness Kit supporting young women with arthritis who would like to be mums one day, are pregnant now or are…

Hey all, first of all, I just wanted to apologise; I know that I haven’t posted in a while, but I unfortunately had to deal with some family issues as…

How did you spend your Saturday afternoon? I spent mine in the middle of London trying to lie down on the floor while balancing a peacock feather on my nose. And everyone in the room had arthritis.

Hello, I’m Lisa, a 29- (nearly 30 arrrgggh) year-old, recently married Primary school teacher. I have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. In my story: My diagnosis journey How I felt about…

We all know someone who really, really hates going to the doctor. They ignore even the most glaringly obvious symptoms, think Google is “basically a GP”, and probably have a…

Extended flare-ups and setbacks can really suck, especially if they come after you’ve had a really good period, where things have been okay. I guess things haven’t been that great…

Photo by Makhmutova Dina on Unsplash Hey everyone, I want to tell you guys about a great two-week inpatient rehab programme that I attended last year. I was going to…

My last post was all about the New Year. Given that it's now April, you can see that I successfully took my own advice: “You don’t have to start now…

Pain like this has to stop. My knees, my elbows, my fingertips all feel horrendous. When will it stop? Winter is always the worst. These are the worst days. Snow…

We’re a couple of days in to the new year, I’ve thoroughly broken in my annual pair of new pyjamas (thanks Granny!) and the cat has just about recovered from…

“It’s so cold.” “I can’t feel my toes.” “Look at my weird purple fingers.”
These are just a few of the statements that my friends, family, and basically anyone within a five-mile radius

Hi everyone :-). When I was a kid and I got stressed out, my auntie told me to imagine I had little workers inside my brain who were running around…

When I first thought of writing a blog, I had a romantic picture in my head of an indie café up in London with chalk-board menus, an acoustic playlist and…

Hey everyone, welcome back to my little corner on Arthur’s Place. So, as you may have read in my last post, I have been recovering from yet another surgery, as…

We’ve all been there. You’ve been having a commercial-like break from any pain or suffering; you think you’re back on track and your (somewhat) normal life resumes. And then the…

Mat Wilkie, 25, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis aged 20. A PhD student, he lives in a flatshare with a friend and three plants. This is his story… What type…

Setbacks suck, especially when you’ve had a good period where everything goes right, and you think you’ve made up for lost time, only for a flare to put you back…

In my last blog post, in February, I said I was planning to get back on track with my blogging for Arthur’s Place. Well, since then I have sat down…

Learning to live with pain has helped shape the person Eloise Henesey is today. And it's a good thing! Eloise writes... I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried…

Hey all, So, I thought I would write about how I found my awesome pink SmartCRUTCH that has helped me regain my confidence, especially when out and about. A couple…

Hey everyone, so I know it’s been a while since my last blog. This is the continuation of my blog post titled “Taking my life back post diagnosis“. So, I…

You’re probably in shock after seeing the main picture of this blog. I certainly was. Whilst you recover from the overwhelming shock, I’ll fill in the gaps. ONE YEAR AGO…

So, it’s been a little over four months since I last posted and I thought I would give you a little update on what has happened over the past few…

Hi everyone, So, I know its been a while since my last blog, but this has mainly been because I am currently still recovering from my ninth arthroscopic surgery/ preparation…

As I come to the end of another year and another one waits on the horizon, it’s time to look back and forward all in one post. Cool, right? Yeah,…

Hey everyone! I am back after a few months and I’m saying goodbye. This blog post will be slightly longer than usual as I will explain why I was away…

Recently I’ve found a walking stick to be very helpful when out and about. Being 18 and using a walking stick (borrowed from my gran) would seem a daunting and…

Hello again :-). For this post, I thought I’d tell you a little more about my visit to a pain clinic a couple of months ago, including how I got…

Meet Ellen and other friendly folk on Arthur’s Place Social, our Facebook Group (Any opinions expressed in Ellen’s vlog are not necessarily shared by Arthur’s Place. Nothing that you read in…

My favourite walks are around the grounds of stately homes near my home in Lincolnshire! Burghley House and Grimsthorpe Castle. When I was at my lowest, when my pain was…

It has been difficult for me to try and write this, I have written and re-written this blog piece, scrapping it over and over. Do not worry I am not…

So, a couple of months ago, me and my parents enjoyed a trip out to our new local Comic-Con event without any hiccups. See, being able to have a day…

Realism is my middle name. Never have I been a glass-half-full sort of person, but from what I have fought through, and no doubt may have to fight again (see,…

In this post, I wanted to write about something that has really changed my physical and mental wellbeing over the past two years. And that is owning a dog! When…

As I write this, the so-called British Summer Time is non-existent as raindrops patter against my window. So instead of focussing on the negative, I’ve decided it would be good…

I’m back.. Well I was never gone, just on a break.. It wasn’t a scheduled break and it wasn’t a relaxing one either. Let me explain. You know when you…

Hey guys and welcome back to my little corner on Arthur’s Place. This week I thought I would talk about my recent trip to the Pain Clinic. My rheumatologist referred…

  Meet Ellen and other friendly folk on Arthur’s Place Social, our Facebook Group (Any opinions expressed in Ellen’s vlog are not necessarily shared by Arthur’s Place. Nothing that you read…

Dear Charlie, When we were expecting you we read the books, the magazines, listened to advice and planned every aspect of your life. You entered the world dramatically and none…

Dear mum and dad, Thanks for all the support along the way, as there have been many nooses you have cut me free of through the years. The years have…

Blogs don’t necessarily have to be about things that are above and beyond the things we do in our lives. They can simply be about how we survive day-to-day with…

Hello! I hope you’re all doing well! Sorry for being quiet for so long but I’ve been busy preparing for my upcoming ankle surgery – which I’ll hopefully be having…

Hey everyone! I know it’s been a while since I last posted, but I have had to undergo knee surgery. The good news is that I am now finally on…

It has been too long since my last blog and I have been terrible at keeping up with the Twitter feed. This is mainly due to my stunted recovery from…

Hi guys As some of you may have read in my first blog post, over the past few years I have developed quite a passion for beauty and skincare. As…

It can be hard to speak to friends about an illness . The difficulty, I suppose, is young men’s tendency to leave their baggage at the door and just get…

Meet Ellen and other friendly folk on Arthur’s Place Social, our Facebook Group (Any opinions expressed in Ellen’s vlog are not necessarily shared by Arthur’s Place. Nothing that you read in…

Hello everyone and welcome back to my little corner on Arthur’s Place. I thought I would update you all on what’s been happening while I haven’t been posting, and  how our…

If only I had a pound for every time someone has said, “You’re looking well”, or “You look fine”, or “You’ve never looked better!” Suffice to say, I would be…

I’m not an alternative medicine or diet kind of gal, but in the middle of my despair I decided to try to follow the paleo diet. Why? Because this diet…

I have always faced medical and health issues in the 18 years I’ve been alive, and have hospital notes split into two volumes as if Stephen King had written them.…

Hi everyone! Here is a recipe for gluten-free brownies that instead of wheat flour uses ground almonds, it’s for everyone who has trouble chewing and for people that can’t, or…

Hello lovelies, Today I am going to talk about my first acupuncture session. Acupuncture is something that had been suggested to me by numerous different people but something I never…

Distractions are great for anyone in pain, especially when your arthritis is the only consistent feeling in your day, all day and every day. Luckily, there are many distractions to…

Hi! I’m back and I hope you’re all doing well! Since the beginning of the new year, I’ve been seeing an Occupational Therapist on a monthly basis – if you…

As I mentioned in a previous post, my physiotherapist had recommended I try out both hydrotherapy and clinical pilates, which were offered by the clinic, and see which agreed with…

This post is slightly different. I decided a while ago that it’d be a good idea to write a letter to my body. Mainly because I find writing things down…

Methotrexate worked and I’m in remission! Or between flares. Not sure yet which one it is, I just know I have no inflammation in my body right now! But things…

As many of my lovely Arthur’s Place family know, recently I went to London to a “The 100” convention run by Starfury. The staff went above and beyond in making…

Hey everyone, welcome back to my little corner on Arthur’s Place, In my last blog post, I talked a little about how Arthur’s Place and Arthur’s Place Social have helped…

Hello guys and welcome back to my little corner of Arthur’s Place. Some of you may have read my blog post a few weeks ago about moving home. Now my…

It’s times like these – having to use voice software just to be able to write a sentence – that the power of technology is reluctantly called upon, to write…

Man up. Grin and bear it. You’re a man, aren’t you? Act like one then. Most men in the world will have heard phrases like these at some point in…

For this blog post, I’m gonna do a bit of reminiscing about this past year. I’m hoping that writing everything down and putting it out there in the universe takes…

As I mentioned in a previous post, I found out recently that I was entitled to some physiotherapy sessions under the government healthcare system in Australia (Medicare) and was super…

Aimee Le Gallez, 25, was diagnosed aged three with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. A compliance manager for an energy company, Aimee lives with her fiancé, two cats and a tortoise. Here…

I mentioned in my last post that I am a hairdresser which should mean my hair always looks good, right? Nooo.. For a start I have lots of it, it’s…

I don’t normally do this, but after spending the other day trying to clean my room and prepare for a date, I thought I’d talk about my day. I am…

Hi everyone! It’s quite a strong title, isn’t it? But it’s the truth! My chronic pain is driving me mad. I’ve been in constant pain for about 3-4 years now;…

As some of you know, I am totally obsessed with tattoos and art work. Due to that addiction and my love of the TV show, The 100. I have, after…

Hey everyone, welcome back to my little corner on Arthur’s Place. So, in my last post, I talked about the effect the NHS had on my life, after I was…

My name is Rebecca and I have arthritis anxiety. It’s a condition that I have totally made up but one that I’m sure lots of us can relate to. It’s…

Laughter being the best medicine has become a bit of a cliché – laughter and meloxicam maybe – but I do think it’s important to be able to laugh at…

As I sit here now, writing this spur-of-the-moment blog post, I feel as though I have had a little bit of an epiphany. This morning my mother hosted a coffee…

I couldn’t live without my heating and cooling pads. I used to have gel ones but they kept getting punctured so I threw them out… Then I was given some…

Howdy Welcome to my first official blog post. My name is Jessie-May, I am 23 years old and I am a very passionate hairdresser from Wiltshire (although I spend my…

Hey there! I hope you’re all doing good! This week I bring you the dreaded subject of… BLOOD TESTS!! Blood tests are one thing that we all have to deal…

There aren’t many worse days than those when I have to put up with arthritis when it’s turned up to 11. Everyday tasks feel unbearable. Having arthritis in my hands,…

Today, and probably for the next few posts as this could be a long one, I wanted to talk about something that I am currently going through myself and which…

Welcome to my first Arthur’s Place blog! As I sit here on yet another train to university, I feel like I am writing my own version of ‘This is your…

I thought I would start my blog here on the wonderful Arthur’s Place with a quick getting to know me. If there’s one thing in the world I love to…

Hey guys, welcome back to my little corner on Arthur’s Place. So, in my last post, I talked about when my battle with rheumatoid arthritis first started and how long…

As some of you know, I have a very active job. I have to be physically fit and able to run/bend etc. at the drop of a hat in an…

Hi! When telling people you have arthritis the biggest fear you have is, most probably, their reaction. People react differently to bad news. Some react positively and with care, and…

I’ve been seeing the same rheumatologist for over 20 years (!) and we’ve always had a good relationship –he seems genuinely interested in how I’m feeling, and how my studies…

Hi. My name’s Charlie and I have Palindromic Rheumatism arthritis. That essentially means my arthritis comes and goes. I was only diagnosed in January of this year but had pains…

It’s been over two years since I wrote my last blog for Arthur’s Place. This came as a shock to me, because it really doesn’t feel like it’s been so…

Hey everyone, welcome back to my little corner on Arthur’s Place. So, In this post I thought that I would share some personal experiences that demonstrate why RA has come…

How do you tell someone that you have a debilitating chronic disease? Lots of people know I have JIA. I personally told everyone that’s close to me and the rest…

Hello, I’m back! I hope you’re all doing fan-dabby-dozy! My first real blog is going to be about my diagnosis, because a) I like to keep things chronological; it not…

I am not sure if I will be writing this as a week on week account of my life with OA or if I will continue to write my opinions…

I get it, okay? The lists of possible side effects on most of the prescription medicines we take are pretty scary. But it’s a shame when I see people posting…

Hey there! My name’s Molly, I’m a 22-year-old crafter, nerd, adrenaline junkie and radio presenter, topped off nicely with a degree in Drama. I was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis…

Hey everybody, and welcome to my little corner on Arthur’s Place. This week I wanted to write about something that I struggle with, and have struggled with since I was…

Hello everyone and welcome back to my little corner of Arthur’s Place. Thank Lottie it’s Friday, and in this week’s post I wanted to talk about something that I am…

Hi! In the last post I said I was going to tell you the story of how they found out I had arthritis, so here it goes… No one knows…

Hi there. I am Anoushka, a 28-year-old former NHS surgical clinical assistant, currently living in London. Like any 28-year-old girl, I love spending time with friends and family, shopping, travelling,…

This blog is essentially about my journey with coping with arthritis, but life is not just about our arthritis (I have osteoarthritis), or about our other illnesses – in my case IBD (irritable bowel…

My name is Charlotte, I’m 22, and I have lived with Arthritis for 21 years after I was diagnosed at 14 months old. Living with Arthritis can be a rollercoaster…

Who am I? My name is Sez and I’m a non-binary person who likes women and am currently in a relationship with a woman. I may not be religious, but…

Hi! My name is Eduarda, I’m 21 and I have polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). I love eating, baking and medicine. No one knows for how long I’ve had JIA,…

Hello! My name’s Hannah and I’m excited to start blogging with Arthur’s Place! I thought I’d use this post to tell you a bit about myself – both medical and…

Photographer Margot Giannaklis, 25, was diagnosed with arthritis at Uni. We asked her to keep a photo diary for one week; the result is a set of beautiful and thought-provoking…

Simon Stones, 22, was diagnosed with JIA aged three, psoriatic arthritis at 13 and fibromyalgia at 18. A Biomedical Sciences student and active patient research ambassador, Simon lives with his…

Despite early struggles, Anna's message to other mums-to-be is don't be afraid Anna and Ollie Anna answers our questions: What type of arthritis do you have, and how does it…

Collette has had thousands of injections over the years and has the thigh dents to prove it! If it were a choice between an injection or a tablet, I think…

Ever wondered how your other half feels about your arthritis? Mike’s partner Collette was diagnosed with JIA aged three. Here he shares how it’s been for him Mike writes: Going out…

Yes, here it is – every arthritic’s favourite time of year. It’s the season to eat, drink, be merry and put on loads of weight so that your joints struggle…

Humble brag alert: this post is all about how proud I am of myself this week. I like to think it’s not very often I blow my own trumpet –…

Or rather it’s been National Arthritis Week since last Sunday. I love National Arthritis Week, because as you might have noticed I quite like talking about arthritis. Having it, telling…

I say 21 today, but it’s more 21 today-ish. You see it was in October 1993 when I was diagnosed with systemic-onset JIA. It seems a strange thing to celebrate,…

There are so many of us with arthritis knocking about, it only stands to reason that we eventually start to take over the internet, as well as the rest of the world.

After self-injecting, and getting used to washing veggies, comes the wait for recovery. So I’m one week in to my new life on Etanercept, and things are going well. I’ve…

On Friday, the time finally came for me to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak. It was more to put a needle where my belly is,…

I’ve been taking sulfasalazine for just over a year now, and it’s not been without drama. There have been two occasions when I’ve had to stop taking it because my…

As I’m in between medicines at the moment – as I have been on many occasions before – I’m having various issues with various joints. When I went through a…

I really don’t want to sound ungrateful here – anyone trying to make the world more aware of childhood arthritis is fighting a good fight in my opinion – but…

When it comes to buying footwear, there are many things to consider, such as will they last? Do they match my outfit? Do I have too many pairs of shoes…

I’ve come to the time in my life where I have had to face up to reality. I’ve got to get a real job. I’ve had a real job before.…

I’m one of those people that gets really excited about their birthday. Not my arthritis birthday – that’s not until October – but my actual birthday. It’s on Saturday (the…

There’s not going to be a lengthy post from me this week – not because I’ve got married, but because I’ve been feeling awfully sorry for myself as I’ve been…

My name is Collette, and I am obsessed with shoes. I’ve always had a problem with shoes, largely down to the fact that my feet are short, wide and high.…

I’ve been thinking a lot about charity recently. I’ve been thinking about it because I got cornered in the street last week by a man who wanted me to donate…

I enjoy going outside now. I’m being really productive and feel like I have energy a lot of the time, and I’m putting it all down to the change in…

A couple of weeks ago I revealed that I was going to be put on a new anti-TNF drug, and I can now reveal (drumroll, please) that it is… Etanercept…

I’ve recently been having a little sort out among all the things I have collected over the last 20 years of having JIA (arthritis crap, as it’s also known), and…

I’ve known for about 10 years (or so me and my family believe, but it’s sometimes hard to keep track of these things) that I’m going to need my hips…

When I (reluctantly) tell people that I have arthritis, the conversation usually becomes about pain. Obviously that is a main factor in life with arthritis but, for me at least,…

New research from the University of Carolina has discovered that exercise can improve the wellbeing of people with arthritis. “Nothing new there,” I hear you all say – no doubt…

Arthritis changes your body shape, image and confidence – which can be hard when you’re a follower of fashion. Last week, London Fashion Week got me thinking about how I…

I’m now at the point in a new relationship where I still feel smug enough to want to tell the world that someone actually likes me, but it’s not such…

After two years lurking around in the graduate wasteland – full of people in their mid-20s like me who’ve graduated and, either through lack of jobs in what they want…

We’ve all been there: looking for some information about arthritis, and only being able to find information targeted at people much older than us. You might have decided, as I…

After being on my shiny new drug Sulfasalazine for six months now, I thought it would be a good time to look back and reflect. Before I crack on, let…

I’ve recently been asked a question that I’ve been asked many times before. The question usually comes from a doctor, wanting to check in on my general wellbeing. The reason…

So, let’s start at the very beginning; as Julie Andrews rightly observed, it is a very good place to start. I was diagnosed with JIA in October 1993, when I…

Kat shares her experience of arthritis-related tiredness, as part of our Tackle Tiredness Today! campaign I feel tired… In the morning when I wake up and realize that my joints…

Collette shares her experience of arthritis-related tiredness  I feel tired… Mostly in the mornings, when I’m just waking up. It usually takes me quite a while to get to sleep…

My name is Collette, I’m a 23-year-old Yorkshire lass, I go to shorthand classes every morning at 8am as part of getting qualified to live My Dream, and I spend…