Pregnancy, Parenting and More with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Explicit content warning

07/21/20 • 47 min

Episode at a Glance:

The following is a breakdown of the main topics we discussed - scroll to the end to see hyperlinks for resources mentioned in this episode! As a reminder: this episode was originally recorded in 2019.

01:35 - Claire diagnosis journey for rheumatoid arthritis: difficulty being believed by providers through her official diagnosis and her journey towards accepting it
10:30 Claire’s pregnancy and childbirth experience
14:20 - Claires postpartum experience with RA coming back slowly
16:20 - How Claire parents a Toddler with Rheumatoid Arthritis
18:15 Claire’s advice for people with RA who might want to have a child
20:20 - How to Manage Stress and Anxiety with chronic illness, including tips for finding a good fit with a provider (
26:40: Claire’s advice for newly diagnosed patients
30:10: What Claire wishes doctors did better
31:26: Claire’s tips for a good patient-provider relationship and tips for advocating for yourself
35:36: The Difference between living with an invisible illness and living with a visible one when Claire had to wear a splint!
38:55: How RA affected Claire’s choice of work, and her employment
41:42: How RA affected Claire’s relationship with her husband
44:00 - Fatigue and RA
45:44 – How RA affects friendships and relationships in adulthood

Get More Support at:

Rheum to THRIVE, an online course and support program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected**.** See all the details and join the program or waitlist now!

External resources mentioned in this episode or relevant to it:

Suzie Edward May “Arthritis Pregnancy and the Path to Parenthood”
Mother to Baby - website for evidence based information for pregnancy and medications
Arthritis Life Podcast, Practical Tips & Support - Cheryl's Facebook group
Free download from Cheryl: my Master RA Checklist
Free download: the 6 Things Everyone with Arthritis Should Know

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER:

All content found on the Arthritis Life public channels was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Episode at a Glance:

01:35 - Claire diagnosis journey for rheumatoid arthritis: difficulty being believed by providers through her official diagnosis and her journey towards accepting it
10:30 Claire’s pregnancy and childbirth experience
14:20 - Claires postpartum experience with RA coming back slowly
16:20 - How Claire parents a Toddler with Rheumatoid Arthritis
18:15 Claire’s advice for people with RA who might want to have a child
20:20 - How to Manage Stress and Anxiety with chronic illness, including tips for finding a good fit with a provider (
26:40: Claire’s advice for newly diagnosed patients
30:10: What Claire wishes doctors did better
31:26: Claire’s tips for a good patient-provider relationship and tips for advocating for yourself
35:36: The Difference between living with an invisible illness and living with a visible one when Claire had to wear a splint!
38:55: How RA affected Claire’s choice of work, and her employment
41:42: How RA affected Claire’s relationship with her husband
44:00 - Fatigue and RA
45:44 – How RA affects friendships and relationships in adulthood

Get More Support at:

External resources mentioned in this episode or relevant to it:

Suzie Edward May “Arthritis Pregnancy and the Path to Parenthood”
Mother to Baby - website for evidence based information for pregnancy and medications
Arthritis Life Podcast, Practical Tips & Support - Cheryl's Facebook group
Free download from Cheryl: my Master RA Checklist
Free download: the 6 Things Everyone with Arthritis Should Know

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER:

Previous Episode

Episode 2: Rheumatology Basics with Dr. Balderia

Episode at a Glance

Cheryl (rheumatoid arthritis patient and occupational therapist) and rheumatologist Dr. Percy Balderia discuss:

1:00-2:00: - What is Rheumatology?
2:00 - Why did Dr. Balderia choose to become a Rheumatologist?
04:50- Day in the life of a Rheumatologist
06:45 - How to build a good relationship with your provider & prepare for appointments
11:16- What should patients know about Rheumatology?
13:07- Meeting the mental health needs of people with chronic illnesses
14:02- How to pick the best treatment plan & utilize supports available to you!

This interview was originally conducted in April 2019.

Episode is brought to you by:

Rheum to THRIVE, an online course and support program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected. See all the details and join the program or waitlist now!

Additional links relevant to this episode:

Dr. Percy Balderia is a rheumatologist who sees patients at The Polyclinic Madison Center and The Polyclinic Downtown in Seattle, Washington. He has a special interest in rheumatoid arthritis. He trained at the University of Washington and was awarded The Arthritis Foundation fellowship.

Thank you to our podcast interns, Sarieni & Laura from The Modern OTs podcast, for your help in editing this episode!

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER:

All content found on the Arthritis Life Youtube Channel was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Please seek the advice of a physician or other appropriate healthcare provider before putting information from this channel to use. Links to educational content not created by Cheryl Crow of Arthritis Life are taken at your own risk. Reliance on any information provided by Arthritis Life is solely at your own risk.

Next Episode

Best Advice for Newly Diagnosed Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

This episode including tips for to cope with the initial diagnosis, how to best educate yourself about your condition, ways to utilize social support without getting overwhelmed, how to best collaborate with your provider and make treatment decisions, and finally how to take care of your mind and manage stress.

Episode breakdown:

1:10 - Episode Introduction
2:08 - Analogy for those newly diagnosed - a tourist in an unplanned for land
4:08 - Advice for the initial adjustment period
6:30 - Tips for educating yourself about your condition
10:00 - How to best utilize social support, including social media
18:15 - How to best interact with your providers and medical team.
20:15 - How to choose the best treatment ideas for you
31:44 - Tips for managing stress and taking care of your mind
40:00 - Concluding thoughts

Medical disclaimer:

All content found on Arthritis Life public channels was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Episode Sponsor

Links discussed in this episode:

"Welcome to Holland" essay by Emily Perl Kingsley
Free handout: 6 Things Everyone with Arthritis Should Know
Free handout: Master RA Management Checklist
Free Facebook Group: Arthritis Life Podcast, Practical Tips and Positive, Realistic Support
A great letter to newly diagnosed patient from my friend and fellow Chronic Illness advocate Chronic Eileen: The Letter I Wish I sent to Myself the Day I was Diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Thank you so much to those who contributed their words of wisdom!

From Instagram: @hopeamidthepain, @Rheumatoiddiaries, @TheNarcissistGames, @Sje70, @deepa.venkatraman, @drmaggiecadet, @A.shrummer, @Jbayze2018, @worldofot, @boop911, @Kimesue, @Mommywithmctd, @ra.and.me , @Paulaburza, @_chronically_happy_, @warriorsmovemountains, @graceandable_official

From Facebook: Monica Thomas, Laura Muller, Christopher Vance.