Arthritic Joints eBay Store is Now Open!

Arthritic Joints is now on eBay!  We currently offer Arthritis Awareness products such as a ribbon lapel pin, auto magnet, travel mug and tote bag.  Other arthritis related products will be listed as well!

To celebrate our opening, we are running a 20% off sale through January 31, 2010!  In addition, the first 10 customers will receive a FREE arthritis awareness lapel pin and auto magnet!

Check out our new eBay store while the sale is going on! 

If you are unable to see the image above, you can also see a listing of all our available store products by clicking “on eBay” in the ArthriticJoints.com menu bar.  It’s an easy way to see what we have before going to the store.

Free Sample from Stopain!

Stopain is offering a free sample of their pain relief product.  The Stopain product is a topical analgesic that is said to provide “fast penetrating, long lasting pain relief” for individuals with arthritis or chronic pain.

If you are interested in trying the pain relief product, just fill out the sample request form on their website.

As always, don’t forget to clear this with your doctor prior to use.

Arthritis Treatment Decision Tip Sheet

In a previous post, I gave you some tips on making arthritis treatment decisions.  Here is a pdf version of the decision tips.  Feel free to print it out and take it with you to your rheumatologist appointments.  It also includes a “notes” section for any notes you may have while discussing treatment options with your rheumatologist.

Arthritis Treatment Decision Tip Sheet (pdf)

If you missed the original post, read it now: http://www.arthriticjoints.com/2009/06/26/do-you-struggle-with-arthritis-treatment-decisions/.

Lisa Copen Interview on National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week – Part 2

Let’s continue with Part 2 of our interview with Lisa Copen, founder of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week.

ArthriticJoints:  What illness do you live with, Lisa?

Lisa: Rheumatoid arthritis is my main disease I struggle with.  I was diagnosed in 1993 at the age of 24.  A few years after my diagnosis, I started having symptoms of fibromyalgia and was later diagnosed with that. Unfortunately, I’ve never experienced any kind of remission that all the doctors hoped for, so the last sixteen years have been a real challenge. I know I could be worse off now and in some ways I’ve been very blessed, but I’m also going through the emotions of my illness becoming more visible.

My illness isn’t just painful every day, it is now more difficult to do dishes or drive because my hands and feet are becoming more and more deformed. I take a lot of medications that have slowed the disease progression down, but still have many surgeries in the near future.

ArthriticJoints:  What is the one recommendation you would give to help people live with a chronic illness, such as rheumatoid arthritis?
 
Lisa:  Learn to trust your instincts and yet find balance in everything. Seek out friendships–even online–of people who understand some of what you are going through, but also allow your healthy friends to be there if they can and want to be. Don’t tune them out just because they don’t know what to say. Explain your illness to them, yet don’t talk about it all the time.

Do research about your illness, but don’t obsess over it. Be prepared for what your illness may bring, but don’t read everything you can get your hands on. Some of it will never happen to you. Be cautious about germs and infections, but not paranoid.

Learn to pace yourself. Know when to say no, but also know when to say yes, even when you feel like saying no. Give yourself some slack, but don’t allow your illness to control your life. Finding that balance will take a lifetime, but the sooner you start learning it, the easier life will become.
 
I give a lot of people, who are frustrated that no one understands what they are going through, a copy of my book “Why Can’t I Make People Understand? Discovering the Validation Those with Chronic Illness Seek and Why.”  I tell them, “you may not want to read this now. You can throw it against the wall if you want or put it under your bed, but keep it, because some day you will be ready for it.”

ArthriticJoints:  Have you experienced any discrimination or ill will from others due to your illness and how did you handle it? 
 
Lisa:  Discrimination is a strong word, so I would have to say no. But I have had well-meaning people in positions of authority offer me advice and then act as though I was either ignorant or “didn’t really want to get well” just because I didn’t take their advice. I had a doctor approach my display table once and insist I should try drinking tea from ground up reindeer antlers. I had a woman follow me around all evening trying to convince me I should go off all of my medications and I’d be fine. It was at a dinner for a large international ministry I was ecstatic to get to attend and she kind of spoiled the mood with all of her dirty looks.

ArthriticJoints:  I heard that you type with just a few fingers.

Lisa:  Yes, it’s true. I use just three fingers and my two thumbs to type. One adapts. I think I still can type about 50 words a minute, but sometimes my fingers start to go numb. I have a voice program I can use, but I am a fast talker and tend to get impatient with its limitations.

ArthriticJoints:  How can people get involved with Invisible Illness Week and find out more information?

Lisa:  Thank you for asking because just by helping us spread the word, for example, sharing about this blog post or by linking to it or posting it on Facebook, is the perfect way to help our grassroots cause.

I probably don’t have to tell you that we don’t have a marketing budget! When people introduce their friends or family to our virtual conference or tweet out our twitters or articles, they are making a significant difference. We also have some fun items to help spread the word like buttons and tote bags, silicon bracelets that say “Invisible Illness, Visible Hope,” awareness pins, and, of course, bumper stickers.  Our theme this year is “A Little Help Gives a Lot of Hope.”

You can join our cause on Facebook and share it with others, tell people about our video, our Twitter page, facts about illness, things like that.  You can also tell your doctor, counselor, pastor, or colleagues that we have brochures available too.

Some people call their local newspaper and share about Invisible Illness Week, their support group, or their illness experience. Since Invisible Illness Week is listed in Chase’s Calendar of Events, journalists can tie in the personal story with the annual event.

ArthriticJoints:  How has blogging, tweeting and other forms of social media made a difference? Has it helped in how you’ve been able to let people know about Invisible Illness Week?

Lisa: Absolutely. Exponentially! For example we’ve done a series of tweets on “20 things not to say to a chronically ill person” and “20 things to say”. Our twitter hashtag is #iiwk09 to find Invisible Illness Week tweets easily. A lot of interesting conversations have been spurred by these tweets. Be sure to follow us @invisibleillwk on Twitter!

We have over 1,600 people who have joined our cause on Facebook.  We have some amazing prizes we are giving away to people involved in these different outreach areas too.

ArthriticJoints:  There are so many people who feel really alone, as if no one in the world can possibly understand how much they are suffering. What would you tell these people?

Lisa:  If I could I would just give them a long hug and sit there beside them to listen first. Listening is one of the hardest things to do! I struggle with it myself! But I know that is what people need.

Secondly, I would also validate that they are right–no one really can understand what they are going through. Illness is a unique and lonely experience. That said, there are a lot of ways to connect with people who understand more than they may expect; they just have to find them.

There are several ways online to connect when you can’t drive to a support group. Our social network is Rest Ministries Sunroom and I recently began Illness Twitters to connect people who Tweet about illness or health issues.

And lastly, since my faith is in the Lord, I couldn’t let them walk away without sharing how knowing God has a plan for my life, despite my illness, has kept me going. I would want to tell them that despite any bad experiences they may have had at churches or with other Christians, God still has a “Plan A” for their life. The illness hasn’t bumped them down to “Plan B.”  That all may sound cliche.  I know that.  But every day I hear people who say their faith in God is the only thing that gets them through it.

ArthriticJoints:  You have written a book that gives 505 ideas on how people can reach out to someone who is ill, right?

Lisa:  I do. It’s called “Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend.” It’s actually a very helpful book because even though I wrote it, I still refer to it frequently for fresh ideas on how to encourage someone who is hurting. Too often I get stuck in the rut of not being able to think of anything other than another meal. Food is a nice gesture, but there are so many more creative and memorable ways to show someone you care.

We also have cute little JOY gift certificate cards that you can give a friend when you are offering to do something for them.  JOY stands for “Just Offering You” and one can fill out what they are able to offer (errands, laundry, taking your child for a play date, etc.) and when the best time is for them to volunteer to help.

ArthriticJoints:  That’s a terrific idea! I would imagine that it would be easier to accept help from someone if it looked like a gift certificate.

Lisa:  Yes, that’s the idea. The cards are a perfect addition for a women’s ministry, a support group, or really anyone who wants a way to say, “I’d like to help. Here is what I am able to offer to do.”

ArthriticJoints:  Thank you again so much for joining us today, Lisa.  Thank you for starting National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week. I know that you have your own health struggles and that you are also a wife and mother, so I know it can’t be easy to do it all.

Lisa:  Honestly, it’s not, but it has always kept me going too and I couldn’t do it without my husband’s support. Thank you for the interview!  I hope all of your readers will visit us at and let your friends know about our free 5-day virtual conference! We’re going to have a great time!

If you missed Part 1 of our interview with Lisa Copen, don’t worry you can read it now.  Lisa Copen Interview on National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week – Part 1

Lisa Copen Interview on National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week – Part 1

Lisa Copen  joins us today as the founder of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week.

This year it is September 14-20, 2009 and there are many ways to get involved, including a free 5-day virtual
conference. Lisa is on a blog tour to help people know about the event and how it can specifically encourage you.

Thanks so much for joining us today here at ArthriticJoints.com.

Lisa:  Thank you for the honor of being here. I read a lot of blogs, but recently I’ve visited more than ever before and I’m amazed at how the quality and quantity of blogs on health and illness matters have grown over the last couple of years.  Both the readers and writers of blogs have changed how people perceive different illnesses, because they reveal not just the symptoms of illness, but the daily lives of the people who live with them.

ArthriticJoints:  Tell us about National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week. That’s quite a mouthful!

Lisa: It is. A lot of times we just call it Invisible Illness Week. Our mission is to have a designated time, worldwide, in which people who live with chronic illness, those who love them, and organizations are encouraged to educate the general public, churches, health care professionals and government officials about the effects of living with a disease that is not visually apparent. Through programs and resources, we seek to recognize the daily challenges of more than100 million adults and children who live with invisible illness, such as arthritis.

Its also a great chance for people with any illness to be involved in a national event to increase the understanding of their own particular disease. They can use our event to blog about the emotions of living with their illness, for example, how they often may look perfectly fine but are in deep pain.

ArthriticJoints: Explain to us what a virtual conference is.

Lisa: A wonderful opportunity to “attend a conference” without every having to get dressed! The main part of the Invisible Illness Week is our 5-day virtual conference–which is completely free–September 14-18. There are 20
speakers who are experts in their area and with chronic illness they will be giving a 40-minute presentation and then taking live calls. The seminars are M-F, 4 times a day on a variety of topics: going to college, marriage, applying
for disability assistance, cleaning, finding the right job, faith, preparing for surgery and many more. All are free, listened to live or later, and even downloaded from iTunes to your ipod or purchased on a CD.

ArthriticJoints:  That sounds amazing! So, do you have last year’s seminars available?

Lisa:They are available. Before 2008, we used a chat room for seminars so we had written transcripts, but now one can hear 2008’s workshops directly from a computer, at iTunes, or on a CD.

ArthriticJoints:  I know many of us would love the opportunity to go to a 5-day conference.  However for many of us with arthritis, it is just not possible.  Things like traveling, finances, sitting that long, etc., are just too difficult, so this is an ideal solution.

Lisa: Isn’t it?  We started our virtual conference years ago, but now with the economy more companies and organizations are making this a popular trend.

ArthriticJoints:  Tell us why you started Invisible Illness Week?

Lisa: For a few reasons. I began Rest Ministries in 1997, a Christian organization for people who live with any kind of chronic illness or pain, because I saw the need to connect with others who are going through a similar journey in their life. We are also the sponsors of Invisible Illness Week. I witnessed a lot of people who were very bitter and frustrated because they felt so alone and invalidated in their pain. Some people even had spouses who questioned whether the illness existed at all.

I also saw many family members, caregivers, doctors, churches, etc. who wanted to reach out to people with illness, but they said all the wrong things. Eventually they distanced themselves from their loved ones because they just
did not understand illness or how to respond to it.

The fact that illness and pain is invisible to see can make it hard for healthy people to understand.  Those with illness can easily become bitter when their loved ones believe it is being exaggerated. It makes for a sad situation all
the way around and I thought communication could be a helpful first step.

ArthriticJoints:  People suffering from various forms of arthritis are all too familiar with that situation.

Lisa: Even those of us who cope rather well with our illness on a day-to-day basis can still have moments of frustration. We may park legally in a disabled parking spot and we get the look from someone walking by. A friend may ask, “So are you all better now?”.  People do not always comprehend the difference between being sick and being chronically ill.

ArthriticJoints:  So this is what made you decide to start Invisible Illness Week?  To start some communication about these different issues and emotions?

Lisa: Yes, I wanted to bring people together to encourage one another.  It really does not matter what illness we have, where we live, what age we are, how long ago we were diagnosed, etc. The fact that most of our illnesses are invisible and not seen by people gives us a lot more in common than most of the physical symptoms our specific illnesses ever could.

Tune in tomorrow for Part 2 of our interview with Lisa Copen of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week.

Join the Keep Moving Program & Get a Free Bonus!

The makers of Tylenol Arthritis Pain have created a program to help you manage mild to moderate arthritis.  The Keep Moving program offers “tips, exercises and tools to help you reduce arthritis pain and improve strength & flexibility”.  Right now, they have information regarding exercises (including strengthening), healthy choices, active living, and much more.

The program is free.  You can register at justkeepmoving.com to get started.  For a limited time, they are offering a free exercise dvd and pedometer when you register (while supplies last).

Check it out and add this resource to your arthritis pain management regimen!

Struggling with Your Computer Keyboard? Try This Instead!

Trying to type on your computer keyboard can be excruciating with stiff or deformed arthritic hands and fingers.  If you have tried an ergonomic keyboard (such as the one mentioned in our post: Try This Keyboard for Arthritic Fingers) with no success, then consider trying speech recognition software.

Speech recognition software allows you to navigate the internet by talking to your computer.  For example, tazti Speech Recognition Software allows you to perform internet searches, turn on and operate iTunes, log in to and navigate Facebook and MySpace, search bookmarked pages, create your own voice commands, etc.

Watch this short video to see tazti in action:

Right now, tazti is offering its speech recognition software for free for people with arthritis.  That’s right…FREE.  Download tazti Speech Recognition Software, use it and tell Voice Tech Group, Inc. (the creator of tazti) what you think about it.

Share your comments with us too!

Join Team ArthriticJoints.com at the Lexington, KY Arthritis Walk

Join Team ArthriticJoints.com at the 2009 Arthritis Walk in Lexington, Kentucky.

On May 9, 2009, Team ArthriticJoints.com will be participating in the Arthritis Foundation’s Annual Arthritis Walk. We are inviting anyone that wants to participate to join the team. Runners, walkers and pets are all welcome!

Each ArthriticJoints.com team member that raises or contributes $25 or more will receive your choice of a free Arthritis Awareness ribbon magnet (left) or lapel pin (bottom). 

If you would like to support the event, but are unable to attend, please consider supporting Team ArthriticJoints.com through a general team donation.  100% of the donation goes to the Arthritis Foundation.  Every little bit helps to fight this disease! 

Show your support for those who have arthritis!  Let’s walk or run together!

Exercise Those Arthritic Joints for Free!

When you have arthritis, it is important to keep moving those stiff joints.  One way to do that is through regular exercise.  Usually, a non-impact form of exercise is best.

 However, exercise videos can cost $15-$20 each and gym memberships can cost a lot more.  What if those costs are just not in your budget right now?  Well, here is an answer to that.

ExerciseTVoffers FREE full-length videos and mini-workouts.  They have videos for stretching, yoga, pilates and many other forms of exercise.  However, if you are looking for exercise that will not impact the joints, I would recommend sticking with stretching, yoga and pilates.

Check out the FREE videos on ExerciseTV.  You do not need to register in order to watch them.  Just select the video you are interested in and get ready to exercise.  It’s that simple!

If you decide you like the full-length video, then keep going back to the site on a regular basis to watch it or download it instead.  If you prefer to download it, there is a small charge.  The video I watched was $1.99 to purchase the download.  That is by far a much more reasonable price to work into your budget.

I do not believe that you can download the mini-workouts.  You may just have to keep going back to ExerciseTV to watch those.  Either way, it’s still FREE!

Enjoy!