• Ask the Experts Panel
• A Day in the Life of an Autoimmune Arthritis Patient
• Booths – nonprofits around the world will come together to share their resources; physicians and patients will be able to learn more about programs and services available to people afflicted with autoimmune arthritis
• Presentations – these presentations will be on-demand, so check in at your convenience
• Resource Library – list of support and advocacy groups, as well as a blog list, for attendees to locate helpful information that can benefit their experience dealing with autoimmune arthritis
• Lounge – chat live with attendees from around the world
• Chat Sessions – chat sessions covering some of the biggest issues facing those affected by autoimmune arthritis will be hosted throughout WAAD13
• Raffle
• Disease Information
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Psoriatic Arthritis
  • Juvenile Arthritis
  • Ankylosing Spondylitis
  • Sjogren’s Syndrome
  • SLE
  • Still’s Disease
  • Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
  • Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease
  • Extended diseases

Since this is a worldwide event, it will be held for the duration of May 20 everywhere in the world, i.e. beginning at midnight as soon as it first becomes May 20, and lasting 47 hours until May 20th is (almost) complete the last spot on earth.  For me (Pacific Time on the west coast of the U.S.) that will be 3 a.m. on May 19, lasting until 2 a.m. May 21).

Cost:  free

Register in advance at WAAD13.  Scroll down  – the registration form is toward the bottom of the page in the right-hand column.

Fortunately, we don’t have to remain stuck with the frustration that occurs when people hear “arthritis” without comprehending “rheumatoid” and respond, “Oh, I have that in my neck/knee/little finger.”  Usually, I don’t think my health is anyone’s business, but good friends are an exception.  If I know someone well enough to tell them that I have RA, then I know them well enough to explain why RA is not “just arthritis.”

When people respond as if I’m discussing osteoarthritis, I’ve had very good luck smiling and saying, “Oh, you’re thinking of OA.  There are nearly 100 different types of arthritis.  I have RA.”

It’s quite simple to quickly explain that OA is what people have when a joint wears out due to overuse, but RA is completely different.  RA occurs when the immune system goes postal and starts attacking multiple joints and organs, too.

I remember a few years ago my riding instructor shrugging off my stiffness, saying that we all feel stiff sometimes.  I waited a day, then sent email to explain the situation:

“Three years ago I was diagnosed with a disease that means my immune system is overactive.  It doesn’t distinguish between my body and foreign invaders.  The immune system is supposed to attack germs so that we don’t get sick.  My immune system does that, but it also attacks the synovial fluid surrounding my joints, the enthesis (where tendons attach), my skin, and pretty much anything else it feels like attacking without giving me any say in the matter…

While RA can cause OA, RA is not “just arthritis.”  There is a huge difference, and I’ve had tremendous response when giving people a brief explanation of the distinction between the two.

For instance, my low-maintenance lavender hedge is green all year and bears beautiful flowers in the summer.  Weeds aren’t a problem because I mulch heavily.  Instead of hand-pruning all the flower stalks, I take the weed-eater to them – either in autumn or spring, depending on the weather and when I get around to it.  I know some gardeners are appalled that I take a weed-eater to my lavender, but it’s quick and easy, and my plants are flourishing.  The weed eater can be wrapped with foam to make gripping it easier.

Some plants do well with a groundcover beneath – sort of a living mulch to keep down the weeds.  I recently put in a hedge of evergreen huckleberries, and underplanted the bushes with lingonberries.  Everything is heavily mulched to keep in the moisture and keep down the weeds until the lingonberries spread.

Mulch is your friend.  It holds moisture in the ground, which means less work watering.  It inhibits weeds, which means less work weeding.  It’s free!  Grass clippings make great mulch (provided your grass hasn’t gone to seed).

My high-maintenance landscaping?  With the help of a few friends, I’ve ripped most of it out and am happily learning about useful plants to take their place. My plant wish-list has gotten much longer than the space I’m looking to fill or my budget will allow, which means I’ll put in only some things this year, then spend the summer preparing new beds for the future. In addition to my aforementioned huckleberries, I’ve planted blueberry bushes and peach trees, and have some artichokes in the greenhouse to be planted out in mid-May.

It’s fun changing the landscaping in my yard to plants that will be easier to maintain.  If you’re inclined to take on a similar project, a few things have been helpful.  GoogleMaps let me zoom in on my house, which allowed me to get a perfectly-to-scale picture.  I was able to print it and use the picture as my “sketch” for writing in measurements and deciding on locations for the plants I want to put in.  Another thing I discovered is that local nurseries charge less than mail-order nurseries and generally carry plants that will grow well in your area.  That said, mail-order nurseries are a great source for varieties not stocked by the local nursery.

More tips:

• Coat your hands with vaseline before donning your gardening gloves. They’ll be softer and easier to clean when you’re done.
• Invasive plants like mint can be contained in pots.
• If you want to grow herbs, make a plan as to where you’d like to grow them, but only add 2-3 per year so you get time to learn how to use them without being overwhelmed.
• Herbs make good landscaping plants, and can cut down on your grocery bill. Sage and thyme are evergreens that are very easy to grow.  Stick them in the ground and ignore them until you need a few leaves.
• Don’t be a slave to the zone maps.  Microclimates can let plants do well in areas that the experts say they shouldn’t.  For example, rosemary is labeled a tender evergreen, but mine is in outdoors in the ground and at six foot tall has survived weather down in the teens, simply by being in a slightly protected location.
• Moisture-loving plants will do better by a swimming pool than will plants that like well-drained soil.
• Lay a board on grass to kill it before establishing a new bed.  Keep it well-weeded for a year (or two) before putting in new plants.
• Raised beds can be built 2-3 feet tall, which makes it possible to sit in a chair while tending plants.
• Some of the garden planning software has a 30-day free trial period.  It’s nice to try before you buy (or determine you don’t want to buy).

Happy gardening!