cure arthritis

I don’t write here often, but over on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Etsy I’m all a chatter about my plans for World Arthritis Day 2017.

To Celebrate the day, I’ve started a Facebook group for RAPOV, LLC to try to get to know the people who use my product. I can only learn to make it better each time, and who better to let me know what they need in an arthritis friendly bracelet than the people purchasing arthritis friendly bracelets!?

Being a “Spoonie” has made me realize what it means to have a support community and perhaps this group is my way of knowing I have the support of these fine folks who join.

But, my World Arthritis Day 2017 plans are bigger than just one little RAPOV VIP FB group.

A small part of the days celebration is a giveaway. I really like presents. It’s true, I do. Small gifts that say you care. Not just receiving, but giving. Perhaps its my love language or what-not, but it brings me joy to give, and that’s part of how I am choosing to celebrate the day. Any one who joins the RAPOV VIP Facebook Group before my infusion ends at 2:30 CST on 10/12/2017 <- World Arthritis Day is entered to win a bracelet from me! Just ‘cuz. Presents are fun.

Ah, the infusion. This is how I am truly celebrating World Arthritis Day 2017. ‘Cuz I know how to party. I am starting a new RA treatment at 1:25pm on World Arthritis Day. I found it ironic when I realized this. Perhaps, it is what triggered all the giveaway-hooha; a distraction?

Simponi Aria. Golimumab. Don’t even ask me how to say that – but, that’s the next one on the list. And friends, my list is growing shorter. I can’t remember if this is #17 or #18 … #19? — You can see how it might get confusing. Biologic after Biologic; fail after fail. Yet, Simponi Aria. That’s the next one on the (ever shortening) list.

So! After that damn infusion ends, I want to go to the post office and send someone a present.

Join the group. Help distract me.

My favorite part of the RAPOV World Arthritis Day 2017 Game Plan is the fundraiser part. As you may already know, I donate to #CureArthritis from all RAPOV sales. But for a day as big as WAD, I’d like to step it up a notch. I’ve been feverishly working on a new line of arthritis friendly bracelets in Arthritis Awareness Blue(s) – (plural because there’s, like, a million shades of blue out there….) – to be released this week. Each item is posted at a reduced price (to celebrate, of course!), and $5 from each item sold in this line will be donated to Arthritis National Research Foundation.

These items are available, you guessed it, in the RAPOV VIP FB Group.

Let’s Celebrate. Let’s celebrate because there is #CureArthritis, #RAWarrior, #Spoonie, #RAPOV — These things exist and they fill me with glee.

Just like a party. So: Let’s Celebrate! Whoop! Happy World Arthritis Day 2017!

Everyday is Arthritis Awareness Day in my world; with Rheumatoid Arthritis its hard not to be aware of arthritis.

Over the past 11 years of living with this disease I have had to come to terms with a lot of things that don’t normally cross your mind if you aren’t living with a chronic illness. Financial challenges above and beyond what a healthy, post college grad, working, 30-something encounters, being the best Mom possible even on days I cannot get out of bed, attempting to eat well and exercise regularly while not knowing day-to-day if I will be able to prepare meals or even stand upright, and trying to nurture relationships while I can barely nurture myself. These are just a glimpse of the way RA has changed me on my journey.

May 2017 is Arthritis Awareness Month and I would like to make you all aware of an organization I came across (and fell in love with) over the past year. While their full name is Arthritis National Research Foundation, they go by #CureArthritis or @CureArthritis and curing arthritis is their goal. Their mission is to “provide initial research funding to brilliant, investigative scientists with new ideas to cure arthritis and related autoimmune diseases.”

I could go on and on about the different grants this nonprofit organization is funding for scientific research on finding a cure, but I’ll let you check them out yourself: Arthritis Research.

So why mention CureArthritis on the Rheumatoid Arthritis Point Of View blog? I’m so glad you asked! Upon creating RAPOV, LLC my goal was to donate a portion of my profits each month to fund arthritis research. March 2017 was the first month since becoming an LLC in February 2017 in which I proudly could donate. This month, May, I hope to make an even bigger difference.

For the month of May – in honor of #ArthritisAwarenessMonth – RAPOV, LLC is donating 25% of ALL sales to CureArthritis.org – no matter whether the purchase is made through Etsy, or in person (available at Emy J’s in Stevens Point, WI, and at the Celebrate Spring event on May 6th in Marshfield, WI).

I hope you will join me in supporting their endeavors to CureArthritis.

Please Shop the Arthritis Friendly Handmade Jewelry RAPOV Etsy store here to donate 25% of purchase price to CureArthritis.org in May 2017.

Please Donate directly to CureArthritis here.

Please buy an Arthritis National Research Foundation “Together we can Cure Arthritis” T-Shirt here. (We could be twinsies…)

Thank you for your continued support in raising awareness of arthritis.