Month: April 2023

Exploring Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment Options

Are you wondering what treatment options are available for psoriatic arthritis?  Has your doctor asked you to make a choice between two treatments, and you feel overwhelmed by such a decision because you don’t really understand the options?  Or do you just want to read reviews of PsA medications from others who use specific drug treatments?  If so, this blog post is for you!

The site called drugs.com has a page dedicated to reviews by people with PsA using specific drugs.  Some of the drugs only have a few reviews, but others have hundreds of reviews.  It’s worth a look.  https://www.drugs.com/condition/psoriatic-arthritis.html

The Arthritis Foundation has a wealth of knowledge about different types of treatments for PsA.  This article provides a great overview,  https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/treatment-plan/disease-management/treatment-options-for-psoriatic-arthritis

Another great article through the Arthritis Foundation is Alice Goodman’s Treatment Guidelines for Psoriatic Arthritis.  It offers many recommendations to help guide doctors’ and patients’ shared decisions about treatments.  This is definitely a worthwhile read.  https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/treatment-plan/you-your-doctor/treatment-guidelines-for-psoriatic-arthritis-arthr

If you want to know more about how biologics work and the different types, this Arthritis Foundation article is very informative.  https://www.arthritis.org/drug-guide/biologics/biologics

If you are a total newbie with psoriatic arthritis, a good overview of all things PsA related is the Cleveland Clinic.  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/13286-psoriatic-arthritis   It’s a great place to start.

The last article I’m recommending is https://www.verywellhealth.com/biologics-for-psoriatic-arthritis-5190400  This article explains the differences between all of the currently approved biologics (in the USA), and discusses PsA treatment in concise, easy-to-understand terms. 

If you are having a hard time getting your family, friends, and colleagues to understand exactly what psoriatic arthritis is and the challenges it involves, I invite you to read my article, When Your Loved One Has Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA), at https://janmariet.com/when-your-loved-one-has-psoriatic-arthritis-psa/   This article can help you educate others on exactly what it means to have psoriatic arthritis.

I’d also like to provide you with a link to my Products That Make Life Easier with Psoriatic Arthritis, Plantar Fasciitis, and Enthesitis post at https://janmariet.com/products-that-make-life-easier-with-psoriatic-arthritis-plantar-fasciitis-and-enthesitis/  It is a list of adaptive products that I own and use to help me with activities of daily living with psoriatic arthritis.  You may find an adaptive product you never even knew existed, that can help you lead a fuller and more robust life. 

If you’ve found any of these articles helpful, if you have questions, or if you have resources to share, make sure and leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Making the Best of What You’ve Got!

Heredity is a strange thing.  It can give your child shimmering blue eyes, dark, long lashes, or a large, Roman nose.  You can end up with a slender build, a large bust, a short stature, dimples, or male-pattern baldness. 

Heredity can lead to some wonderful happenstances – like cousins who look like twins, or coppery red hair generation after generation.  Heredity can also lead to some unpleasant issues, like rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, or congenital deafness. 

It almost seems cruel that within a family tree, some have tendencies toward being healthy and robust, while others find themselves on the losing side of the genetic crapshoot we call life.  Even among siblings and cousins, the genetic roulette wheel treats some to great fortune while leaving other family members in a completely different situation.

While I am one of those people who finds themselves with a variety of conditions that tend to be caused by the negative part of genetics, there are several traits I quite knowingly obtained from certain family members and ancestors, and those are fortitude, perseverance, stick-with-it-ness, sheer determination, and adaptability. 

It is also true that there are other things I quite knowingly gleaned from my family tree. Some I have directly inherited, while others are believed to have a strong genetic component.

  • Congenital hip dysplasia (Developmental hip dysplasia)
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Ankylosing Spondylitis
  • Degenerative Disk Disease
  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Chronic Kidney Disease
  • Scoliosis
  • Spinal Stenosis
  • Sjogren’s Disease
  • Myotonic Dystrophy, Type 2

We have no control over having an inherited condition.   It is as randomly assigned as eye color or foot size.  However, what you make of these conditions is within your purview.  No one denies that having chronic conditions which cause you pain and disability can be overwhelming.  Personally, I think that finding those small moments of joy, that beautiful sunset, that walk with a friend, or a new bloom in your garden, are the small victories that make life worth living.   It doesn’t reduce or relieve the pain, it doesn’t improve your mobility, cure your anxiety, or fix your medical issues, but for that brief moment in time, joy can be the best medicine there is.

Life does not mete out pain, illness, or disability fairly.  Sometimes — most of the time, actually — we just have to make the best of what life has given us and find joy where we can.   

Products That Make Life Easier with Psoriatic Arthritis, Plantar Fasciitis, and Enthesitis

Let’s face it, Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) shows its ugly head in so many ways and forms. From Dactylitis (Sausage Fingers and Toes,) Plantar Fasciitis, Enthesitis (which is were the tendons and ligaments pull away from their bone insertion points) causing hand or foot weakness, grip exhaustion, the inability to open jars and containers, and even sometimes the inability to hold on to regular silverware, stiff backs and necks, stiffness and immobility — this autoimmune disease has more faces than a clock shop.

Here are some items I personally recommended that can help make your life with PsA so much easier. I have personally purchased and/or used every item I recommend. These are items that help me get through my day with PsA.

By means of full disclosure, I may earn a small commission from Amazon for links to any products or services from this website.

Hair and Scalp Items

Use this product after your hair is wet, but before shampooing. If you have scalp psoriasis, meet your new best friend! If you’ve ever used apricot scrub on your face, this is a much gentler version (minus the apricot seeds) which loosens any loose scalp or plaque scales. You can rub it in with your hands, and you can also use it with the scalp brush/stimulator pictured next. It easily rinses, and now you are ready for your shampoo.

If you have scalp psoriasis, peeling scalp, or just a lot of gunky buildup on your scalp, this scalp brush is fabulous. It is not short, but it is not hard either. I have a very tender scalp, and I have no issue using this. You can use this with your shampoo, and your scalp will feel so clean and tingly.

I have scalp psoriasis (and I’ve had it since I was 8 years old. Tea Tree Oil shampoo is the best thing I’ve found for scalp psoriasis. Your hair will also smell marvelous when you finish.

These little soft face scrubbers are wonderful to keep your face shiny clean. I also use one in the shower with a tiny bit of shampoo to clean behind my ears and right into the scalp line. They are soft, gentle, easy to clean after using, and dry on their own. They are perfect for any place on your body that has a build up of dead skin cells in the form of dry, flaky skin.

This is a bath or shower scrubby. The bristles are soft and feel lovely on your skin. Because it is silicon you don’t have the worries that you have with loofah, scrunchies, or natural bristle brushes. Just rinse it when you are done, and shake out the excess water. Next time you use it, it will be squeaky clean.

Assistive Items & Things to Help You in Your Daily Life

What is bizarre looking contraption? It is a spinning caddy. It can hold the items you need daily in your bathroom. I don’t know about you, but many houses today have bathroom cabinets with no drawers or drawer space. If you are stiff and creaky from having PsA, this caddy is perfect on your bathroom vanity. No more bending down to a low shelve in your cabinet to get toothpaste, makeup, creams, razor, etc. One note: To finish putting this together, you have to use these tiny little clear rubber bands. I managed to do it, but if you have severe arthritis in your hands, you may need to get a friend or family member to put it together. I’ve had mine for 3 years now, and it still looks new and works like a charm.

I use this for my cluster box mailbox key. The mailbox keys are so tiny, and the locks are often stiff to turn. This device makes opening my mailbox so easy. Please note: The picture is deceiving. You cannot fit 3 keys on it as shown. Even if you use two keys, they will fit tightly together and be difficult to separate to just use one. This key turner is ideal for one key. I have one for my mailbox key, and one for a paddle lock key I use. Without this device, I can’t use either of those keys successfully.

These two jar openers are real lifesavers. The small one is perfect for opening soups or other canned items that have a pull tab. The larger, crab shaped one is great for opening water bottles, sodas, juices — anything with a cap. Without this device, I would never be able to open my bottled water because I just don’t have the dexterity to do.

My enthesitis often makes using a regular pen impossible. These large pens made for people with arthritis are easy to hold and easy to write with. They have a lanyard on each so you can wear it around your neck if you wish, it is a click pen, so you can click it “off” so you can carry it in your purse or bag without ink getting all over, and it comes with ink replacements! You can get this in blue ink or black ink. These have been wonderful for me.

When I go out to eat, I often can’t hold the silverware they provide, because it is often lightweight and well-worn, and easily slips out of my hand, always landing on the floor. The thick rubber handles make it comfortable and easy to grip. This set of silverware is fabulous. It comes with a canvas carry case, so you can just slip it in your purse or bag if you are going to someone else’s house to ear, or to a restaurant. Once you get home, you can handwash them, or they are top rack dishwasher safe.

This hand putty set contains 4 different strengths of hand putty. (You start with the yellow, which is the softest.) I used these for OT, and I find using putty daily reduces the pain in my hands and fingers, and actually strengthens my fingers. I don’t like to use the putty the OT brings, because other people have been handing it. So I always have this at home, and I am the only one who uses it.

The rings and the finger webs are great for increasing strength and flexibility in your fingers and hands. There are 3 different colors which are different strengths. With PsA you always want to use the softest one, especially at first.

Growing plants and shrubs is my hobby, but my arthritic hands aren’t up to use heavy, stiff pruners. This hand pruner is specifically designed for people with arthritis or hand weakness, and it has a ratchet that makes it cut with very little grip on your part. I can’t recommend them enough. With these, I can garden again!

Biofreeze in a roll-on bottle is great for when your calves are stiff, when you get Charlie horses, or when you wake up with restless legs. You simply roll it on your skin, and it helps your joints and muscles relax and feel better.

If you struggle with Planter Fasciitis, these cooper compression foot sleeves are beyond helpful. They help you prevent getting it, and ifyou already have it, they give you great support and comfort to make walking easier.

Here’s a link to my first book, Embracing Life’s Limitations: Letting Go of Who You Were Supposed to Be. It is a story of growing up with bilateral hip dysplasia, living with psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, and talks about my cancer journey, months in hospice, and the incredible doctor who tried a very risky surgery that ultimately saved my life. It’s about learning to adapt to, and even embrace, our many limitations. My book is also available as a paperback and a hardcover through this link.

Dry itchy or callused feet? Use this tea tree foot soak either in a foot soaker, or just use an basin or dishpan. This tea tree oil foot soak is incredibly and just what you need for softer more comfortable feet.

These low-cut socks have a special planter fasciitis support built right into their design. I like them in white, but they are also available in black and gray. These are basically the only socks I wear anymore. They are just so comfortable.

If you have enthesitis in your wrists, or sore stiff fingers, make the switch from a computer mouse to this trackerball. It takes a couple of uses to get used to the way a trackerball works, but you move your fingers and wrists so much less with this. This tracker is available in both wired and wireless, and it comes with a padded wrist support (not pictured but included) that will hold your wrist steady while you use it. Without this trackerball, there were months I wouldn’t have been able to use my computer when my enthesitis was especially bad.

This is an automatic toothpaste dispenser. It only takes up a small space on the wall, and you can remove it from the wall easily for cleaning when needed. It doesn’t use batteries, just good old fashion gravity. It works with any basic style toothpaste. You just stick your brush into the opening and push back on a lever, and your toothbrush comes out with toothpaste on it. No more struggling to get the last of the toothpaste out of the tube.

PsA can cause it to be difficult to brush our teeth or floss them because it is too hard to grip the floss or the toothpaste tube. Our teeth can become very sensitive, and our gums can also become puffed-up and painful. Sensodyne fresh mint is my go-to toothpaste now. It also works great in the automatic toothpaste dispenser shown above.

Don’t store your body wash, conditioner and other shower items on the floor, or your shower chair, because that makes it difficult to access them. I have never seen a shelf product like this that actually sticks to the tile walls and stays there! I have been using mine for over two years now, and it is never lost grip. I will add that I don’t use the attachable hooks because they fall out, but the caddy itself is so helpful to put your shower items directly where you can get to them without bending. I also use the item that is shown as a bar soap dish, but I use this to store my silicone body scrubber that is listed early on this page. (PS If you move and have to remove it, you can buy new adhesive tabs for it on Amazon as well.

Why am I showing you suction cups with little hooks on them? Because these stick like magic on my glass shower door and allow me to hang up things like my long-handled back scrubber in my shower. The top 4 of these hooks work spectacularly. The bottom 2 of them, that have plastic hooks instead of metal tend to pop off tile or glass, so I just don’t use those two. The top 4 suction cups with hooks are worth the price!

This small device with a great grip helps you button buttons and zip zips. I lost my ability to pull zippers up and to button tiny buttons years ago. Basically, I just buy clothes that don’t have zippers or buttons, but sometimes there is something you want to wear that has them. When that happens, this button hook/zipper puller is incredibly helpful. Full disclosure here: I have found this device does not work well with the large metal buttons on jeans. So, I just buy pull on jeans, or jeans that I can button and zip, and just pull on. You may have more success with it for jeans, but I just don’t have the finger strength or flexibility to do it. It works fine on regular buttons.

I know this device looks bizarre, but it is something I use in my kitchen daily. It is an egg cracker. Because of the severity of my PsA and enthesitis in my wrists and fingers, when I try to crack an egg, one of two things happens — either I drop the egg and it breaks and makes a mess, or I slam it down on the side of the bowl with such force the entire shell crumbles and I end up with lots of eggshell in my eggs. (And who wants egg shells in their scrambled eggs?) This device, I just put an egg in it, squeeze the metal tabs, which puncture the egg, and open it up and let the inside of the egg come out, while the shell stays in the device. It is incredible! One tip — if your eggs are overly cold (mine are sometimes overly cold from the fridge) it makes it easier if you let the eggs sit on the counter for a few minutes. (If not, you just have to push harder on the metal part.)

If you like fresh citrus fruit, one of these three types of peelers will be just what you need to peel an orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit. It makes peeling oranges easy.

These foam tubes can be slipped on utensils, toothbrushes, a lady’s razor, or anything that you have trouble holding on to. The tubes are long, but are easily cut to size. If you put them on fork, knives, or spoons, these foam tubes are top rack dishwasher safe. There are so many uses for these foam tubes. They really help you grip and keep a hold of so many items.

This finger putty is the best thing out there. How is it better than other OT finger putties? You can warm this one up in the microwave, and then when you use it the warm loosens and soothes your finger while you pinch, squeeze and roll this product to improve your finger strength and dexterity. My occupational therapist told me about this, so I did a web search for it, and sure enough, I found it on Amazon! The orange color is soft, and the blue is a bit harder. You can order it by the ounce. I personally order it in the 4 oz. size. Best thing I’ve found to keep my fingers moving when they stiffen up or are painful.

Many people with PsA wear compression gloves to bed at night. But if your hands still need compression during the day, typical compression gloves are too thick, making it impossible to type, push buttons on your phone, or even sign your name. These copper compression gloves are thin but provide more compression comfort than the thick traditional gloves. I like this pair because they go up just over my elbows, and I have enthesitis in both my wrists and my elbows. (You can roll them down if you don’t need them to cover your elbows.) These are the best compression gloves I have ever found, and when my hands, wrists, forearms and elbows are painful, I can just put these on and feel the relief.

Gun Violence in Schools – There is No One Simple Solution

In case you’ve lost track:

Thurston High School

Columbine High School

Heritage High School

Deming Middle School

Fort Gibson Middle School

Buell Elementary School

Lake Worth Middle School

University of Arkansas

Junipero Serra High School

Santana High School

Bishop Neumann High School

Pacific Lutheran University

Granite Hills High School

Lew Wallace High School

Martin Luther King, Jr High School

Appalachian School of Law

Washington High School

Conception Abbey

Benjamin Tasker Middle School

University of Arizona

Lincoln High School

John McDonogh High School

Red Lion Area Junior High School

Case Western Reserve University

Rocori High School

Ballou High School

Randallstown High School

Bowen High School

Red Lake Senior High School

Harlan Community Academy High School

Campbell County High School

Milwee Middle School

Roseburg High School

Pine Middle School

Essex Elementary School

Duquesne University

Platte Canyon High School

Weston High School

West Nickel Mines School

Joplin Memorial Middle School

Henry Foss High School

Compton Centennial High School

Virginia Tech

Success Tech Academy

Miami Carol City Senior High School

Hamilton High School

Louisiana Technical College

Mitchell High School

EO Green Junior High School

Northern Illinois University

Lakota Middle School

Knoxville Central High School

Willoughby South High School

Henry Ford High School

University of Central Arkansas

Dillard High School

Dunbar High School

Hampton University

Harvard College

Larose-Cut Off Middle School

International Studies Academy

Skyline College

Discovery Middle School

University of Alabama

DeKalb School

Deer Creek Middle School

Ohio State University

Mumford High School

University of Texas

Kelly Elementary School

Marinette High School

Aurora Central High School

Millard South High School

Martinsville West Middle School

Worthing High School

Millard South High School

Highlands Intermediate School

Cape Fear High School

Chardon High School

Episcopal School of Jacksonville

Oikos University

Hamilton High School

Perry Hall School

Normal Community High School

University of South Alabama

Banner Academy South

University of Southern California

Sandy Hook Elementary School

Apostolic Revival Center Christian School

Taft Union High School

Osborn High School

Stevens Institute of Business and Arts

Hazard Community and Technical College

Chicago State University

Lone Star College-North

Cesar Chavez High School

Price Middle School

University of Central Florida

New River Community College

Grambling State University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School

Ronald E McNair Discovery Academy

North Panola High School

Carver High School

Agape Christian Academy

Sparks Middle School

North Carolina A&T State University

Stephenson High School

Brashear High School

West Orange High School

Arapahoe High School

Edison High School

Liberty Technology Magnet High School

Hillhouse High School

Berrendo Middle School

Purdue University

South Carolina State University

Los Angeles Valley College

Charles F Brush High School

University of Southern California

Georgia Regents University

Academy of Knowledge Preschool

Benjamin Banneker High School

D H Conley High School

East English Village Preparatory Academy

Paine College

Georgia Gwinnett College

John F Kennedy High School

Seattle Pacific University

Reynolds High School

Indiana State University

Albemarle High School

Fern Creek Traditional High School

Langston Hughes High School

Marysville Pilchuck High School

Florida State University

Miami Carol City High School

Rogers State University

Rosemary Anderson High School

Wisconsin Lutheran High School

Frederick High School

Tenaya Middle School

Bethune-Cookman University

Pershing Elementary School

Wayne Community College

JB Martin Middle School

Southwestern Classical Academy

Savannah State University

Harrisburg High School

Umpqua Community College

Northern Arizona University

Texas Southern University

Tennessee State University

Winston-Salem State University

Mojave High School

Lawrence Central High School

Franklin High School

Muskegon Heights High School

Independence High School

Madison High School

Antigo High School

University of California-Los Angeles

Jeremiah Burke High School

Alpine High School

Townville Elementary School

Vigor High School

Linden McKinley STEM Academy

June Jordan High School for Equity

Union Middle School

Mueller Park Junior High School

West Liberty-Salem High School

University of Washington

King City High School

North Park Elementary School

North Lake College

Freeman High School

Mattoon High School

Rancho Tehama Elementary School

Aztec High School

Wake Forest University

Italy High School

NET Charter High School

Marshall County High School

Sal Castro Middle School

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

Great Mills High School

Central Michigan University

Huffman High School

Frederick Douglass High School

Forest High School

Highland High School

Dixon High School

Santa Fe High School

Noblesville West Middle School

University of North Carolina Charlotte

STEM School Highlands Ranch

Edgewood High School

Palm Beach Central High School

Providence Career & Technical Academy

Fairley High School (school bus)

Canyon Springs High School

Dennis Intermediate School

Florida International University

Central Elementary School

Cascade Middle School

Davidson High School

Prairie View A & M University

Altascocita High School

Central Academy of Excellence

Cleveland High School

Robert E Lee High School

Cheyenne South High School

Grambling State University

Blountsville Elementary School

Holmes County, Mississippi (school bus)

Prescott High School

College of the Mainland

Wynbrooke Elementary School

UNC Charlotte

Riverview Florida (school bus)

Second Chance High School

Carman-Ainsworth High School

Williwaw Elementary School

Monroe Clark Middle School

Central Catholic High School

Jeanette High School

Eastern Hills High School

DeAnza High School

Ridgway High School

Reginald F Lewis High School

Saugus High School

Pleasantville High School

Waukesha South High School

Oshkosh High School

Catholic Academy of New Haven

Bellaire High School

North Crowley High School

McAuliffe Elementary School

South Oak Cliff High School

Texas A&M University-Commerce

Sonora High School

Western Illinois University

Oxford High School

Robb Elementary SchoolThurston High School

Columbine High School

Heritage High School

Deming Middle School

Fort Gibson Middle School

Buell Elementary School

Lake Worth Middle School

University of Arkansas

Junipero Serra High School

Santana High School

Bishop Neumann High School

Pacific Lutheran University

Granite Hills High School

Lew Wallace High School

Martin Luther King, Jr High School

Appalachian School of Law

Washington High School

Conception Abbey

Benjamin Tasker Middle School

University of Arizona

Lincoln High School

John McDonogh High School

Red Lion Area Junior High School

Case Western Reserve University

Rocori High School

Ballou High School

Randallstown High School

Bowen High School

Red Lake Senior High School

Harlan Community Academy High School

Campbell County High School

Milwee Middle School

Roseburg High School

Pine Middle School

Essex Elementary School

Duquesne University

Platte Canyon High School

Weston High School

West Nickel Mines School

Joplin Memorial Middle School

Henry Foss High School

Compton Centennial High School

Virginia Tech

Success Tech Academy

Miami Carol City Senior High School

Hamilton High School

Louisiana Technical College

Mitchell High School

EO Green Junior High School

Northern Illinois University

Lakota Middle School

Knoxville Central High School

Willoughby South High School

Henry Ford High School

University of Central Arkansas

Dillard High School

Dunbar High School

Hampton University

Harvard College

Larose-Cut Off Middle School

International Studies Academy

Skyline College

Discovery Middle School

University of Alabama

DeKalb School

Deer Creek Middle School

Ohio State University

Mumford High School

University of Texas

Kelly Elementary School

Marinette High School

Aurora Central High School

Millard South High School

Martinsville West Middle School

Worthing High School

Millard South High School

Highlands Intermediate School

Cape Fear High School

Chardon High School

Episcopal School of Jacksonville

Oikos University

Hamilton High School

Perry Hall School

Normal Community High School

University of South Alabama

Banner Academy South

University of Southern California

Sandy Hook Elementary School

Apostolic Revival Center Christian School

Taft Union High School

Osborn High School

Stevens Institute of Business and Arts

Hazard Community and Technical College

Chicago State University

Lone Star College-North

Cesar Chavez High School

Price Middle School

University of Central Florida

New River Community College

Grambling State University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School

Ronald E McNair Discovery Academy

North Panola High School

Carver High School

Agape Christian Academy

Sparks Middle School

North Carolina A&T State University

Stephenson High School

Brashear High School

West Orange High School

Arapahoe High School

Edison High School

Liberty Technology Magnet High School

Hillhouse High School

Berrendo Middle School

Purdue University

South Carolina State University

Los Angeles Valley College

Charles F Brush High School

University of Southern California

Georgia Regents University

Academy of Knowledge Preschool

Benjamin Banneker High School

D H Conley High School

East English Village Preparatory Academy

Paine College

Georgia Gwinnett College

John F Kennedy High School

Seattle Pacific University

Reynolds High School

Indiana State University

Albemarle High School

Fern Creek Traditional High School

Langston Hughes High School

Marysville Pilchuck High School

Florida State University

Miami Carol City High School

Rogers State University

Rosemary Anderson High School

Wisconsin Lutheran High School

Frederick High School

Tenaya Middle School

Bethune-Cookman University

Pershing Elementary School

Wayne Community College

JB Martin Middle School

Southwestern Classical Academy

Savannah State University

Harrisburg High School

Umpqua Community College

Northern Arizona University

Texas Southern University

Tennessee State University

Winston-Salem State University

Mojave High School

Lawrence Central High School

Franklin High School

Muskegon Heights High School

Independence High School

Madison High School

Antigo High School

University of California-Los Angeles

Jeremiah Burke High School

Alpine High School

Townville Elementary School

Vigor High School

Linden McKinley STEM Academy

June Jordan High School for Equity

Union Middle School

Mueller Park Junior High School

West Liberty-Salem High School

University of Washington

King City High School

North Park Elementary School

North Lake College

Freeman High School

Mattoon High School

Rancho Tehama Elementary School

Aztec High School

Wake Forest University

Italy High School

NET Charter High School

Marshall County High School

Sal Castro Middle School

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

Great Mills High School

Central Michigan University

Huffman High School

Frederick Douglass High School

Forest High School

Highland High School

Dixon High School

Santa Fe High School

Noblesville West Middle School

University of North Carolina Charlotte

STEM School Highlands Ranch

Edgewood High School

Palm Beach Central High School

Providence Career & Technical Academy

Fairley High School (school bus)

Canyon Springs High School

Dennis Intermediate School

Florida International University

Central Elementary School

Cascade Middle School

Davidson High School

Prairie View A & M University

Altascocita High School

Central Academy of Excellence

Cleveland High School

Robert E Lee High School

Cheyenne South High School

Grambling State University

Blountsville Elementary School

Holmes County, Mississippi (school bus)

Prescott High School

College of the Mainland

Wynbrooke Elementary School

UNC Charlotte

Riverview Florida (school bus)

Second Chance High School

Carman-Ainsworth High School

Williwaw Elementary School

Monroe Clark Middle School

Central Catholic High School

Jeanette High School

Eastern Hills High School

DeAnza High School

Ridgway High School

Reginald F Lewis High School

Saugus High School

Pleasantville High School

Conniston Middle School

Waukesha South High School

Oshkosh High School

Catholic Academy of New Haven

Bellaire High School

North Crowley High School

McAuliffe Elementary School

South Oak Cliff High School

Texas A&M University-Commerce

Sonora High School

Western Illinois University

Oxford High School

Bridgewater University

Robb Elementary School

Michigan State University

Covenant Christian School

This list seems endless! The one thing each of these schools have in common is a child/young person with emotional problems or mental illness got a hold of weapons and did the unthinkable — killed other people — most of them other children or young adults.

I can tell you, as a former teacher, young people with emotional problems, mental illness, uncontrolled rage (which is a mental illness) or reactive behavior are not helped in schools. They are either lost in the shuffle or given an IEP (individualized education plan) and placed in a “general ed” class, possibly with 10 or more other students also with such issues, and 20 or more students who are frustrated with their inability to learn because these students are placed into regular ed classrooms that are not given the support and resources they need.

General ed teachers are overwhelmed by this — wouldn’t you be? They are teachers, surrounded by students with undiagnosed, underdiagnosed, or “accommodated” mental health issues, in overcrowded classrooms, with very little assistance, limited training, and no time for dealing with these students, and school counselors (if the school even has them) who may have a caseload of 500 students! Schools can’t be “everything” — or they are so busy trying to be everything that the majority fall between the cracks.

Something has to be done if this many children feel isolated and ostracized enough to become school annihilators. Something has to be done if so many children with emotional problems and mental illness are plopped into regular ed classrooms without the support and assistance they need. Something has to be done when school counselors have such huge caseloads that they can’t get to the students who really need them. And just putting more responsibility on schools, without providing the staff, infrastructure, resources, and funding they need to do anything about it is not the answer either.

I also have to say this — it is indecent that in our society that so many children and young people find access to guns, and guns with rapid-fire capabilities, and no one in their lives even notices!

It boggles my mind when I see a parent on the news who had no idea their 6-year-old child has been carrying around the parents’ legally purchased loaded gun to school, and that they shot a teacher with it. It boggles my mind that a high school student can get access to and store 4 or 5 rapid fire assault rifles, ammo, and protective vests, and no one in their family is even aware of it.

We have to step up as a society and realize the problem isn’t just guns. It isn’t just lack of mental health options. It isn’t just school overcrowding and mainstreaming that is not being done properly. It isn’t just parents who are not present in their child’s life, or those who do not actively parent at all. It isn’t just classrooms where the aggressive and emotionally reactive kids outnumber the “behavior-typical” students, or where classes are so overcrowded and counselors are so unavailable that students are bullied, feel unwanted, and want revenge, or feel they are a “nobody” with nothing to lose who think mass murder of other children is a great way to “prove” they are not “nothing.” It is such a combination of things. There is no one simple thing that will instantly fix this ongoing tragedy in American culture. We, as a nation, are failing our most vulnerable kids in so many areas. We are all looking for a quick fix, when this problem is systemic of so many overlapping and interlocking issues.

Products That Make Life Easier with Hip Dysplasia or Hip Replacements

Hip dysplasia, and the inevitable total hip replacements that go along with hip dysplasia, cause some very unique issues, especially with self-care and comfort. Here are some items I personally recommended that can help make your life so much easier.

By means of full disclosure, I may earn a small commission from Amazon for links to any products or services from this website. I also want to add that, as a person with bilateral hip dysplasia, and having bilateral hip replacements for 25+ years, I have purchased and/or used each of the products I am recommending.

Never struggle to shave your legs again! These were developed for women when they are pregnant (and some are even advertised for men to use to shave their backs) but the long-handled razor is perfect for people with hip dysplasia or who have hip replacements. No more struggling, straining, and twisting like a pretzel to get smooth, silky legs.

If you are going to sleep on your side with hip dysplasia, or even more importantly, after a hip replacement, you need a knee pillow to keep you hips safe as you side sleep. I have had at least six different kinds of these, and this one is the best by far. The memory foam holds its shape while staying comfortable. I recommend you get it in the gray color — because the white color always turns ivory with age, and looks icky, even when it isn’t. A knee pillow for people with hip dysplasia or replacements is essential.

You may look at this and think, “It’s a back scrubber. I can manage that.” But what this Silicone brush is best for is scrubbing your legs and feet! The silicon bristles are soft and pliable, so they won’t scratch your skin. Unlike loofahs, natural fiber bristle brushes, and scrunchie puffs on a stick, this brush rinses clean with no worries of mold, mildew, or any other “yucky” stuff. This silicone brush stays clean, and dries on its own. I put a suction cup with a small hook on my glass shower doors, and just hang it up when I’m finished.

Of course, a grabber (or reacher) is always essential for members of the hip dysplasia club, this particular one folds in half so you can fit it in a suitcase, bookbag, or a really large purse. I find it is fabulous to have this for traveling, going to doctors appointments or imaging where you have to change into a gown, or just to keep in your car or office. You never know when you’ll need it!

This is my favorite sock aid (I call it my sockerator!) It has white terry cloth on the outside, and smooth blue vinyl-type fabric on the inside, so the sock stays on the terry cloth, and your foot slips in easily. I especially like that it is lightweight, you can curl it up to fit in a suitcase or bookbag, and it has loops on the end of the strap for those of us who don’t have a good grip. I will tell you, if you use this daily, you do have to replace it every few years, but it is totally worth it.

If you have trouble reach down and getting between your toes, this handled foot and toe cleaner is tops! The soft yellow sponge easily pushes between each toe, to keep them squeaky clean.

This is the best lotion applicator I have ever had (and I’ve bought many of them in my time, only to find they are unwieldy.) You put the lotion of the roller, and you can use it on your back, your backside, your legs (front and back), and even your hard-to-reach feet. It also works well with creams. It even comes with two washable replacement rollers. I’ve had mine for years, and I’ve never even had to replace the roller cover once.

I know what you are going to say. “I need a heavy-duty metal long-handled shoehorn.” I beg to differ. Metal long-handled shoehorns are slippery, easy to drop, and hard to hold on to. They are also heavy in your hand and not the least bit flexible. What you really need is a lighter weight, plastic shoehorn, and this one folds so you can take it with you on vacation, or store it away in your drawer.

There are dozens of kinds of seat cushions on Amazon that say they help keep you comfortable when you have a job that requires sitting most of the day (or if you are just always at the computer, like me.) I’ve tried 5 different kinds of cushions, and 4 of them fell short. The Cushon Lab seat cushion is the only one that allows me to sit for long periods of time without becoming stiff or painful. I realize they are a bit expensive, but which would you prefer – spending your money on a cushion that doesn’t really help and then not using it, or buying the best? (I have two of these in my home.)

If you are getting the Cushion Lab seat cushion, you may want to also get the Cushion Lab back cushion. (I have two of these at home as well.) They provide incredible back support, and when paired with the Cushion Lab seat cushion, they can make any desk chair into the most incredibly comfortable desk chair. It has a strap that goes around the chair to hold it in place. They have different colors. The Cushion Lab seat cushion, back support combo provides supreme comfort.

With hip dysplasia or hip replacements, being intimate with your partner can seem daunting. As osteoarthritis sets in as we age, it can become even more difficult to find comfortable ways to enjoy intimacy. This straightforward book can help you find ways to enjoy intimacy again even with painful or replaced hips. Let’s face it — hip dysplasia is notorious for limiting our abduction, adduction, pelvic strength, and flexibility. This book has the answers you never dared ask.

Here’s a link to my first book, Embracing Life’s Limitations: Letting Go of Who You Were Supposed to Be. It is a story of growing up with bilateral hip dysplasia, and learning to adapt to, and even embrace, its many limitations. My book is also available as a paperback and a hardcover through this link.