Author: Mariah Z Leach

September 7 is Still’s Disease Awareness Day, a global awareness day dedicated to increasing understanding of Still’s disease and recognizing the people and families whose lives are impacted by this rare autoinflammatory disease. Still’s disease is an umbrella term that includes both systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) and adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD). Although historically described as separate conditions based on age of onset, they are increasingly understood as part of the same disease continuum. Still’s disease can affect the entire body, with symptoms that may include high, spiking fevers, rash, joint inflammation, fatigue, muscle pain, and inflammation affecting internal organs. Still’s Disease Awareness…

Sometimes kids need help understanding chronic illness and disability, as well as recognizing and processing their own feelings. We hope these topics are an ongoing discussion in your family, and we love to review children’s books that may help you along the way! The Invisible String by Patrice Karst Mamas Facing Forward purchased a copy of this book to review, and then gave it away in a raffle on Instagram. All opinions in this review belong to Mariah Z. Leach. The twins are sleeping in their bedroom when suddenly there is a loud clap of thunder! Frightened by the storm,…

Breaking out of summer habits and getting back into the routine of school can be stressful for any family – but this period of time can be especially difficult for parents who are dealing with their own health challenges. We asked real mamas living with chronic illnesses to share their best tips and hacks for staying organized and managing back to school stress, while also taking care of their own health. Back to School Shopping “Order everything online! I only let my kids…pick out one new thing (usually a pencil bag or something) as they reuse their bags for several…

I was delighted to be invited back to co-host the AiArthritis Voices 360 podcast with Cheryl Crow of Arthritis Life and Danielle Dass, a regular co-host on the show. This podcast is produced by the International Foundation for Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Arthritis (IFAA) with the goal of inviting all stakeholders to take a seat “at the table” to discuss the most pressing issues being faced in the arthritis community. One important issues for many individuals living with autoimmune arthritis is motherhood. And there are so many issues to discuss that fall under that umbrella! The path to pregnancy. Managing pregnancy…

Mamas! I’m not sure why it took me so long to write this book review! I read this book quite a while ago (and have since gone back for a re-read!) and I can honestly say that it has made a huge difference in how my husband and I manage the load of caring for our busy household. It’s high time that I share my thoughts with you! We all know that running a household and parenting kids requires endless emotional, mental, and physical effort. Unfortunately, without an explicit negotiation of how the workload should be split, research shows that…

While the impact of living with chronic illness, chronic fatigue, or chronic pain on a person’s sex life may seem pretty obvious, I’ve always been surprised and frustrated by how few stories and resources there are out there to help patients deal with this sensitive topic. It’s the reason that I started writing about my own sex life on the internet years ago – I want people struggling with these issues to know that they are not alone. Of course, that’s not to say that my husband and I have sex and intimacy all figured out. With our own jobs,…

Missed the beginning of this series? Click here for Strategy #1 and Strategy #2! I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at the age of 25, and by far the biggest challenge I have faced since my diagnosis has been in becoming a mom. Today I have three children – ages 9, 7, and 3 – and all three of my pregnancies took place after being diagnosed with RA. Because there wasn’t as much data available ten years ago, my first pregnancy was completely unmedicated, the postpartum flare made infant care extremely difficult, and I was advised to stop breastfeeding…

Missed the beginning of this series? Click here for Strategy #1! I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at the age of 25, and by far the biggest challenge I have faced since my diagnosis has been in becoming a mom. Today I have three children – ages 13, 11, and 8 – and all three of my pregnancies took place after being diagnosed with RA. Because there wasn’t as much data available ten years ago, my first pregnancy was completely unmedicated, the postpartum flare made infant care extremely difficult, and I was advised to stop breastfeeding to restart medication.…

I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at the age of 25, and by far the biggest challenge I have faced since my diagnosis has been in becoming a mom. Today I have three children – ages 13, 11, and 8 – and all three of my pregnancies took place after being diagnosed with RA. Because there wasn’t as much data available ten years ago, my first pregnancy was completely unmedicated, the postpartum flare made infant care extremely difficult, and I was advised to stop breastfeeding to restart medication. Fast forward to my third pregnancy: I was able to stay…

Mamas Facing Forward Stay Home Summer Camp was a project I first developed during the isolated summer of 2020. For each theme I provide a menu of options to choose from, including: virtual learning resources, easy craft & snack ideas, simple activities, books, and movies/TV to watch. Trust me, whether you do it for a full week or just for a day, there’s something magical about doing a few activities that all share the same theme. In fact, my kids kept requesting “Stay Home Camp” even when we went back to regular summer camp and vacations. I’ve also added “field…