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Tag: flares

  • The 10 Best Flare Jeans For Petite Women

    The 10 Best Flare Jeans For Petite Women

    As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

    Much like swimsuit or bra shopping, searching for a new pair of jeans can quickly turn into an intimidating task. There are so many different factors to consider with regard to material, length, down to even the fit of a style on the waist. And for shorter women, that task can prove to be even more complicated with the added headache of the “standard” inseam.

    Typically, inseams are around 30 inches for traditional pairs of jeans, which means that if you’re on the taller side you’ll want to consider something longer than that — and vice versa, if you’re on the shorter side, your best bet will be to look for something that falls well below that length (ideally in the range of 25 inches to 27 inches, dependent on your exact height).

    We know that jean shopping can be a serious struggle, especially if you don’t know where to start. And since it’s no secret that the 70s-inspired and figure-flattering flare is a must have this fall, we decided to shop out the best flare jeans for petites — because petite women shouldn’t be left on the margins of this trend.

    Read on to learn which brands offer the best petite flare jeans in chic proportions.

    — Additional reporting by Kyley Warren

    Sarah Tooker

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  • Balancing the Good With the Bad

    Balancing the Good With the Bad

    By Stefani Shea-Akers, as told to Keri Wiginton

    In 2013, when I was an English professor at a community college, teaching became difficult. I struggled to speak during class. I had some general weakness and trouble breathing. I had to drive between classes because I could no longer walk between them.

    I told a nurse practitioner about my mobility issues, but she brushed me off. I was probably imagining things, she told me. But I knew these symptoms weren’t normal. Most 32-year-olds don’t need a cane, walker, or wheelchair to get around.

    My “imaginary” problems progressed quickly. And the following year, after a lot more tests, a doctor diagnosed me with myasthenia gravis (MG).  

    The Good and Bad of Life After MG

    I was a bit of a workaholic in my former life. Things are completely different now. I had to stop teaching because my symptoms are so serious. I’m 40 now, but I lost my academic career in my 30s.

    MG also took much of my independence and some of my hobbies. I used to write my own songs. But I can’t sing them anymore. Losing all that, and more, has been devastating.

    Yet I’ve learned a deep lesson of gratitude. I find joy wherever I can. I know I never would’ve done that if I didn’t have this disease.

    Now I try to savor moments every day. Sometimes I sit in my yard, just watching the birds and leaves. It’s a good form of mindfulness. I started painting again — I never had spare time for my art when I worked a lot.

    And I still love music. I play the piano and keep up my vinyl collection.

    Plus, I tap into my research and writing background. I use those skills to raise awareness about MG and share stories about my journey through chronic illness.

    I also have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, an autonomic nervous system disorder. And I advocate online for the dysautonomia, MG, and rare disease communities.

    How Do I Have Fun?

    I’ll save my energy to play the piano, paint, or do something creative. Sometimes my husband and I will go for walks outside, and I’ll use my power chair. And like everyone else, I enjoy spending time with friends and family.

    When I have to do something overwhelming — I have a lot of medical appointments, tests, and infusions — I plan a reward for myself after. It’s a lot easier to get through the hard parts of my illness when I have something to look forward to.

    My reward can be something small, like watching a movie, buying a new album from a favorite artist, or eating something I enjoy. I’m a chocolate lover. But when I have to travel for appointments, my husband and I will plan what take-out food we’ll get. That makes it feel a little more fun.

    What Treatments Help My MG Symptoms?

    I take meds throughout the day, including an immunosuppressant. I also get IVIg infusions every week, a treatment that affects my antibodies in a way that helps my immune system.

    Every day I use a BiPap (bilevel positive airway pressure) machine to help me breathe.

    I also had a thymectomy in early September. That’s a surgery to remove the thymus gland. This procedure may help ease symptoms for some people with MG. It’s not right for everyone, but my doctor and I decided it’s my best chance for long-term improvement.

    When I’m not recovering from surgery, I try to stay active and build up my strength. Right now, I’m working on walking longer distances. I do short walks inside my house or outdoors nearly every day. I also stretch regularly, which helps manage some of my chronic pain from injuries.

    What Are My Other Strategies to Manage MG?

    I follow a pretty strict routine each day. I try to eat my meals at the same time. That helps me stay on track with my treatment schedule — it’s essential to take my medication and infusion at the right time.

    If I have to make a call, I’ll schedule it in the morning and plan to rest afterward. But I have to be careful about how much I speak. Talking, especially on the phone, can make my weakness worse very fast. Respiratory problems are a big issue for me.

    Sometimes I can’t fully recover if I push myself too hard. So it’s second nature for me to take breaks throughout the day. But it’s not possible to avoid my triggers all the time. That includes stress and overexertion.

    I’ll go into survival mode when I feel like I’m on the verge of a serious flare. I do what I call “militant” resting — I seriously limit how much I speak and move. I’ll stay on my BiPap. I may have to get my IVIg infusion earlier than usual to avoid a hospitalization.

    How Do I Get Support?

    My husband is my caregiver and has been for the last 6 years. He helps me with lots of things. I haven’t been able to drive in many years, so I often rely on him to go places. And he does all the cooking and a vast majority of the cleaning.

    But he has a full-time job, and I know he gets tired. We try to make sure he gets breaks, too.

    I’m also grateful for my family and friends who offer their support.

    I’d never heard of MG when I was diagnosed. And I’m guessing most other people haven’t either. It brings me joy when someone tells me they’ve researched my condition or treatment. I know it means they’ll have a better understanding of what my life is really like.  

    You have MG. Now What?

    A rare disease diagnosis can be the beginning of a new life. It’s OK to grieve what you’ve lost. But prepare yourself for the changes ahead. How will you accomplish everyday tasks? How will you manage your schedule?

    It’s important to pace yourself. Plan for appointments and treatments. Schedule some recovery time after each task.

    You may have to reframe how you think about rest. You aren’t being lazy. Breaks aren’t wasted time. Your body and mind need them, especially if you want to avoid flares.

    Chronic illness can feel like a marathon. There may not be a finish line, and you may not be able to make it through the way you did before. But give yourself time and space to adapt to your new body and life. 

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  • What Everyday Life Is Like With MG

    What Everyday Life Is Like With MG

    By Alexandria Edwards, as told to Keri Wiginton

    I have severe, refractory MG. I’m 25 now. But my symptoms started when I was 15. I was at school, and my speech started to slur. My legs collapsed. I felt really weak. They thought maybe I had a stroke. One doctor guessed it might be migraines.

    I actually had myasthenia gravis. But I didn’t learn about my condition, or get the right treatment, until several years later.

    How Was I Diagnosed With Myasthenia Gravis (MG)?

    My MG symptoms came and went all through my late teens and early 20s. I dealt with episodes of slurred speech, droopy eyes, double vision, and muscle weakness. I would drop things randomly or fall down. I thought I was just clumsy.

    Things got a lot worse when I was 22. I started to have trouble chewing, swallowing, and breathing. One time my voice completely disappeared. I went to the emergency room, but no one knew what was going on. They told me to follow up with my regular doctor.

    My primary care physician (PCP) suspected MG, but my antibody tests came up negative at the time. I left without clear answers.

    A month later, I ended up back in the hospital.

    It was the day after Thanksgiving. I went to the bathroom and got stuck on the toilet. My legs wouldn’t work. I struggled to breathe. My head dropped, and the slurred speech came back. I had full body weakness.

    My family rushed me to the ER. We learned I was in a myasthenia gravis exacerbation. I started taking a low dose of a drug that helps nerves communicate with muscles. They also put me on a steroid that suppresses my immune system.

    I thought everything would be fine after that. But no one explained how I needed to change my daily life to live with MG. Over the next year, there were more trips to the ER. I even went into respiratory failure and had my first MG crisis.

    But eventually, I found good neuromuscular specialists who’ve helped me form a long-term plan.

    What Do My Mornings Look Like?

    I wake up at 8 a.m. and take my first dose of medication. I can’t get out of bed and function without it. I lay in bed for about an hour while I wait for it to kick in. Then I’ll get up and make myself coffee and breakfast. I love french fries and eggs Benedict with a side of hash browns. 

    I’ll take the rest of my pills when I eat. They include another drug that suppresses my immune system. 

    After breakfast, I’ll get dressed. That can be tiring. I’ll need to rest after. When I feel up to it, I’ll watch my 5-month-old niece so my mom can make her breakfast. My niece weighs 15 pounds, so I can’t hold her for very long. But I play with her the best I can.

    I like to take a walk outside sometime in the morning, maybe to the mailbox. But only if it’s cool enough. My symptoms flare in the heat.

    Then I’ll take some time to go on Facebook and check MG community groups. I like to offer helpful advice when I can. For example, people may have problems getting diagnosed or trouble with their IVIg treatment. That’s an infusion I get through a vein in my arm. It affects how my antibodies work.

    What Is My Afternoon Schedule?

    I take my medication every 3 1/2 hours, which means it’s time for the second dose around 11:30 a.m. Then I eat lunch. I’ll make it myself if I’m not too tired. If I’m not up for it, my mom will help. My energy depends on where I’m at in my IVIg cycle.

    On a good day, I can eat pretty much whatever I want. But that doesn’t include really crunchy things. And big burgers or tough steaks aren’t a part of my meal plan.

    But sometimes I can’t swallow very well. On those days I’ll make soup or something soft. Or I’ll cut everything up into really small pieces.

    If I can’t swallow at all — that happens about once a day — I’ll get all of my nutrition and meds through a feeding tube. I had one surgically put in through my stomach. I need it because even with treatment, the swallow issue has never fully resolved.

    I might go shopping in the afternoon. If I do, I’ll bring my walker. I can walk short distances without a break, like to the mailbox, but I can’t stroll around a grocery store for a long time without some help.

    And if I have to go to something like an all-day graduation ceremony, I’ll take my wheelchair.

    Where Do I Spend My Time?

    I’m at home a lot, but there’s plenty for me to do. I’m very close with my family. We do a lot of different things together. We watch TV, play board games, or play video games.

    Plus, I help care for my niece; babies take up a lot of time.

    My days aren’t spent at a job. But I did go to cosmetology school before my symptoms got really bad. I’m big into skin care and self-care. I like to experiment with hair and face treatments. I do that for my mom, too. That’s my love language and one way I show her appreciation.

    What Tips and Tools Are Helpful for Living With MG?

    I modify a lot of my daily tasks. But I’m good at adapting.

    Take cooking, for example. It’s fun, and I use it as a creative outlet. But it helps to make meals in stages. I’ll do the prep and put everything in the fridge. The actual cooking comes later, and I’ll lean on my walker or rest in a chair by the stove.

    Then there’s bathing. I think most people jump in the shower and think nothing of it. But it’s not that simple for me. It takes a lot of energy to get clean.

    But I find showers really relaxing, especially if I’m feeling stressed or down. My shower chair has made all the difference. Before, I had to sit in the tub and ask for help when I needed to get out.

    If you have MG, don’t be afraid to get tools that’ll help you get through your day.

    These things aren’t a sign you’re giving up. You’re just taking control of your life to make things a little easier.

    Every Day Is Different

    I have a flare-up quite often. While every part of my treatment plays a role in keeping me well, medication hasn’t cured my disease.

    I may always need to bookend activities with breaks. But it’s a good day whenever I can move around and get things done. On a bad day, I’m completely bedbound. Serious flares like that usually don’t get better until I get my infusions. I’m very lucky to get those at home about every 2 weeks.

    MG is a serious illness. But don’t assume we can’t take part in fun things. Invite us out. We may feel well enough to go. I know I appreciate the choice of whether to say yes or no. Sometimes I may surprise you.

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  • Should You Stay or Go? When to Change Treatments

    Should You Stay or Go? When to Change Treatments

    Treating psoriatic arthritis (PsA) isn’t like treating strep throat. You don’t just take one medicine for a few days and feel better. PsA is a complex, chronic disease that stays with you and affects many parts of your body — skin, joints, nails, heart, and lungs.

    Many medications slow PsA and relieve symptoms, but the first treatment you try won’t always be the right one for you.

    “There is no one-size-fits-all, and there is no one medication for psoriatic arthritis,” says Saakshi Khattri, MD, assistant professor of dermatology and rheumatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. “So often there are patients who do not respond to their medication.”

    There are a couple of reasons you might need to switch to a new treatment, says Ethan Craig, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and rheumatologist at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia.

    “One is intolerance — the patient has a side effect of some sort. The second is ineffectiveness. Either the medication doesn’t work in the first place, or it works for a period of time and then it stops working,” he says.

    When your medicine doesn’t tame your symptoms, it’s time to regroup with your rheumatologist or dermatologist and talk about other treatment options.

    Signs That It’s Time to Change

    The clearest signs that you need a medication switch is a new flare-up of symptoms.

    Worsening joint pain and stiffness, increased fatigue, and sudden trouble doing activities that were easy for you are some of the most obvious symptoms. More subtle signs like difficulty sleeping and mood changes also suggest the medication you’re on isn’t controlling your PsA well enough.

    If you’ve just started on a treatment, you do need to give it time. 

    Sometimes you can have a partial response — maybe the swelling comes down in some of your joints but not in others. Then your doctor might suggest that you wait it out for 4 to 6 months to give the drug more time to work. During that time, steroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help bridge the gap until your medication kicks in.

    Once you’ve been on a treatment for several months with no improvement, or if you’re no longer getting relief from a drug you’ve been taking for a while, “that’s often an indication that we need to think about switching things up,” Craig says.

    Advice for Switching Meds

    PsA treatment comes in many forms. Often anti-inflammatories and conventional disease modifying drugs are used (DMARDS). Biologic DMARDS are also often used; they target different pathways in the immune system. There are other options for treatment as well, including targeted synthetic DMARDS and newer oral agents.

    Your doctor will take a few factors into consideration when recommending your next step, including:

    Your symptoms. PsA causes a variety of symptoms. Your choice of medication may hinge on the type of symptoms you have, how much they bother you, and which drug targets them best.

    For example, one of Craig’s patients worked at a ticket window. “Because he had to hand out tickets, he was very self-conscious about the appearance of his nails,” Craig says. “He was willing to be on a drug that helped his nails, even if it didn’t help his arthritis.”

    The drug’s side effects. Each type of medication comes with a set of side effects, which you need to balance against its benefits. For example, methotrexate can irritate your stomach, while biologics increase the risk for infections. It’s important to think about which side effects you can tolerate and which ones you definitely don’t want.

    How you take the drug. Many PsA meds come as an infusion or an injection. If you’re not a fan of needles, you might prefer a pill.

    What other conditions you have. Methotrexate can damage your liver. NSAIDs are linked to heart problems. So if you already have liver or heart disease, these medications may not be safe for you.

    Your insurance coverage. Ultimately, your insurance company could decide which treatment you get next. “The sad fact of the matter is that our choice of medication is often substantially constrained by insurance approval,” Craig says.

    Some insurance companies will expect you to try a certain drug first and prove it doesn’t work before they’ll let you switch to the medication that you and your doctor want to use.

    How to Ask Your Doctor for a New Treatment

    You might already see your doctor every 3 to 4 months if you take medication. During those visits, the doctor can examine your joints, do imaging tests, and check your lab test results to see whether your PsA is under good control.

    But tests don’t always tell the whole story. Your point of view is important, too. Let the doctor know if you’re having any problems with your medications, including side effects or breakthrough symptoms.

    If you’re not due for a visit yet, call the office or send your doctor an email about your concerns through the patient portal.

    Don’t be afraid to speak up. “A lot of patients are hesitant. They don’t want to take up the doctor’s time,” Craig says. “It’s helpful for us if they come in. I hate to see someone suffer for months. And it’s often easier to intervene earlier in the course of the disease, when things are less active.”

    If your doctor isn’t on board with you switching medications, don’t be afraid to push back to get on the right treatment. “Sometimes it’s a matter of miscommunication,” he adds. “We need to be on the same page as to what the expectations are, what we’re treating, and what effect we expect.”

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  • Reducing the Impact of MS Relapses

    Reducing the Impact of MS Relapses

    If you have a relapsing form of MS, the most important thing is early treatment with an effective disease-modifying therapy (DMT).

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