Into my 8th year of patient advocacy and my 11th year of being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. 2025 brought a lot of changes, some good, and some bad and was definitely one of my most challenging years for me in multiple ways. This year of patient advocacy and content creation I have seen myself grow over this past year. I got to do some things I am really proud of and built relationships where I can make an impact, especially when going through a rollercoaster of a year myself.
I am grateful for patient advocacy, because when darkness enters my life, advocacy brings in a little light to help me find my way through the darkness.
Content Focus: Building Trustworthy, Patient-Centered Resources
Launching Rheumer Has It
One of the most meaningful milestones this year for me was launching my podcast, Rheumer Has It with co-host Cheryl Crow from The Arthritis Life. I had a vision for this podcast for a while, but executing it seemed overwhelming while tackling my own health issues and focusing on other areas of advocacy and content creation. I am incredibly grateful for Cheryl who let me partner with her on her existing platform, teach me new skills and share a similar vision as I do.
In my participation in arthritis research since 2018 I have noticed many times when researchers ask the question “How do we get this information out there to the public who needs to hear it” . This inspired me to find ways I can help spread the credible information that these researchers I meet discover.
The podcast was created to bridge the gap between lived experience and clinical expertise—bringing patients, clinicians, and researchers into honest conversations about life with rheumatic disease.
In 2025 we launched 12 episodes and more to come in 2026:
- Introducing Rheumer Has It: Busting Myths and Highlighting Evidence for Rheumatic Diseases
- Arthritis Myths, Stigmas, and Misconceptions
- Busting Medication Myths with Dr. Hazelwood
- 6 Types of Unsolicited Advice and How We Respond
- Tips for Sleep, with Dr. Deb Da Costa
- Separating Myth from Reality for Nutrition and Rheumatic Disease
- Axial Spondyloarthritis Myths v. Facts with Dr. Jean Liew
- Remission Myths and Misconceptions, with Dr. Loreto Carmona
- How to Spot Misinformation Online
- Vaccines and Rheumatic Disease, with Dr Cuoghi Edens
- Our Most Exciting Takeaways from the ACR 2025 Rheumatology Conference
- The Science of Exercise & RA with Dr. Brian Andonian
Discover all Rheumer Has It episodes and more information:
The Rheum List
Another major focus was creating The Rheum List, an ongoing project dedicated to curating credible, evidence-based rheumatology resource lists for my community to easily find the information they are looking for. In a digital landscape crowded with misinformation, this resource exists so patients can explore content confidently and knowing what they’re reading, watching, or listening to is accurate and trustworthy.
I recommend these resources based on my experience as an advocate and patient partner in research, and the relationships with healthcare professionals I have made over the years who’ve graciously educated me about finding credible information and how to spot misinformation.
Some of the content created includes:
- Rheumatologists Who Create Content On Social Media
- Top Rheumatology Journals Patients Can Trust: Where to Find Credible, Evidence-Based Research
- 12 Arthritis Youtube Channels You Can Trust
- Meet 10 Registered Dietitians Guiding Nutrition for Autoimmune Arthritis
Find the continuously updated Rheum List:
Publications and Written Contributions
Unfortunately my regular publisher (CreakyJoints) fell victim to the common budget cuts that occurred in the last year, which has been felt across many different disease advocacy organizations that involve patient writers. It’s unfortunate, but not going to stop me from writing or creating content. While I don’t have a regular publisher, in 2025 my writing was published across platforms other than my blog, including:
Arthritis Research Canada Newsletter
Health.com – Road to Diagnosis: Eileen Davidson’s Rheumatoid Arthritis Story
Patient Voices – Medical gaslighting: How to recognize the signs and take action
Recognition and Media Coverage
In 2025, my work and perspective were recognized across national and professional media, including:
Co-Author and Patient Partner on Published Research
Speaking Engagements: Amplifying Patient Voice Across Spaces
In 2025, I had the opportunity to speak, moderate, and educate across a wide range of professional and patient-centered settings:
- American College of Rheumatology in Chicago Illionis– I served as a social media ambassador for the 2025 conference, my second year in a row. Along with that, I also, spoke twice, and moderated two sessions:
- Speaker: Improving Health Literacy and Communication in Rheumatic Disease Patients
- Speaker: Best Practices for Involving Patients in Research
- Moderator and Session Submission Creator: Enhancing Shared Decision-Making in Rheumatic Disease Management
- Moderator: Innovative Support Group Models: Leveraging Technology to Enhance Patient Engagement and Quality of Life
Conferences and Policy Engagement
Beyond speaking roles, I also attended major international and regional events that shape rheumatology research and policy:
Projects: Translating Research Into Real-World Understanding
A standout project this year was contributing to the Arthritis Research Canada Education Series, focusing on weight and arthritis. While not an easy topic to discuss, it’s an important one to vocalize. I am grateful to be a patient partner in the research being done around weight and arthritis with Arthritis Research Canada.
Learn more about that on their website: Arthritis and Weight
Top Blog Posts of 2025
- Product Review – KaLaya Natural Pain Relief
- GLP-1 Medications: Could They Improve Outcomes in Rheumatic Diseases?
- 7 Rheumatologist Content Creators To Follow
- New Research on Fibromyalgia: Updates from the 2025 American College of Rheumatology Conference
- How I Prepare for My Rituximab Infusion for My Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Empathy Isn’t Being “Woke”—It’s Being Human
- Rheumatoid Arthritis and My Period
- Meet 10 Registered Dietitians Guiding Nutrition for Autoimmune Arthritis
- TALK OVER RA – Insights on Rheumatoid Arthritis Remission: What Lived Experience, Advocacy and Research Have Taught Me
- You Didn’t Fail Your Medications—They Failed You: Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Challenges
Health Changes: New Diagnosis
This year, I was diagnosed with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) after years of symptoms that never fully fit my rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis alone. Despite ongoing treatment, I continued to experience persistent inflammatory back and hip pain, prolonged morning stiffness, and fatigue that didn’t line up with what my labs or joint exams suggested. Further evaluation, including imaging and a closer look at symptom patterns over time, finally connected the dots. The diagnosis wasn’t a shock so much as a clarification—an answer that explained why certain symptoms lingered, why some treatments hadn’t worked as expected, and why my disease experience had always felt more complex than a single label.
Becoming a Caregiver
This year, I also became a caregiver for my dad as he navigated cancer and arthritis—while managing my own inflammatory diseases. Balancing appointments, treatments, and emotional support for him alongside flares, fatigue, and medication changes of my own forced a constant recalculation of energy and priorities. Caregiving didn’t pause my illness; it collided with it. It exposed how little room there is in healthcare systems for people who are both patients and caregivers, and how invisible that strain can be. Loving someone through illness while living in an uncooperative body yourself is a quiet, relentless challenge—one that reshaped how I think about capacity, boundaries, and what sustainable care actually looks like.
Looking Ahead
2025 was not a year of standing still. It was a year of expansion, recalibration, and recommitment—to accuracy, to advocacy, and to the people living these realities every day. The work continues, but it’s clearer than ever where my voice fits and why it matters.
My hopes and goals for 2026:
- Finish my book, or at least half of it
- Attend EULAR in London and present an oral abstract
- Attend and present at the 2026 ACR conference in Orlando
- Submit presentation submissions for 2027 conferences in rheumatology, pain, mental health or where else suited.
- Grow Rheumer Has It and Chronic Eileen platforms
- Publish articles in The Rheumatologist and The Journal of Rheumatology
And who knows what else 2026 will bring, good and bad.
