First of all, I have my blogger name as Dana Morningstar. ""Morning Star" is actually the meaning of my first name "Dana."  A morning star is strong and bright! I think the name is very appropriate for my struggles with pain, disability and fatigue.  I have my Bachelor's degree in Nursing, and worked as a Diabetes Educator until my hip replacement in 2003.  I now dedicate my life to helping others with chronic pain and disability. I was the co-chair for the Young Professionals Group with the Georgia Chapter Arthritis Foundation, and I will soon be starting a support group in the Atlanta area after my training with Arthritis Introspectives. I blog about my journey with pain and getting a shoulder and hip replacements. I am part of several social networks where most of my friends have chronic pain, disability and fatigue like I do.

I have been asked to write my personal story for a pain website for patients-- www.painaction.com.  I wrote my Personal Story that was in the back pain and neuropathic pain areas.  The goal of the site was to encourage users to become better self-managers of their pain conditions.  The site was developed with funding from 4 grants from the National Institutes of Health.  At the time, it focused on back pain, neuropathic pain, and migraine pain. Within a few months of my article, the site received funding so it could add content on Arthritic pain. The website receives unrestricted educational grants from pharmaceutical companies to keep the site going.  They have no influence over the content, and it is totally non-branded and non-commercial.  

I had finished my training with IAAM (International Arthritis Autoimmune Arthritis Movement), and I had begun my volunteer work with them online. I have been in the process of training with AI (Arthritis Introspectives). My goal is to be able to make the young adult arthritis group in Atlanta able to reach all the needs of the young adults in the area. I want to have a support group (after the AI training is complete) and work with a mentorship program with children with autoimmune arthritis and young adults to help them to transition from being a kid into adult life easier. Also, I would like to work on education, as well as being a resource for young adults and children with autoimmune arthritis. I am so excited about all of this and can't wait to see how it all turns out and fits together.

The Arthritis Foundation Georgia Chapter suggested that I should be contacted  for a story about men and women with various arthritis ailments and how they function day-to-day with their conditions. This is for Arthritis Health Monitor, a patient education publication that is distributed in doctor's offices.

You can read the article online: Health Monitor

I also was contacted by the Arthritis Foundation National Office to make thank you videos as a patient advocate to all those who sent in their Everyday RA Victories. People shared everyday victories at everydayravictories.com

Coming this fall...you will see my son and myself in another Arthritis Foundation video. You will have to wait and see!!! I know you will just love it. It is worth the wait!

Please listen to my Blog Talk Radio Show with the same title: I Already Gave My Right Arm To Be Ambidextrous! Now my show is Chronically Mommy and Now Read My HIPS!http://www.blogtalkradio.com/danamorningstar

Listen to internet radio with Dana Morningstar on Blog Talk Radio

All of this from my itty bitty little blog!