Nan Hart

I have come to understand that asking for help of any kind for those of us with RA is 1) not easy, as many of us are type A personalities...

After 45 years of marriage, working for almost as long, and raising 3 sons, my husband and I are now retired and finally able to do the traveling we have...

When we moved 4 years ago, one of the most difficult challenges was establishing a new relationship with a rheumatologist here. In my previous community, I had a very successful...

As we approach and enter a new year, I tend to contemplate my life and journey with RA. This year, one thing that has really resonated with me is the...

I recall years ago that trying to dress while dealing with RA was at best difficult and at worst impossible. The clothing fabrics all seemed tight and confining, shoes were...

Successfully managing the use of electronic devices intended to make our lives easier and more efficient can be neither if we are not careful. It seems to me it is...

I recently needed to get both a cervical MRI and knee x-rays. For better or worse, I asked for the reports so that I could have them for my records...

I recently had a significant RA flare, which is probably not news to anyone with rheumatoid arthritis. What was new for me was that it was the first one that...

When I was first diagnosed with RA, I recall my thoughts largely being centered on what aspects of my life would now be altered in a negative way and what...

During the dog days of summer, we often don’t need much of a reminder to stay hydrated as thirst is a constant companion, but remembering to stay hydrated when summer...

One of the perennial challenges of living with rheumatoid arthritis is the question of maintaining the current status of treatment and management choices. Is there a point at which it...

Even though experiencing “good times” with RA may seem out of reach, I have found that when those good times happen, it is crucial to embrace them, take the opportunity...

Along with the pain associated with our joints that are a distinct mark of an RA flare, some also experience muscle cramps. Though not necessarily related to a flare, there...

We all know that along with the physical demands that come with a chronic disease, there are mental/emotional demands as well. I believe that there is a need to declutter...

Thanks to the volatility of RA joints, balance issues are a sad reality of the disease. It only makes sense that if our joints are swollen, painful, and/or compromised in...

Having lived in a four-season climate throughout my life, I have come to understand how important it is to adjust your approach to the day-to-day management of RA to address...

When I consider that I have been journeying with RA for a quarter-century, it seemed only fitting to spend some time sharing my thoughts as an “RA veteran”. One of...

The pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis is not a one-size-fits-all situation. When I reflect on it, the types of pain, the way we each experience it, the duration, etc. are all...

I actually had no idea what the word comorbidity meant until I was a few years into my rheumatoid arthritis (RA) journey.  As I recall, it came up when I...

Most of us understand that the very nature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), physically speaking, is chaotic and unpredictable. I have always understood this to be true and one of the most...