Articles

Ever since I was first diagnosed with RA 22 years ago, I've had problems--big and small--regarding communication with my healthcare providers. Or maybe a lack of communication is a more...

The expertise and skills of medical specialists are crucial for managing rheumatoid arthritis and related conditions. A perfect example is that when I was diagnosed as a child, it wasn’t...

After a recent move to Virginia, Nan talks about the process of adjusting to new spaces when living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). After becoming familiar with the space of her...

Living with rheumatoid arthritis can be challenging. Debilitating fatigue. Swollen, painful joints. Reduced mobility. It can sometimes seem as though rheumatoid arthritis is controlling your life. And we are here...

Most people don’t worry about having enough surgeries. But I have reached the point of four decades of accumulative, aggressive joint damage from rheumatoid arthritis and I wonder: “Did I...

I'm having a hard time believing that it's now the year 2020, despite what the calendar says. I can still clearly remember gathering with my family (Mom, Dad, sister, aunts...

All morning sitting in my chair at my desk I felt a creeping but clear pressure growing in my chest. I thought, "Perhaps I worked out too hard this morning,"...

In this particular case, when I reference darkness, I am talking about light....glorious light. It really fascinates me how different the daylight hours are depending on where you live. I knew this...

New year, new me, new decade…I’m getting it done. Last decade was rough. It was my first ten years of my diagnosis and I fought myself every step of the...

Let’s look back a little, to when we were kids; back when we had to take naps at least once a day. They were forced on us because we didn’t...

So, in the interests of transparency, my birthday is on Valentine’s Day and my last name is Hart, so I do have a particular affinity for this holiday. We do know...

I’m busy. Busy fighting Busy healing Busy resting Busy reading   I’m fine. Fine feeling Fine looking Fine being Just fine   I’m chronically okay chronically sick chronically fighting chronically...

Fatigue is an invisible and incredibly difficult aspect of living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This ongoing symptom is not well understood and unfortunately very hard to treat. In this video...

A typical relationship centers around two people: me and someone else. Simple, right? Not anymore. Now there is a third individual to think about: my rheumatoid arthritis. It is just...

Neck pain is often a nuisance for many living with rheumatoid arthritis. In this video, Nan provides some tips on simple and effective stretches for neck pain and strain that...

It had been several years since I had any significant degree of neck pain, other than the standard stiffness one might get from turning at an odd angle or sitting...

Breaking old habits or introducing new ones are often difficult things to do. More so if the habit you wish to break has a high immediate payoff or addictive potential...

Now that the weather has turned (much) colder in Minnesota, my swollen and inflamed joints are happier thanks to the cool, dry weather. The heat and especially the humidity of...

Rheumatoid arthritis is a particularly nasty beast that takes so much away from us on a daily basis. However, as much as life with rheumatoid arthritis has taken pieces of...

We live in a society that is inherently fluid—or, so we are told. And because of that fluidity, we are supposed to be flexible, adaptable, and willing to instantaneously change...