Sounds like a good plan, right? Well, unfortunately, I haven’t gotten the chance to find out how part two of the plan will go. I went out with him one more time, but the chemistry fizzled, so that was the end of that. And, although we only saw each other one time after my moment of truth, I really didn’t get the feeling that my RA had anything to do with it.

I did feel like I had cleared a big hurdle, though, and that felt great. Being able to include the fact that RA is a part of my life within the context of a perfectly natural conversation made it less scary and made me feel less vulnerable.It also let me avoid the looks of doom and gloom or complete blankness that I have gotten in the past when I’ve shared this news with friends in a more deliberate, conversation-stopping way.

Figuring how to talk about RA with someone for the first time will probably always be daunting, but after this experience, I think the key is to do it in a manner that makes you feel confident and in control - and to remember that it isn’t the only thing about you worth talking about.

Sara is the author of the blog, The Single Gal's Guide to Rheumatoid Arthritis .