Oh, I am so sorry to hear you have to deal with that. My mother in law has it and I know how painful it can be.
It makes gardening very difficult. I have started getting osteoarthritis in my hands and it is so hard to grip the pots and clippers sometimes. Especially if my thumbs are really hurting. (and OA is not nearly as painful as RA!) So my thoughts and prayers are with you. At least our orchids are ok with occasional neglect, right? As a matter of fact some plants thrive on it! (keeps us from over-watering, too!)