Interview 37

Age at interview: 50

Age at diagnosis: 48

Brief Outline:

Diagnosed July 2001 after developing a stiff neck. Combination treatment of Sulphasalazine 2000mg/day and Methotrexate 10mg/week with folic acid 5mg 2/week. Rofecoxib 25mg/day, Ferrous sulphate 400mg/day (anaemia), Protium 40mg/day (indigestion).

Background:

Financial administrator, married with no children.

The GP had her stiff neck x-rayed, thought it was RA, so sent her to a rheumatologist.

Well after that initial appointment with my GP regarding the stiff neck he then, when the x-rays came back he then said, 'It's not just a stiff neck, it looks like the early stages of arthritis'. So that's when he wrote to the specialist hospital and I then had my first appointment. So that's when it was diagnosed, you know, as RA more than a stiff neck.

And how did you feel about being sent for an x-ray?

I think I wanted to know what was wrong because I knew by then that it wasn't, a stiff neck as I indicated at the beginning of the interview. So, yes I wanted to know what was wrong, because, you know as I said earlier, you know, I've always been a fit person and to have a this long, long period of a stiff neck wasn't, wasn't normal.

She often has to wait, but the clinic doctors and nurses are always friendly and helpful.

Sometimes, obviously, patience is a virtue because you can understand, you know, there's lots of people to be seen and so with that understanding you just wait patiently for your  you know, to be seen. But everybody there are really friendly and helpful and, you know, they always apologise for running late or whatever, so, you know, it's, it's something that you, you take in your stride.

So you expect to?

[Laughs] Yes. 

Do you have to wait long?

Oh hours. No, no [laughs] no. Usually, you know,you're registered to say that you were there very quickly and then you tend to wait to see the doctor or  the  the trainee. But once you see, once you're in then, you know, it all happens very quickly. So you've just got to be patient.

Has used various sources of information but finds the leaflets answer most questions and are easy...

I think it was my first appointment at the specialist hospital. They were very informative, any questions that I had, and obviously there's, there were lots of leaflets that I picked up once I knew that, you know, it was the beginning of.

I think you can get, gain an awful lot from the website that's available. And until  I think I was told about the website you know, it didn't dawn on me, you know, that there was so much information on there. There's lots of  reading material, you know, not only leaflets but books that, you know, that you can purchase or, you know, at the library. So there's an awful lot out there that if you don't ask questions or delve you won't know about. And so that was one of the things that I found most useful after asking the initial question.

Have you read any books?

No. Laughs I know I just mentioned them but I found a lot, all the information that I've gained from the leaflets is answering all the questions that, you know, that if, if I had any queries or problem the leaflets are there to give, because it's such a, you know, it's so informative you don't have to read loads of pages of a book to find out what you're, what you're after. So it's laziness really. Laughs But they are there if you are, you know, got the time and, you know, you're a quick reader.