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| Interview Transcript - Patient #1 | |
| Date: October 20, 2025 | |
| Interviewee Type: Patient | |
| Condition: Rheumatoid Arthritis | |
| Age: 52 years old | |
| Interview Content: | |
| Interviewer: Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Can you tell me when you were first diagnosed? | |
| Patient: I was diagnosed about 4 years ago. I started noticing my hands were really stiff in the mornings, like I couldn't make a fist or hold my coffee cup. At first, I thought it was just getting older, you know? But then my knees started swelling and I couldn't walk up stairs without pain. That's when I finally went to the doctor. | |
| Interviewer: What was your first treatment? | |
| Patient: They started me on methotrexate pills. I took them once a week. Honestly, they made me feel terrible. I was nauseous for 2-3 days after each dose. And I didn't really feel like they were helping my joints that much. I stuck with it for about 6 months because my doctor said to give it time, but I was miserable. | |
| Interviewer: What happened next? | |
| Patient: My doctor recommended trying a biologic injection. I was scared at first - giving myself shots every week sounded awful. But I was desperate because "I could barely type at work anymore, and I'm an accountant. I need my hands." The drug company sent a nurse to my house to teach me how to inject, which was really helpful. It took me about three months, but I started feeling so much better. The morning stiffness improved, the swelling went down. I could function again. | |
| Interviewer: Are you still on that medication? | |
| Patient: No, actually. It worked great for about two years, then it just stopped working. My doctor said that happens sometimes - your body builds up antibodies or something. So we switched to a different biologic, and that one seems to be working well. I've been on it for about a year now. | |
| Interviewer: How does the arthritis impact your daily life now? | |
| Patient: It's so much better than before, but I still have limitations. I can't open tight jar lids. I have trouble with buttons and zippers some days. "I had to give up my hobby of knitting, which was really hard emotionally." I also get fatigued easily - by 3 or 4 PM, I'm just exhausted. But compared to where I was four years ago, it's night and day. I can work full time, I can play with my grandkids, I can go for walks. I'm grateful for that. | |
| Interviewer: What about side effects from your current medication? | |
| Patient: I get injection site reactions sometimes - redness and itching where I inject. And I've had more infections this year than usual. Just colds and sinus infections, nothing serious, but it's annoying. My doctor said the medication suppresses my immune system a bit, so I'm more susceptible. I have to be really careful about hand washing and avoiding sick people. | |
| Interviewer: How's the cost? Does insurance cover it? | |
| Patient: Insurance does cover most of it, thank goodness, because the list price is something like $5,000 a month. Can you imagine? I pay a $75 copay every month, which is manageable. "There was one time when I changed jobs and had a gap in coverage, and the drug company had a patient assistance program that helped me bridge that month." Without insurance, I couldn't afford this medication, and I don't know what I'd do. | |
| Interviewer: If you could change anything about your treatment, what would it be? | |
| Patient: I wish there was a pill instead of an injection. Even after doing it for years, I still dread injection day. And I wish the medication worked all month - I feel like I get more symptoms towards the end of the month before my next dose. Also, just more consistency. "Not knowing if the medication will stop working again is stressful. Will I have to keep switching medications every few years? What happens when I run out of options?" Those thoughts keep me up at night sometimes. | |