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Rheumatoid ArthritisArrow
Disease duration 26 years plus
Interview 16  

Interview 16

Age at Interview: 63
Sex: Female
Age at Diagnosis: 36
Background: Retired physiotherapist, married with two adult children. Part private healthcare (latest surgery).
Brief outline:Diagnosed 1977 after shoulder pains. Diclofenac retard 100mg/day, Methotrexate 15mg/week & 5mg/day folic acid. Partial wrist & 2 finger joints replaced, thumb tendon repairs, 6 toe joint operations, ankle fusion & a back operation (not due to RA).


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Patients may forget what they have been told so it helps to have the phone number of a nurse to be reminded and get advice.

 



What I think is not always taken into consideration is that people are very anxious when they go to a rheumatology clinic or whatever, and however hard you try to listen, I think people forget what they've been told sometimes. And recently I've been to a hospital, which I was extremely impressed by, because on my initial consultation with a surgeon, I was given the name and a telephone number and hours that I could contact a member of his team, a nurse on his team. So that when I got home, and I thought to myself, what did he say about that? How long was it? What would I be doing after I'd had the operation? I had a, a name and a telephone number and days that this person worked and the hours that I could ring and I thought that was fantastic. I don't, for me I probably wouldn't need it, but there are lots of people that I think need that sort of service 'cos you're obviously anxious when you go. 
Rheumatoid arthritis
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