Here, you can find any of the interviews on this site.
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).
Retired physiotherapist, married with two adult children. Part private healthcare (latest surgery).
Diagnosed '79 with rapid onset after glandular fever. Various foot surgery undergone and hand surgery planned. Symptom relief from physio/ hydrotherapy & some complementary therapies/diets. Currently Coproxamol, Methotrexate, folic acid & occasional NSAID.
Housewife, divorced with two children born after RA onset. Symptoms subsided during 1st pregnancy, then got worse and no remission in 2nd pregnancy.
Mike was diagnosed with bulbar onset MND 2 years ago in 2005. He is now unable to speak, so was interviewed through his wife Gill. He uses a whiteboard and Lightwriter to communicate. He has a PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy).
Mike (aged 54) and Gill (aged 49) are a married couple with 3 adult children. Mike retired as a Fire Master. Gill is a management consultant. Ethnic background/nationality: White British.
Stephen thinks he had been depressed for quite a while but hadn't admitted anything was wrong until a work colleague suggested that he might consider seeing the GP as he had been taking a lot of time off work over the past few months. Once he was diagnosed with depression Stephen found it easier to accept and was reassured that antidepressants could help him to feel more himself. He has taken them for four years now, and feels that they work well to keep his mood stable.
Stephen is single and recently moved to a new area of the country for his job testing computer software. Ethnic background: White British
Sonia has experienced depression since she was 17. As a teenager she had problems with an eating disorder and began self -harming. She was admitted to hospital after having taken an overdose of paracetamol when she was in her 20's. Since that time she has had several admissions to hospital and has been referred to community mental health services at various times. She has tried numerous different antidepressants, but has found it difficult to find the right one for her. Some have lost their effectiveness after using them for a time, and sometimes she has experienced side effects that she has found intolerable.
Sonia is single and works as an administrator for a healthcare provider. Ethnic Background: British/Indian
Lucy experienced depression for the first time when she was 15. Although she got help and was prescribed Prozac (fluoxetine) she found it was difficult as an adolescent to be able to have a say in her treatment. When she began university she experienced another episode of depression, and this time found that the university doctors were far more open and understanding. She was prescribed citalopram which worked much better for her, and continues to take it on an ongoing basis.
Lucy is a university student and works part time during the vacations as an administrator. Ethnic background: White British.
Clare has struggled with depression at several points in her life and has taken antidepressants to help stabilise her mood. Nowadays she takes citalopram regularly as a preventative measure as she recognises that her coping mechanisms aren't always very robust.
Clare is married and has three adult children. She works in local government. Ethnic background: White Irish
Andrew had been feeling out of sorts for a couple of years losing interest in things he used to enjoy and finding life increasingly difficult, before he saw the doctor who diagnosed depression and recommended taking citalopram alongside having a course of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). It took about six weeks to begin to take effect, but he found that the medication helped him enormously and he now finds life enjoyable again. He is still taking citalopram and has no plans to stop at the present time, although he says when he is ready he will talk to his GP about how long to continue taking it for.
Andrew is married and has two young children. He works in communications at a university undertaking health research.
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosed in 2005 following diarrhoea and swollen lymph glands in her neck. Treated with chemotherapy and rituximab. A new tumour was discovered immediately after being told she was in remission.
Mature PhD student, married with two adult children. Ethnic background’ White British.
Melanie broke her neck and back after falling from a horse in 2010. She had a urethral catheter for a few months and then tried intermittent self catheterisation. She found the latter was impossible without help so decided to have a suprapubic catheter.
Melanie is a journalist. She is married and has one child. Ethnic background/nationality: White British.
