Click Cathy Jesse for interview
TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH CATHY JESSE, 42-YEAR-OLD MOTHER OF THREE:
SP: When were you first diagnosed with RA?
CJ: In June of 2003
SP: What medications have you tried so far?
CJ: I’ve tried methotrexate, Enbrel, Humira, Remicade, Plaquenil, Celebrex, Arava and a list of others for other ailments that went along with rheumatoid arthritis.
SP: And what reactions have you had to these medications. Have any of them even worked?
CJ: Well, most of them have not worked. But I had an anaphylactic reaction to Remicade, I had blood red hives on my neck, chest and face for about nine days and was in a stupor right after the infusion. Methotrexate makes me nauseated and just sick to my stomach. Humira agreed with me*, Plaquenil gave me a bad headache, and I felt like I had the flu, and Arava made me sick to my stomach. Not had a good experience.
SP: What reactions were the hardest to deal with?
CJ: The Remicade reaction was the hardest. I thought that I was going to die, and it really scared me. I have to deal with the reaction of methotrexate weekly, so I struggle with that now.
SP: And what medications are you currently on then?
CJ: Right now I’m only on methotrexate for my rheumatoid arthritis. I’m taking other medications to deal with the effects of methotrexate as well.
SP: Ok. And what other ones are you taking to help deal with that?
CJ: Protonix.
SP: And what does that help with? Does that help your stomach or…
CP: Yeah, I have really bad gastro-esophageal reflex from the methotrexate weekly, so I take this every day, twice a day.
SP: And then how has having RA affected your life?
CJ: RA has changed the person I am. I am no longer able to do the activities I use to do. I can’t work. The bone erosion in my hand is very bad, so it’s made me unable to do a lot of basic tasks with my hands, which is very frustrating. And I spend a lot of time in the house now, which I never did before.
*NOTE: Despite working for her, Jesse is no longer on Humira due to the high cost of the drug and an increase in medication co-pay, which has made the drug cost about $300 a month. Paying for the newer but more expensive biologic drugs has become a huge problem for many people with RA.
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