Health Care Interview Paper

Introduction Millions of people all over the world suffer from some sort of pain, be it accute or chronic. The reasons for this pain can vary great from disease to injury of some sort, the effects of which exact a tremendous cost on our country in health care costs, rehabilitation and lost worker productivity, as well as the emotional and financial burden it places on patients and their families. In my multiple interviews with “Sarah” over the course of 3 days we discussed pain, the ways it affected her and her family, and at some point, changed the way “normal” life was defined for her. While I found a few things surprising in my interview with Sarah, the most surprising was her choice to continue using Enbrel, a biologic medication that

Each time in the living room of her recently purchased mid-century home. It was dark outside and she had dim lights on in the room and an antique set of pineapple lights strung across the window cast a soft glow as they bounced their light off the glass. She was seated in a peach colored antique club chair while I sat on the carpeted floor. The sound of our kids playing together were heard in the background and I noticed she sat there contentedly rubbing her large pregnant belly every time I asked a question, while simultaneously readjusting herself as if she were in a constant state of discomfort. Sarah is a 30 year old mother of one, soon to be two boys. Originally from Brown’s County, Indiana, she grew up with “hippie parents”. The lived in a cabin in the forest where “there was no tv, no junk food, and no conventional medicine” at the decision of her parents. As the only child, Sarah spent a lot of time alone, entertaining herself or playing make believe with the dolls she was allowed to have. When she got older, she attended the University of Indiana where on a semester abroad she met her husband Ralph in Egypt where he was also attending school. They now live in Woodland, CA, with their son, another due in August. Sarah’s introduction to medication came one day when she was 8 years old and her mother noticed her right knee was much larger than her other due to a vast amount of swelling. After months of doctors visits, trips to the Children’s Hospital, and testing, she was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. My interview questions to her were based around this diagnoses and the way it has effected her life as well as the process of enacting