 The hard work of living in the face of death This study examines, from the patient's perspective, the work of trying
to live with advanced cancer at the same time as facing the immediacy of
death. The findings are part of an exploratory qualitative study that
examined the first-hand accounts of seven patients being cared for at an
urban cancer research center who were living with advanced disease.
Using interpretive phenomenology, a series of in-depth, semistructured
interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, coded, and organized into
themes. Three subthemes emerged from the data that reflected the hard
work that these individuals undertook. These were orientating themselves
to the disease and maintaining control, searching for and creating a
system of support and safety, and struggling to find meaning and create
a legacy. The findings confirm that living with advanced cancer in the
face of death involves hard work on the part of the patient. Coyle N.
From J
Pain Symptom Manage. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2006 Sep;32(3):266-74. |
| Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care Beth Israel Medical Center, New York City ©2005 Continuum Health Partners, Inc. www.stoppain.org/palliative_care |
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