TY - JOUR
T1 - Postmenopausal women with breast cancer
T2 - Their experiences of the chemotherapy treatment period
AU - Browall, Maria
AU - Gaston-Johansson, Fannie
AU - Danielson, Ella
PY - 2006/1
Y1 - 2006/1
N2 - This article illustrates the experience of 20 postmenopausal women with breast cancer who had received chemotherapy treatment. The interviews were of narrative nature and analyzed with content analysis. Four themes, including 12 subthemes, described these women's life during treatment as a journey from the negative experiences of fear of the unknown, affects on body and mind, to the more positive to get by, and a transformed life. The treatment was compared with an assault on the body, and the loss of their hair was experienced more negatively than the loss of a breast. The women described a feeling of imbalance in their relationships due to lack of support from those close to them. The support from healthcare professionals was experienced both positively and negatively, and many of the women revealed variation in the professional's attitude, knowledge, and empathy. The women who chose not to work during the treatment felt pressure from society and healthcare professionals to get back to work as soon as possible. For many, especially those in a leading position, this was experienced as very difficult. The women expressed a feeling of not being afraid of dying but wanted more time to prepare themselves.
AB - This article illustrates the experience of 20 postmenopausal women with breast cancer who had received chemotherapy treatment. The interviews were of narrative nature and analyzed with content analysis. Four themes, including 12 subthemes, described these women's life during treatment as a journey from the negative experiences of fear of the unknown, affects on body and mind, to the more positive to get by, and a transformed life. The treatment was compared with an assault on the body, and the loss of their hair was experienced more negatively than the loss of a breast. The women described a feeling of imbalance in their relationships due to lack of support from those close to them. The support from healthcare professionals was experienced both positively and negatively, and many of the women revealed variation in the professional's attitude, knowledge, and empathy. The women who chose not to work during the treatment felt pressure from society and healthcare professionals to get back to work as soon as possible. For many, especially those in a leading position, this was experienced as very difficult. The women expressed a feeling of not being afraid of dying but wanted more time to prepare themselves.
KW - Breast cancer
KW - Chemotherapy treatment
KW - Content analysis
KW - Daily life
KW - Experience
KW - Postmenopausal
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33646090846&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33646090846&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/00002820-200601000-00006
DO - 10.1097/00002820-200601000-00006
M3 - Article
C2 - 16557119
AN - SCOPUS:33646090846
SN - 0162-220X
VL - 29
SP - 34
EP - 42
JO - Cancer nursing
JF - Cancer nursing
IS - 1
ER -