VARDAGSLIV MED CANCER

The health care system in most western countries is undergoing rapid changes with an increasing amount of people living with chronic cancer. These people have to deal with their disease in every day life together with working and family life. The relationship between health services and every day life has changed and raises new requirements. Earlier research has shown that maintaining every day life is important for cancer patients and their families. This study comprised patients with lymphoma receiving their diagnosis during 2003 – 2005. The patients are 25 – 55 years old and having under age children. Our aim with this study is to examine what impact the cancer disease has on every day life for the patient and his/her family, and to clarify strategies they use for maintaining every day life. Six patients and their spouses have been interviewed. The interviews are semi structured covering themes as: - family and parenthood - relationship in family - formal and informal network - economy - individual strategies/coping - relations to public authorities. One demographic questionnaire were also used. The analysis has been made from classical hermeneutic framework. Using system theory we focus on the family as a system. Using coping theory we can explain peoples appropriate strategies to maintain balance in life. A narrative approach enlightens how people relate to their experience of disease, sickness and illness. The findings show that the medical service takes good care of the patients but forgets the families. The spouses are left alone with a great amount of strong emotions and responsibility. They are expected to take care of children, housekeeping, nursing aid of their spouse parallel with professional life and their own emotions. The children are left alone of society. In school there is no understanding of their situation and no support. The coping strategies are constructive and concern the whole family. These findings are a great challenge for social workers in the health care system. The results also show that the disease has a great impact on every day life for the family. The individual reactions are correlating with each other and this correlation makes a difference for the family. It results in a different perspective of time, a different life plan, loss of the identity as a healthy family, a need to relate to the possibility of loosing a family member, a need to subordinate to the disease. The disease is also a centripetal force amongst the family members. This study show the need to give attention to the whole family in the cancer care. The individual and social perspectives of the disease are important factors in helping people live with their cancer in every day life. The results can be used as a source of knowledge in the development of a family centred cancer care