Expressions of freedom in everyday life : the meaning of women's experiences of living with multiple sclerosis

The aim of this licentiate thesis was to describe the meaning of women's experiences of living with multiple sclerosis (MS). This licentiate thesis focuses specific on the women's experiences of daily life (I) and the experience of fatigue (II). Narrative interviews were conducted with 10 women living with MS and the interviews were analysed with a phenomenological hermeneutic interpretation. This licentiate thesis proposes that the meaning of living with MS for women can be seen as living an everyday life defined by the body, which imposes living with a restrained freedom in the same time as a feat for freedom in everyday life exists. The constraints of freedom in everyday life, involves the body, relations to others and not being able to involve in everyday life in a desired way. Despite the demanding body which directs the women's life they choose to involve in everyday life instead of withdraw. While the women's experience of freedom is held back the women seam to feat for an own inner freedom, which is used to approach life and meet the demands of illness. The relationship between this inner freedom and the restrained freedom means a feat for freedom in order to meet the conditions that MS brings into the women's everyday life.Godkänd; 2007; 20070403 (ysko)