Significant others’ lived experiences following a lung cancer trajectory - From diagnosis through and after the death of a family member

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to illuminate the meanings of significant others’ lived experiences of their situation from diagnosis through and after the death of a family member as a consequence of inoperable lung cancer.

Methods

The data was collected through narrative interviews from eleven significant others and interpreted using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach.

Keyresults

Four themes emerged: being unbalanced, being transitional, being cared for, and moving forward.

Conclusion

The significant others’ experiences can be viewed as a transition process, beginning with a sense of dislocation in life and continuing through struggling, enduring and conquering the consequences of the altered life situation until finally approaching a point characterized by a sense of stability. Different strategies of adjustment and adaptation to the new living conditions are considered. Furthermore, the results indicate the need to develop a framework for family-centered health care in order to enhance the wellbeing for the significant others both in the anticipatory grief phase and during the bereavement phase.