Geeting sick of cancer: the action and feelings of the family group - doi: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v11i1.18866

Abstract

The objective was to understand how the family group acts and feel about cancer. This is a research with a qualitative and descriptive approach, conducted in a surgery unit of a hospital in the southern of Rio Grande do Sul, from June to July 2007. Semi-structured interviews were applied to seven participants, being three patients and four relatives.  Thematic analysis was, from which the following themes emerged: "The families’ reaction before the illness of one of its members” and “The feelings of the family group on the face of cancer”. It was possible to identify as a way of dealing with the situation, in the family group, the union, dedication and organization to face the disease and overcome the obstacles. And as feelings it was observed the presence of fear, hope and denial during the process of living with the illness. It is expected that through this study health professionals have subsidies to understand the process their patients and their relatives go through, so that there is an understanding and consequently collaboration in fighting the disease, providing comprehensive and humanized care

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