Kvinnors upplevelser av att leva med hjärntumör

Sammanfattning: Background: Brain tumour is a disease that can affect the life of the patient, both physically and mentally. Relatives to the patient of brain tumor lives with an uncertainty about how the disease will develop and affect their loved one, which leads to a dramatic change of their everyday life. Method: A qualitative, manifest content analysis with an inductive approach based on biographies. Aim: The aim of this study is to describe women’s experiences of living with a brain tumor. Findings: The result showed that the female patients experienced suffering in living with a brain tumor since they were affected both physically and mentally. To feel dependent on others and to not identify with who you had become, was strong signs on their changed everyday life. Even though these women experienced suffering they could feel hope and gain strength from their surroundings and their relatives. Conclusion: Women that live with brain tumor narrates experiences of difficult changes but also feelings of well-being during the entire course of the disease. These women experienced well-being whenever they accepted the disease, when they got support from their relatives and whenever their feelings where confirmed by the professional carers. All of these aspects contributed to these women’s well-being.