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)
We conducted a qualitative inquiry in order to describe the meaning of women's experiences of living with multiple sclerosis (MS). Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The majority of persons living with MS are women. Living with MS has been described as difficult because of the uncertainty of the illness. Ten women with MS were interviewed and the interviews were analyzed with a phenomenological hermeneutic interpretation. In this study, we suggest that the meaning of living with MS for women can be understood as trying to maintain power and living with an unrecognizable body. The bodies of women with MS serve as hindrances in everyday life. Bodily changes evident to others impose feelings of being met in a different way, which can be understood as an expression of a violated
AIM: This paper reports the findings of a study that aimed to elucidate the meaning of fatigue for women with multiple sclerosis (MS). BACKGROUND: Living with chronic illness can involve giving up usual activities. MS is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Fatigue is a common experience among people with MS; however, little is known about the meaning of fatigue experienced by women with this condition. METHOD: Ten women with MS were interviewed about their experience of fatigue. A phenomenological hermeneutic method influenced by Ricoeur was used to interpret the transcribed interviews. FINDINGS: The findings were presented in two major themes with five subthemes; experiencing the body as a barrier and experiencing a different absence. Fatigue seemed to give rise to an experience of being absent and divided into two parts. This also led to a feeling of not being able to participate in the surrounding world. The feeling of being an outsider and lacking the ability as a healthy person is interpreted as a form of suffering. Although the fatigue had a great impact on the women's daily life, the women still hoped for some relief. Fatigue seemed to imply that instead of working as an implement to manage in the world the body has become an enemy of survival. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance for nurses of understanding how women with MS experience fatigue, which is a prerequisite for communication based on a shared understanding. This awareness would enhance nurses' opportunities to alleviate suffering. More research is needed to investigate what kinds of interventions can help these women to manage their everyday lives and to maintain a sense of normality despite their fatigue and illness. Such interventions should be subject to empirical evaluation research.