A sense of understanding and belonging when life is at stake—Operable lung cancer patients' lived experiences of participation in exercise

Abstract

Objective To explore the lived experiences and social benefits among patients with operable Non‐small‐cell lung cancer who participated in an exercise intervention. Methods Eighteen patients enrolled in an exercise intervention at 2 weeks post‐surgery participated in qualitative interviews at three time points. A phenomenological hermeneutical approach comprised the epistemological stance inspired by Ricoeur's philosophy. Analysis and interpretation provided descriptions that captured the meaning of the patients' lived experiences. Results The exercise intervention was significant in terms of the patients' social capital, and the patients experienced themselves as part of a community. Patients gained access to resources that derived from human interaction in the exercise group, and their illness and treatment became easier to manage when shared with others in the same situation. The intervention helped to create a community for patients after lung cancer surgery, and the patients experienced a feeling of belonging and equality with the other participants. Conclusion The group‐based exercise intervention created opportunities for mutual understanding between patients, making illness and treatment easier to manage. The patients experienced support to reformulate their identity during the exercise intervention in their interaction with peers in the group.

Improving Social Support to Increase QoL in Lung Cancer Patients

“…Exercises and meetings with people who had had the same experiences were very important for them, as they made it easier to tolerate the illness and therapy, as well as creating an atmosphere of respect and minimalised fear. 44 …”

“…Thanks to such procedures, patients feel cared for, have a sense of belonging to a community, are motivated to exercise, can freely communicate with people in a similar situation and benefit from interpersonal contacts and quick access to reliable advice and news in case of doubt, without waiting in a queue to see the doctor. 44 , 46 Sui et al conducted a study where patients who had undergone surgical NSCLC resection used the We-Chat app-based education and rehabilitation program (WERP) for 12 months, and found that the application significantly improved patients’ QoL and well-being. The phone application WERP is based on disease-related health education, rehabilitation exercise guidance, daily activity supervision and psychological support.…”

“…Exercises and meetings with people who had had the same experiences were very important for them, as they made it easier to tolerate the illness and therapy, as well as creating an atmosphere of respect and minimalised fear. 44 Due to the increase in the number of oncological patients, the limited time available to medical staff and the high cost of their work, we should seriously consider the development of social support for example on the web. 45 Currently, the majority of people use smartphones, which undoubtedly offers a huge opportunity for the promotion of applications or programmes for community gatherings, rehabilitation and exercise programmes, teleconsultation and education about cancer, treatment and health improvement.…”

Transforming the experience of illness into action – Patient and spouses experiences of involvement in a patient and family advisory council

“…By sharing their own story of illness and listening to others' stories, the participants became equipped with a language of what they had lived through in the vulnerable period of illness. Other studies have demonstrated how peer support and sharing experiences of illness have a significant impact on the individual's illness transition experiences and orientation into a new life situation [30,31].…”

The Lived Experiences, Perceptions, and Considerations of Patients After Operable Lung Cancer Concerning Nonparticipation in a Randomized Clinical Rehabilitation Trial

“…If we look at human history, we can see that being part of a social community is something that has created far better conditions for a healthy life and that it stands in contrast to an egocentric project, where the only important thing is to optimize physical fitness. In this regard, Missel, Borregaard, Schoenau, and Sommer (2019) have pointed out that precisely a sense of community and understanding can be established for patients who participate in exercise, with exercise facilitating community and increasing social capital.…”