Fighting Back—struggling to Continue Life and Preserve the Self Following a Stroke

Abstract

The aim of this longitudinal phenomenological study was to explore how female stroke survivors experienced their life following a stroke and how they managed their altered situation. Twenty-five women suffering first-time stroke were interviewed in depth three times during the first one and a half years after the stroke. Applying the method of Giorgi, we found that there was a lengthy struggle to continue life and preserve the self following the stroke. The struggle was closely related to their deeply rooted identity as mothers, wives, grandmothers, and housewives. The situation of women following a stroke needs particular attention because their needs may conflict with their female caring roles. On the other hand, supporting them in transforming these roles may secure their sense of self and a continued meaningful life.

The quality of qualitative data: Issues to consider when interviewing participants who have difficulties providing detailed accounts of their experiences

“…This would ensure an adequate picture of the experiences and perceptions of persons with varying resources and skills of articulation. In our studies of frail elderly nursing homes residents (Bergland & Kirkevold, 2005, 2006 and patients suffering from stroke (Kirkevold, 2002;Kvigne & Kirkevold, 2003;Kvigne et al, 2004), we found that several of the participants meeting our inclusion criteria had difficulties providing detailed narrative accounts of their experiences. Others had no problems complying with our expectations of uninterrupted and detailed descriptions.…”

“…Most qualitative research reports describe the population or study group in quite general terms. In our area of study, for example, focusing on the personal experiences following a cerebral stroke, participants are typically described as ''patients, who have suffered a stroke,'' or somewhat more circumscribed ''patients suffering from first-time stroke'' or ''elderly women who recently suffered a first time stroke'' (Eilertsen, 2005;Kvigne & Kirkevold, 2003;Kvigne, Kirkevold & Gjengedal, 2004). A recent review of qualitative studies in the nursing literature, focusing on the experiences of how a stroke impact of the life of the stroke survivors, showed that most published studies did not differentiate between persons who had recently suffered a stroke and persons who had lived with the stroke for years in terms of inclusion criteria and in the analysis of the experiences (Eilertsen, 2005); although there are reasons to believe that these are not necessarily members of the ''same group''.…”

Rehabilitation as a fight: A narrative case study of the first year after a spinal cord injury

“…Our study adds to and accentuates the study of Kvigne, Kirkevold and Gjengedal (2004) following the life of twenty-five women after a stroke. These women strove, struggled and fought during their recovery (Kvigne et al, 2004).…”

“…These women strove, struggled and fought during their recovery (Kvigne et al, 2004). Striving was necessary to overcome the everyday demands.…”

Self-management develops through doing of everyday activities—a longitudinal qualitative study of stroke survivors during two years post-stroke

“…Stroke survivors’ return to daily life is complex; they see it as a challenging process of change with uncertainty and struggle to regain important roles and tasks in daily life [11, 13, 14]. Robison and colleagues [12] described after a one-year longitudinal qualitative study how stroke survivors had difficulties resuming valued activities post-stroke and how some stroke survivors were more adaptable than were others.…”