A Cancer Survivor’s “Wavering” and Change : From the Life History of Mr. A

ガン　サバイバー　ノ　ユレ　ト　ヘンカ　ニ　カンスル　イチケントウ　A　サン　ノ　ライフ　ヒストリー　カラ

ヒダカ, ナオ

Hidaka, Nao

オオサカ ダイガク ダイガクイン ニンゲン カガク ケンキュウカ シャカイガク ニンゲンガク ジンルイガク ケンキュウシツ

Sociology, Anthropology and Philosophy, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University

がんサバイバー

ライフヒストリー

慢性の病い

揺れ

Cancer Care

Cancer Survivor

Life History

Chronic Illness

Wavering

Articles

This study describes the experiences of cancer survivors without compromising their individuality and examines the relationship between “wavering,” a characteristic phenomenon of chronic illness and of cancer survivors, and the personal changes that suffering, including “wavering,” can bring about. One cancer survivor was interviewed, and the data were analyzed using the life history method as the primary framework to describe his experience in detail. The narrative depicts a cancer survivor who, while facing emotional conflicts, was able to maintain his sense of self as he strove to give meaning to his experiences and adapt to a new way of life. The analysis indicated that cancer survivors waver between feelings of desperation and the desire to find meaning in their cancer experience, and between the hope of recovering their sense of taste and their desire to find a way to live without being able to enjoy food. Mr. A’s experiences showed how he sought to renew his purpose in life and realize a new way to live while coping with wavering feelings and fi nding ways to avoid falling into emotional crisis. The discussion also points out that the suffering caused by cancer can lead to personal change in the form of trying to find meaning in one’s life experiences. Moreover, wavering can result from personal change, and, in turn, recognizing the presence of wavering may encourage personal change.