Jackie07
05-07-2013, 02:21 PM
Looked up the PubMed database and found the abstract below:
"Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2013 Mar;22(2):261-71. doi: 10.1111/ecc.12025. Epub 2013 Jan 16.
Motives of cancer patients for using the Internet to seek social support.
Yli-Uotila T, Rantanen A, Suominen T.
Source
Nursing Science, School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland. tiina.yli-uotila@uta.fi
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to describe why Finnish cancer patients choose the internet as a source of social support. The data were collected in May 2010, using an online questionnaire with open-ended questions, through four discussion forums on the websites of the non-profit Cancer Society of Finland. Seventy-four adult patients with cancer participated. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. The mean age of the participants was 53 years and they were predominantly women.
The most common cancer was breast cancer and more than three quarters of the participants had suffered from cancer for less than 5 years. The initial stimuli to use the internet as a source of social support were the ease of communication and access to information as well as the need for emotional and informational support.
The actual motives that drove the use of the internet as a source of social support were the requirements for information and peer support, internet technology, a lack of support outside the internet and the negative experiences caused by the illness. The fact that there is an enormous need for information as well as for emotional support and that cancer treatment in Finland is concentrated in major hospitals, to which cancer patients may travel a considerable distance, suggests that nurses should learn to make more frequent virtual contact with their patients."
*****
Several factors had prompted me to look up the subject on the PubMed database: 1) a fellow survivor had pointed out there are different degrees of 'suffering' and implied that only patients with certain condition are entitled to express the same degree of pain/suffering; 2) a friend who used to tell others that they had no rights to complain because "Look at Jackie - she's been having the most problems yet she's always smiling and never complain" mentioned the aches and pains she and her husband have been suffering due to old age (they are about 10 years my senior). This was after I mentioned to her my recent problems with the brain tumor pressing on my Thalamus; 3) can't really remember ... :)
Just wanted to say how thankful I am to this wonderful support group. We can talk about almost anything!
Most people don't like to listen to complaints. Just like Job's friends in the 'Book of Jobs', most people would tell us that we had exaggerated our condition, that we had asked for the suffering, that we should keep it to ourselves, ... etc.
But here we have a safe place to express our anguish, our struggles, and our hopes and prayers ...etc. (You'd be surprised how many 'militant atheists' are out there to 'debunk' any 'superstitious' myths - I can't even express thanksgivings on my Facebook without being 'harassed'！）[No, I won't delete the 'militant' friend - she had been surprised at my rational response because everyone she had 'attacked' had deleted her from their 'Friend' List soon after！ Other mutual FB friends have learned to stay out of our debate because (as one had complimented once) we always end our 'rational' conversation with an amicable note.]
Thanks again, everyone, for providing this breathing space ...
"Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2013 Mar;22(2):261-71. doi: 10.1111/ecc.12025. Epub 2013 Jan 16.
Motives of cancer patients for using the Internet to seek social support.
Yli-Uotila T, Rantanen A, Suominen T.
Source
Nursing Science, School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland. tiina.yli-uotila@uta.fi
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to describe why Finnish cancer patients choose the internet as a source of social support. The data were collected in May 2010, using an online questionnaire with open-ended questions, through four discussion forums on the websites of the non-profit Cancer Society of Finland. Seventy-four adult patients with cancer participated. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. The mean age of the participants was 53 years and they were predominantly women.
The most common cancer was breast cancer and more than three quarters of the participants had suffered from cancer for less than 5 years. The initial stimuli to use the internet as a source of social support were the ease of communication and access to information as well as the need for emotional and informational support.
The actual motives that drove the use of the internet as a source of social support were the requirements for information and peer support, internet technology, a lack of support outside the internet and the negative experiences caused by the illness. The fact that there is an enormous need for information as well as for emotional support and that cancer treatment in Finland is concentrated in major hospitals, to which cancer patients may travel a considerable distance, suggests that nurses should learn to make more frequent virtual contact with their patients."
*****
Several factors had prompted me to look up the subject on the PubMed database: 1) a fellow survivor had pointed out there are different degrees of 'suffering' and implied that only patients with certain condition are entitled to express the same degree of pain/suffering; 2) a friend who used to tell others that they had no rights to complain because "Look at Jackie - she's been having the most problems yet she's always smiling and never complain" mentioned the aches and pains she and her husband have been suffering due to old age (they are about 10 years my senior). This was after I mentioned to her my recent problems with the brain tumor pressing on my Thalamus; 3) can't really remember ... :)
Just wanted to say how thankful I am to this wonderful support group. We can talk about almost anything!
Most people don't like to listen to complaints. Just like Job's friends in the 'Book of Jobs', most people would tell us that we had exaggerated our condition, that we had asked for the suffering, that we should keep it to ourselves, ... etc.
But here we have a safe place to express our anguish, our struggles, and our hopes and prayers ...etc. (You'd be surprised how many 'militant atheists' are out there to 'debunk' any 'superstitious' myths - I can't even express thanksgivings on my Facebook without being 'harassed'！）[No, I won't delete the 'militant' friend - she had been surprised at my rational response because everyone she had 'attacked' had deleted her from their 'Friend' List soon after！ Other mutual FB friends have learned to stay out of our debate because (as one had complimented once) we always end our 'rational' conversation with an amicable note.]
Thanks again, everyone, for providing this breathing space ...