“Times of war” |
Sub-themes
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Narratives from participants
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“A boy whose life stopped at the age of 9” |
At about 5 years old he started with headaches and vomiting. That went on for several months, he was vomiting and had a headache, I took him to the hospital, they did tests and found nothing. Over time, other symptoms appeared, he found it very difficult to see and speak, his voice was completely choked up, very muffled, sometimes we couldn’t even understand what he was saying (Mother, p2).
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On one occasion, he had a very bad seizure, we took him to the hospital, the doctors and health professionals said he was on drugs. I said: No, my son doesn’t use drugs. He is a boy whose life stopped at the age of nine. He doesn’t do drugs. That was the worst day of my life (Mother, p7). |
Confirmation of cancer diagnosis: impact on the family |
I had no hope for anything else. Honestly, at the time I thought: “I think I’m going to get in my car, go on the road and kill myself with my son”. I think I’m going to kill myself, not just me, but my son. I won’t take it (Mother, p1). |
When my daughter was diagnosed, she had severe anemia due to leukemia. She was very much at risk, a 90% chance of death risk, 10% chance of survival (Father, p4). |
“Highs and lows” during cancer treatment |
In order to be able to undergo the treatment, she and I moved to another city and practically lived in the hospital. I didn’t see my daughter, I didn’t see my husband. There was no one who could change place with me to stay with her in the hospital for a while, so I could leave the hospital. There wasn’t anyone. It was a very, very challenging period for me, because I thought I wasn’t going to make it. It wasn’t easy. Not at all. The treatment was very difficult. I thought I was going to go crazy (Mother, p3). |
We went through difficult times. She menstruated during treatment and hemorrhaged. Her flow was big, I was desperate. She had a lung water crisis due to the ATRA (trans-retinoic acid) and the saturation dropped to 80%. This time, she was transferred to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). It was a very difficult time, but she overcame it. There was a time when she caught a cytomegalovirus and was hospitalized for 40 days. There were 25 days without knowing what it was. I thought she was going to die, without finding out, we thought it was the return of the leukemia. There were many highs and lows in the treatment (Father, p4). |
“Time of uncertain peace” |
“My son is a survivor, he is a warrior”
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There is a time of war and there is a time of peace! Now the time has come for everyone to raise the white flag of peace. Nowadays we just remember what happened and ask God not to have to go through it again, under no circumstances, may God help us so that this does not happen. Now we are a well-structured and balanced family. Today it all has passed. That’s why I say that today is peace time, war time is over. Today, we are winners, for everything that happened; today, we are winners (Mother, p7). |
He is a cancer survivor. He survived by not going into a coma, he survived the first surgery, the second surgery, and also the chemo. He survived all of that. He survived three times. He is a survivor, a good survivor! (Mother, p2) |
“It’s a rebirth”
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Today I can see that she is a winner. I say it like this: “you came out of death to be reborn again, it’s a rebirth, a resurgence”. That’s what survival is about, surviving during the critical phase and surviving and being a better person afterwards (Father, p4). |
The hospital was an extraordinary thing in my son’s life and brought my son back. He is happy today, he has overcome everything (Mother, p7). |
My daughter was born again. God healed her and she didn’t die. She revived again (Mother, p9).
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Alliances to achieve peacetime |
To be a survivor, you need your family to not give up on treatment. If he hadn’t had the support from me, his father, and other family members and friends, he would have given up (Mother, p3). |
My whole family survived cancer. The whole family is a survivor, the family is tied together with the family bonds. When one member goes through something, the family goes through it all together. For all that we’ve been through, surely, we are all cancer survivors (Mother, p7). |
“The mother of a survivor never feels relieved”
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It’s very scary. Very scary. Every time we go for follow-up, we feel that fear. It is terrifying to arrive at the hospital and say something. As much as we have faith in God and we believe it won’t come back, it’s something that haunts me a lot. I don’t know about him, I also rather not put anything in his head so I don’t have to worry about it, with something that is not even happening. Leave it with me, I’m a mother (Mother, p3). |
Even though she is fine, there is still that insecurity running around. I still don’t feel safe. This affects my quality of life a little; you stop sleeping and keep thinking. Sometimes I am quiet and thoughtful; suddenly the memories come back and it scares me (Mother, p5). |