A Narrative Inquiry into the Adjustment Experiences of Male Bladder Cancer Survivors with a Neobladder

Kim, So Hee; Ryu, Eunjung; Kim, Eun-Ju

doi:10.3390/ijerph17218260

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A Narrative Inquiry into the Adjustment Experiences of Male Bladder Cancer Survivors with a Neobladder

So Hee Kim

Eunjung Ryu

^2,*

and

Eun-Ju Kim

Graduate School, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea

Department of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, 84 Heuksuk-ro Dongjak-gu, Seoul 06974, Korea

Department of English, Hanyang Women’s University, Seoul 04763, Korea

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(21), 8260; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218260

Received: 9 September 2020 / Revised: 5 November 2020 / Accepted: 7 November 2020 / Published: 9 November 2020

(This article belongs to the Section Nursing)

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Abstract

This study aimed to explore three male bladder cancer survivors’ adjustment experiences after neobladder reconstruction. A narrative inquiry method was adopted to closely investigate the individual experiences of bladder cancer survivors and the meaning of their experiences. Three themes emerged regarding physical and mental changes resulting from neobladder reconstruction: difficulty urinating or holding urine, sexual dysfunction and sexlessness, and stress resulting from urinary incontinence. Life changes following surgery varied across each participant and included ‘unwanted retirement’, ‘quitting drinking and leaving work’, and ‘beginning of a restrained life’. The theme of adjustment experience emerged, comprising ‘active exploration of resolutions’, ‘accepting change and partial return to daily life’, and ‘living in line with the health condition and family wishes’. Bladder cancer survivors with a neobladder, in this study, continue to adjust to changes in the voiding mechanism, various symptoms including incontinence, and life changes even after surgical cancer resection. The findings suggest that not only therapeutic interventions, but additional interventions are also needed to assist bladder cancer survivors with adjustment, rehabilitation, and return to society. These findings are also expected to be used both to educate bladder cancer survivors with a neobladder and to develop policies to help them. View Full-Text

Keywords: urinary bladder; neoplasms; adjustment; cystectomy; survivors; male

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

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MDPI and ACS Style

Kim, S.H.; Ryu, E.; Kim, E.-J. A Narrative Inquiry into the Adjustment Experiences of Male Bladder Cancer Survivors with a Neobladder. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 8260. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218260

AMA Style

Kim SH, Ryu E, Kim E-J. A Narrative Inquiry into the Adjustment Experiences of Male Bladder Cancer Survivors with a Neobladder. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(21):8260. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218260

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kim, So H., Eunjung Ryu, and Eun-Ju Kim. 2020. "A Narrative Inquiry into the Adjustment Experiences of Male Bladder Cancer Survivors with a Neobladder" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 21: 8260. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218260

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A Narrative Inquiry into the Adjustment Experiences of Male Bladder Cancer Survivors with a Neobladder

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