Meanings of Feeling Well for Women With Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

In research concerning multiple sclerosis (MS), the factors that impact on people's well-being and quality of life have been studied, but little has been written about what it means to feel well for women with MS. Therefore, in this study our aim was to describe meanings of feeling well for women with MS. We interviewed 15 women with MS, and a phenomenological hermeneutic interpretation was utilized to analyze the interviews. Through this study it can be understood that finding a pace where daily life goes on means that women with MS feel well when the illness is kept in check and is not the dominant experience. The findings of this study can be used to confirm women's experiences of feeling well, despite living with the consequences of MS. Health care professionals will find the results of this study useful when they reflect on and formulate the care of women with MS when attempting to support the latter's desire to feel well in their daily lives.

The significance of FM associations for women with FM

“…Söderberg et al [1] noted that when women with FM met other women in a similar situation, the encounter engendered feelings of not being alone and gave them relief. This is in line with Jumisko et al [32], Olsson et al [33], and Juuso et al [34], who showed that for people with chronic illness, meeting others with similar experiences can lead to feelings of well-being. However, in this study, some of the women with FM had a more skeptical view of the FM association.…”

“…Råheim and Håland [43] showed that for women with FM, using their competence for the benefit of others and themselves led to feelings of joy and satisfaction. According to Olsson et al [33] for women with MS, to feel needed meant to be appreciated and valued, which was a source for feeling well. In this study, women with FM described that managing to do things increased their self-esteem.…”

Afrontando la Esclerosis Múltiple: Sentimientos y Temores [Coping with Multiple Sclerosis: Feelings and Fears]

“…Las mujeres utilizan como estrategia común el vivir el presente, vivir el día a día y evitar la planificación para el futuro (Lillrank, 1998), incorporando la EM en sus vidas como un acompañante que les va marcando el ritmo de vida, lo que pueden o no pueden hacer cada mañana, e intentan vivir como el resto de la gente que no tiene EM (Olsson, Skär y Söderberg, 2010: 1256-1259.…”

Quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis

“…Осећај здравља свакако је најважнији фактор у процењивању квалитета живота оболелих од МС, али засигурно није и једини, што је потврђено у многим истраживањима код мушкараца, а посебно код жена 13 . У про-цени квалитета живота неопходно је уважити и осећај задовољства у животу болесника 5 ; неке од значајних разлика између мушкараца и жена уочене су у погледу задовољства брач-ним животом, односно у погледу перцепције умора.…”