Sailing Stormy Seas: The Illness Experience of Persons with Parkinsonu27s Disease

摘要

Parkinsonu27s disease is a chronic, progressive disorder with no known cause or promising cure. While substantial information is known about the pathophysiology, little is known about the illness experience of living with the disease. A qualitative study using an ethnographic approach was conducted to provide a rich understanding of the illness experience. The illness experience was apprehended through field work in two support groups and the personal accounts of 14 participants with Parkinsonu27s disease. The metaphor, u22Sailing the Sea in The Eye of the Storm,u22 is the overarching theme and was chosen to conceptualize the voyage of persons living with Parkinsonu27s disease. Two prevailing sub-themes were Daily Negotiations in the Midst of Uncertainty and Reconstruction of the Self.