This study categorized the meaning of loss of breast as constructed from the narratives of individuals who had undergone mastectomy. Participants were women beginning their first course of chemotherapy after mastectomy. The researcher collected data using formal and informal interviews and conducted a qualitative analysis, focusing on the meaning of loss of breast. Five categories of meaning emerged: negative change of self, transient pain, challenge, new quality and exploration into self. These categories turned out to be related to the participants' representation of themselves and their environment, which had developed in their life-stories in the above order over time. These categories were used even when participants explained their self-presentation, and constituted a structure that involved a multiple self-scheme. As a result, meaning of loss of breast appears to become increasingly multi-layered as these women adapt to their postoperative condition.
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