2017 Volume 20 Issue 4 Pages 410-419
This study aimed to elucidate how colon cancer patients coped with their feelings of loss caused by the placement of a permanent stoma. The subjects were six patients who received an ostomy for colorectal cancer more than five years before the study. Qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews were analyzed with the Grounded Theory Approach（Saiki）. As a result, 17 different categories were extrapolated spanning two qualitatively different periods labeled, ‘Breakdown of values’ and ‘Groping in the dark.’ Furthermore, three different ‘types’ of coping behavior with which the patients passed through these periods were identified, namely, ‘sharing anguish with fellow patients,’ ‘enduring sadness,’ and ‘coping with reality.’ During the ‘breakdown of values’ period, patients suspended their feelings of anguish regardless of their behavior type. In the ‘groping in the dark’ period, those sharing their anguish with fellow patients（type 2）initially experienced psychological distress as they passed through ‘sadness caused by having a stoma’ to the ‘search for meaning in undergoing ostomy placement’ but experienced alleviation through sharing their anguish.
Patients choosing to ‘endure their sadness’ tried to cope with ‘the sadness of having a stoma’ on their own through making efforts to ‘coexist with their stoma’ but continued to experience anguish. Those exhibiting these two behavior types showed no indication of searching for meaning. These findings demonstrate the importance of long-term support during the ‘groping in the dark’ period when patients experience ‘sadness caused by having a stoma.
