. 2024 Jun 27;110(10):6632–6646. doi: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000001663

Table 3.

Thematic summary of post-operative interviews.

Theme
Pre-surgery
(1) Activity awareness and the “new normal”	(a) Health behaviour change^a (b) Lifestyle adjustment	“..keep up as much physical activity if I can, and also to keep a good diet and also to get enough sleep” “have to adjust to …like..I was thinking you’re going to have to go around with …like a money belt..for something to put your food Awareness they will have to adjust to a new lifestyle”
	(c) Physical activity-recovery link^a	“At my age I have to be fit, physically fit. There’s a no brainer at any age”
(2) Journey of Recovery	(a) Optimism and acceptance	“recovery but it is understandable but I am happy with the outcome and I am happy the way things are progressing for me. Overall content with outcome and how things are progressing”
	(b) Reflection^a	“live life to the full really everyday because life is short, you do realise you know that your health is your wealth”
	(c) Return to normality^a	“I would like to be able to play music again, and even as I said the accordion is very relaxing”
	(d) Ups and downs^a	“I went through a real rough stage em, It wasn’t easy”
(3) Trauma of diagnosis	(a) Post-operative complications	“I lost a bit of confidence and I was in a lot of pain for a while but we are getting there”
	(b) Overwhelmed	“Cancer just sort of takes over your whole life you know?”
	(c) Mental health	“it just kinda felt, oh god, I don’t know, a bit hopeless”
Post-surgery
(1) Optimism and recovery	(a) Confidence vs. uncertainty^a	“But, eh, I’ve great confidence in terms of, eh, the team I’ve dealt with, and, eh, the experience they”
	(b) Long-term recovery	“Like then I would see no reason why I shouldn’t get back to full health eventually, might take a couple of months”
	(c) Physical activity to promote post-op recovery^a	“Ah, healthy, I suppose is exercise and healthy eating-”
(2) Anxiety	(a) Internal anxiety^a	“The pain yea after, after the operation and……if I’ll be able to get back to myself the way I was”
	(b) Moment of realization^a	“it hasn’t been over the last few months actually, it’s only when we met Professor __, and when he went through the extent of the operation, that’s when the fear and the thoughts and the anxiety really kicked in.”
	(c) External factors	“particularly given the Covid situation at the moment in hospitals and so on. Em they understand it’s a difficult operation as well, so yeah there is a natural kind of anxiety about it”
Hopes for the future maintenance^a	(a) Physical activity	“Fitness training…in the sense, in a gym, training sessions with a trainer”
	(b) Return to daily activities	“I’m involved with a few charities, and to get back with them and working with them and to get back to mass, to daily mass, and just get back to having the holiday every year, myself and my friend go on a holiday, sometimes two. And just to get back to normality”
	(c) Re-evaluation and realisation	“To appreciate life, that’s the main one (laughs)..the things you take for granted..and when your sick, oh god you look out the window and see people passing by and think how lucky are they”

^{^a}

Indicates subthemes where a significant group difference was evidenced between control and intervention conditions.