Table 2.
WHOQOL-BREF items, pain management, and pain narratives.
| QoL self-rating | Feeling activity limitation due to pain | Satisfaction in everyday activities | Pain management | Pain-related quotations from in-depth interviews | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clara | Neither…1 | Very much | Neither…2 | Paracetamol | My scar hurts … I have also shooting pains in the arm, I can't lift it. |
| Ella | Good | A little | Neither…2 | Diclofenac | I'm dripping with sweat … I've lost my appetite … and the pain starts every morning at 7 A.M. |
| Nancy | Very poor | A little | Neither…2 | None | My scar hurts all the time, especially when the weather is hot … The scar was done too tight and it hurts a lot because I put on weight due to my pills. |
| Eva | Poor | Not at all | Satisfied | Diclofenac, paracetamol | I have a hematoma since breast reconstruction … it has been hurting for six months now … I'm tired as soon as I wake up and I feel aching in my entire body, especially the bones. |
| Linda | Good | Not at all | Neither…2 | Trinitrin | My breastbone hurts a lot … sometimes my chest feels like it has a huge weight on it and I suffocate … I can't sleep. |
| Emmy | Very good | A little | Satisfied | None | I'm always out of breath because of the chemotherapy, it's weakened my heart … I'm 31 and I can't ride a scooter, I can't raise my arms … I can't lift a pack of milk, it's too painful. |
| Stella | Good | Moderate | Satisfied | None | My arm has been hurting since the surgery … especially in the morning … and sometimes my breast also hurts. |
| Cindy | Poor | Moderate | Satisfied | None | Before my cancer I used to blow dry 20 clients' hair every day, but now after 4 or 5 I must stop because my arm hurts too much … today I can't even hold my handbag … sometimes I've got shooting pains in my breast, like a stab from a knife. |
| Rachel | Neither…1 | Very much | Not satisfied at all | Paracetamol | I can't go upstairs, my ankles swell … If I lift something my arm starts hurting and swelling the day after. |
| Silvia | Good | Moderate | Satisfied | None | Because of the pills I take I have muscular pain, like cramps, especially in the back and the arm. |
1: Neither poor nor good.
2: Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.