Table 8.

Sense of connection cultivated through blogging.

Themes identified	Quotes
Theme 6.1: Helping others	“First I was helped, now I am helping...a reminder that I *am* part of the world.”
	“Cancer survivors are an amazing group, so eager to help each other.”
	“Reading about other breast cancer survivors is inspiring, sad, and makes me want to work harder to end this epidemic.”
Theme 6.2: Decreased sense of isolation	“By writing openly and in detail and having interaction with others it has enhanced my sense of interaction.”
	“It has helped me learn to talk to others about my issues more openly.”
	“I’m not alone! There are others out there who are in the same situation as me!”
Theme 6.3: Shared experience	“It helps me dealing with my own situation knowing that there are people in more or less the same situation.”
	“I feel there is a strong sense of understanding between people with a common disease as well as between people with different chronic disorders.”
	“It’s been wonderful connecting with others who really get what it’s like to live with chronic pain.”
Theme 6.4: Sense of community	“Enabled me to connect with others worldwide I would never have normally met. Enabled me to become closer to friends.”
	“There is a sense of ‘we’re all in this together’ with other bloggers who are faced with similar challenges, even if we face different illnesses; we often have a lot in common. It can be a great comfort.”
	“Realize that others are going through the same things as I am.”