Table 3.
Illustrating a detailed exploration of key features of the plot and tellers’ reaction of each narrative master plot.
| Exploring the Plot (red) and the Teller (blue) | The Responsive and Reflective Narrative | The Frail Narrative | The Recovery Narrative | The Survive or Die Narrative | The Personal Project Narrative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choice in decision to be treated | None | Had a choice and chose treatment | No doubts | No choice but to face it | No choice but an easy decision |
| Regrets about decision | None | On a bad day, yes | No regrets | No regrets | Cannot imagine thinking of regretting it. That thought is a ridiculous concept |
| View of progress | Recovery appears much slower than expected | Never appreciated the length of time needed. A time frame helps | End points encourage patient. They often take progress as a day at a time | Quick actually, but still a long time to experience | Amazing and very proud |
| Interaction with HCPs and the information they are given. | Stress the importance of being honest and do not give them false hope but keep them in their terms within a realistic framework |
Reliant on the HCPs to have a good relationship with them and make the decision about how much information they can cope with. Read all the information and want ongoing discussion |
No research or reading completed | Be honest, cannot absorb information until experience it | Need to read the information and discuss it, never trust the HCPs completely—their systems are suspect and could be better, and want to discuss this aspect of the care rather than their own needs |
| Goals of the story | Cure | Cope with the day to day symptoms | Cure important, make the goals achievable | Cure but do not face it alone | Understand every intricacy and how it impacts on them |
| Perspective on mortality and/or recurrence | Considered own death prior to diagnosis | Symptoms might be recurrence | Any symptom could be recurrence | Never happen to me to any symptom could be cancer | Never thought it could be them |
| Expressions relating to physical, psychological and spiritual well-being | Not vulnerable physically Do things in their own way and on their own terms. Do not face it alone |
Exhausted physically and emotionally more irritated | Ill and now recovered—a long timescale | Could be impulsive, knew people avoids them but that is their prerogative |
Do not need to conform to society in ways they used to. They often note an inner strength, never identified before diagnosis |
| Adaptation, Recovery and hopes | Isolation prevents ability to share narrative | Plod on and try and cope, personal isolation and others cannot understand what has happened to them | Life will never be the same again but deal with it | Life beyond the diagnosis, but fearful when others discuss possibility of cancer, that it could be them | Embody recovery and, against the odds, very hopeful that their experience is something others might benefit from |
| Characteristics of story | Pragmatic and reflective | Endure, but know the intricacies of treatment and recovery | Could not understand the treatment until the reality was being lived | Got away with it but could be next time | Keep control for sake of family and future patients |
Note: HCPs = Health Care Professionals.