Table 3.

Experienced uncertainties.

	Uncertainties told while explaining about the illness		Uncertainties told as an answer to the IU question
	(Answers to question 1)		(Answers to question 2)
Name	Experienced period	Experienced uncertainties	Experienced period	Experienced uncertainties
Mary	–	None	–	None
Sarah	Before treatment (second surgery)	Success/failure of the treatment	–	None
	Before diagnosed (with forth cancer)	“why me?”
Tiffany	During treatment (third treatment)	Impact/side effect of treatment	–	None
	Now (with late side effects)	“why me?”
Kate	–	None	At diagnosis	Prognosis (death, recurrence)
			At diagnosis	“why me?”
			Start of treatment	Safety of the treatment
			Start of treatment – now	Impact/side effect of treatment
Melanie	At diagnosis	“why me?”	Before hospital discharge	Social reaction to the illness
			After hospital discharge	Prognosis (death, recurrence)
Jasmine	When experiencing symptoms	Meaning of symptoms	After hospitalization	Structure of the hospital
	When experiencing symptoms	Correctness of the diagnosis	During treatment	Meaning/necessity of treatment
	At diagnosis	“why me?”	During treatment	Duration of hospitalization
	At diagnosis	Prognosis (death)	During treatment	Impact/side effect of treatment
	Start of treatment	Good/bad things to do during treatment	During hospitalization	How to interact with hospital staff
	Start of treatment	About the treatment	During hospitalization – several years after	Financial burden on family
	During treatment	Hospitalization itself