Implications of mastectomy in a group of women’s everyday life

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying women’s attitude before breast cancer diagnosis and the alterations occurred in the everyday lives of such women after the mastectomy, describing mechanisms used to overcome the difficulties brought by it. We interviewed 15 women who participated in the Research Group Research and Attendance to the Mastectomized Woman from March to June, 2004. The results show that the most frequent feelings experienced by such women are: fear of death, of loosing the partner and of the mutilation, shame, sadness, insecurity and resignation. As for the alterations in the everyday life, limitations in the accomplishment of domestic tasks and of the social life were related. The influence of the mastectomy in the matrimonial relationship is due to the behavior of the partner, of the surgery and of the woman herself. As mechanisms to face the difficulties the women had the partner’s support day by day and help of other members of the family.