“I’m Being Swallowed Up by This Illness, So Much Pain Deep Inside”
Claire a 40 Year-old Woman with Cancer
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.34299Keywords:
Case study, chaplain, multi-disciplinary team, oesophageal cancer, ritual, spiritual care, spiritual distressAbstract
This case study describes a chaplain’s relatively short intervention with a young female patient. Several themes of learning emerged from the encounters. The chaplain worked closely with a member of the multi-disciplinary team throughout her meetings with the patient, which developed a new way of working with the wider team. The study also explores the deeper themes of how the chaplain and other team members survive working with death constantly, as well as giving significant insight into how relevant spiritual care is to the patient’s wellbeing as she approached death.
References
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Dehlin, L., and L. Mårtensson (2009) “Adolescents’ Experiences of a Parent’s Serious Illness and Death”. Palliative and Supportive Care 7(1): 13–25. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951509000042
Fearnley, R. (2010) “Death of a Parent and the Children’s Experience: Don’t Ignore the Elephant in the Room”. Journal of Interprofessional Care 24(44): 450–59. https://doi.org/10.3109/13561820903274871
Goodhead, A., P. Speck and L. E. Selman (2016) “‘I Think You Just Learnt as You Went Along’ – Community Clergy’s Experiences of and Attitudes towards Caring for Dying People: A Pilot Study”. Palliative Medicine 30(7): 674–83. Available at: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0269216315625860 (accessed 14 July 2017).
Gordon, T., E. Kelly and D. Mitchell, eds. (2011) Spiritual Care for Healthcare Professionals: Reflecting on Clinical Practice. London and New York: Radcliffe Publishing.
Helseth, S., and N. Ulfsaet (2003) “Having a Parent with Cancer: Coping and Quality of Life of Children During Serious Illness in the Family”. Cancer Nursing 26(5): 355–62. https://doi.org/10.1097/00002820-200310000-00003
Kennedy, V. L., and M. Lloyd-Williams (2009) “How Children Cope When a Parent Has Advanced Cancer”. Psycho-Oncology 18(8): 886–92. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1455
Kleiber, C., and L. A. Montgomery (1995) “Information Needs of the Siblings of Critically Ill Children”. Child Health Care 24(1): 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326888chc2401_5
Murphy, K., and B. Whorton (2017) Chaplaincy in Hospice and Palliative Care. London: Jessica Kingsley Press.
Paterson, M. (2013) “Sustained From the Inside: Attending to the Vision”. Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy 15(1): 43–47. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v15i1.43
Stirling, I. (2011) “Spiritual Pain”. Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy 14(2): 22–29.
Swinton, J., and H. Mowat (2006) Practical Theology and Qualitative Research. London: SCM Press.
Withell, B. B. (2009) “The Prebereavement Psychological Needs of AIDS-Affected Adolescents in Uganda”. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 15(3): 128–33. https://doi.org/10.12968/ijpn.2009.15.3.41091
Dehlin, L., and L. Mårtensson (2009) “Adolescents’ Experiences of a Parent’s Serious Illness and Death”. Palliative and Supportive Care 7(1): 13–25. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951509000042
Fearnley, R. (2010) “Death of a Parent and the Children’s Experience: Don’t Ignore the Elephant in the Room”. Journal of Interprofessional Care 24(44): 450–59. https://doi.org/10.3109/13561820903274871
Goodhead, A., P. Speck and L. E. Selman (2016) “‘I Think You Just Learnt as You Went Along’ – Community Clergy’s Experiences of and Attitudes towards Caring for Dying People: A Pilot Study”. Palliative Medicine 30(7): 674–83. Available at: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0269216315625860 (accessed 14 July 2017).
Gordon, T., E. Kelly and D. Mitchell, eds. (2011) Spiritual Care for Healthcare Professionals: Reflecting on Clinical Practice. London and New York: Radcliffe Publishing.
Helseth, S., and N. Ulfsaet (2003) “Having a Parent with Cancer: Coping and Quality of Life of Children During Serious Illness in the Family”. Cancer Nursing 26(5): 355–62. https://doi.org/10.1097/00002820-200310000-00003
Kennedy, V. L., and M. Lloyd-Williams (2009) “How Children Cope When a Parent Has Advanced Cancer”. Psycho-Oncology 18(8): 886–92. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1455
Kleiber, C., and L. A. Montgomery (1995) “Information Needs of the Siblings of Critically Ill Children”. Child Health Care 24(1): 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326888chc2401_5
Murphy, K., and B. Whorton (2017) Chaplaincy in Hospice and Palliative Care. London: Jessica Kingsley Press.
Paterson, M. (2013) “Sustained From the Inside: Attending to the Vision”. Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy 15(1): 43–47. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v15i1.43
Stirling, I. (2011) “Spiritual Pain”. Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy 14(2): 22–29.
Swinton, J., and H. Mowat (2006) Practical Theology and Qualitative Research. London: SCM Press.
Withell, B. B. (2009) “The Prebereavement Psychological Needs of AIDS-Affected Adolescents in Uganda”. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 15(3): 128–33. https://doi.org/10.12968/ijpn.2009.15.3.41091
Published
2018-04-12
Issue
Section
Case Studies
How to Cite
Murphy, K. (2018). “I’m Being Swallowed Up by This Illness, So Much Pain Deep Inside”: Claire a 40 Year-old Woman with Cancer. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 5(2), 209-223. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.34299
