Skip to main content

Table 1 Narrative transcription examples of event, experience, evaluation

From: Hope against hope: exploring the hopes and challenges of rural female caregivers of persons with advanced cancer

Direct quotations from journals

Excerpt of narrative

Journal event:

Transcribed into narrative:

Bad news – so bad it was hard to take in. A big growth in his lymph nodes that they did not see 4 weeks ago.

A few weeks ago we received bad news that was hard to take in. When we saw the oncologist, he left us with the clear message that we are on a different path now that the cancer is back.

When we saw Dr. D this morning, the radiation oncologist, he didn’t pull any punches & left us with the clear message that we have met a crossroad and now are on a different path that the cancer is back.

Journal experience:

Transcribed into narrative:

It was both sobering and hard to hear. It was also hard because K does not verbalize his emotional response. He just keeps saying “What is IS and I completely accept it” whereas I am feeling of anger, sadness and fear… and shocked with the soberness.

My partner is not showing emotion and says he accepts it, but I am feeling anger, sadness, and fear. I am still shocked with the soberness.

Journal evaluation:

Transcribed into narrative:

To hope against hope is hoping even through there is no good reason to hope (which is where we were at today) is the kind of hope we have. No more can be done for my honey. That’s the sad reality we are facing.

The kind of approach I currently have is “to hope against hope”, meaning you keep hoping even though there is no hope for a cure.

That is the hope I have right now, see what lies ahead. There may be a light at the back of the tunnel yet.

There may be light at the back of the tunnel yet – every once in a while it sneaks in when I’m not looking.

There is hope. Every once in a while it sneaks in when I’m not looking.