A cancer diagnosis is not
just a single event with a defined beginning and end, but rather a diagnosis
initiates a survival trajectory characterized by on-going uncertainty,
potentially delayed or late effects of the disease or treatment, and concurrent
psychosocial issues that extends over the remainder of a person’s life. Improvements
in the early detection and treatment of cancer have increased the periods of
survival following a breast cancer diagnosis. However, statistics give no
indication of the quality of life experienced in the months and years that
follow the end of treatment. Amongst emerging research on the physical and psychosocial
aspects of cancer survivorship, some questions still need to be answered. For
instance, how does a person transition to survivorship and integrate the cancer
experience into their lives over the long term? And what support structures are
needed to facilitate this process of integration? If healthcare providers are
to adequately prepare patients for cancer survivorship and assist them in their
recovery, then they must achieve a deeper understanding of what surviving
cancer is like. Â Personal narratives shared through social media are an
area of rapid development in communication among breast cancer survivors. Many
are turning to blogs to tell their stories. These blog narratives provide a
framework for a richer understanding of the lived experience of cancer
survivorship and a means of exploring how they integrate the cancer experience
into their lives over the long term.