Getting on with life following a spinal cord injury: Regaining meaning through six phases

Abstract

This paper investigates the process of regaining meaning after spinal cord injury. The study had a longitudinal case study design, in which twelve patients suffering from sudden damage of the spinal cord were followed by field observation and narrative interviews. Data was analysed from a phenomenological-hermeneutic perspective. Seventy-eight interviews were conducted over a two-year period. The main finding was that the process of regaining meaning after a spinal cord injury proceeded through six phases; Surviving physically and regaining vitality, Moving back to life where possibilities present themselves, Working with progress to pursue possibilities, Fading progress narrow possibilities down, Exploiting limited possibilities, and Living a life with qualities despite limitations. The core was the patient's imagination of a future worth going for, and of whether the present situation made this future seem possible. The balance between present and future concerns was very vulnerable to influence from the environment. The paper illuminates the delicacy of the situation and of how minor elements may disturb the balance and hence upset the situation.