Striving towards Normality in Daily Life: A Qualitative Study of Patients Living with Metastatic Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour in Long-Term Clinical Remission

Table 2

Themes extracted from the participants interview.

Themes	Family life-normalisation and adaptation	Vocational life is important but requires adjustment	Limitations to social life and leisure time	Keeping negative mental health issues at bay
Subthemes	Struggling with tiredness and exhaustion; Affecting of sexual activity and identity; Concerns related to children; Little energy for grandchildren; Restriction for family members; A normal life as possible	Wish to work; Adjustments necessary; Work as a social arena; Professional role and contributing to society; Work identity; Adapted to routines in the morning; Concentration problems; Stop working was difficult but a relief	Little energy for social and physical activities; Avoid social activities or make adjustments; Reduced physical activities; Put brakes on spouses; Changed hobbies; Apportion their energy; Exercise importance; Difficult to explain the limitation to others; Toilet access problem	Uncertainty due to drug resistance and fear of premature death; Relaxed to living with metastatic cancer; More afraid of losing ability to function; Limbo between uncertainty and hope; Follow-up was burdensome for all