title: The experience of a diagnosis of advanced lung cancer: sleep is not a priority when living my life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe common practices and shared meanings of sleep-wake disturbances in individuals with newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) before treatment and evaluate their preexisting sleep disturbances.
  
  
  METHODS
  Open-ended interviews of patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Veterans Administration hospital and a comprehensive cancer center in the northeastern United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  26 patients newly diagnosed with NSCLC who chose chemotherapy treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interpretive phenomenology based on Heideggarian hermeneutics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Meaning of diagnosis on life experiences and sleep practices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants described four related themes: (a) the diagnosis as devastating yet not surprising, (b) treatment as hope for more time, (c) keeping life normal, and (d) sleep patterns as long lived.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although participants did not complain about sleep difficulties, they described a history of sleep disturbances and poor sleep hygiene. Participants focused their trust on the treatment, giving them more time to follow their priorities and ignoring the effects of sleep deprivation on their quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthcare professionals may design interventions to encourage keeping life as normal as possible, focusing on improving sleep, which may ultimately prolong patients' lives.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, New York, USA. sdickers@buffalo.edu
authors.forename: Suzanne S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Dickerson
authors.forename: Eman Abu
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Sabbah
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: Hongbin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lynn M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Steinbrenner
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dean
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008019:Life Style; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063545:Personal Narratives as Topic; D017286:Polysomnography; D011788:Quality of Life; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors