title: The Paradox of Waiting for Heart Transplant: Between Control and Fate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Understanding a patient's perspective has received increased attention. Awaiting heart transplant remains a great challenge, not only for patients and their families but also for health professionals. This particular challenge has multiple aspects, the most important being the psychological one. Understanding candidates for heart transplant is vital for all caregivers. In this study, our aim was to present the individual's experience of awaiting heart transplant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structured interviews and the Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Illness Cognition Questionnaire, and the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised measurements were performed in 2 male patients (60 and 61 years old) who were on heart transplant wait list.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients expressed their concerns and perceived severe consequences of heart disease. They also demonstrated the importance of significant others and hope. The results suggest the existence of realistic cognitive pictures of the disease. The patients revealed high sense of control along with the awareness of being dependent on fate. The lack of severe anxiety and depressive symptoms along with high perceived benefits' scores suggest the existence of an adaptation process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Awaiting heart transplant appears to be a multidimensional phenomenon. The paradoxic configuration of a high sense of control along with the awareness of being dependent on fate was apparent. Significant others and hope seem to be of great importance. The Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure allows a better understanding of a patient's perspective and allows the patient to share personal views. The individual approach provides opportunities that go far beyond routine clinical assessment.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, and the Cardiac Surgery Department, Cardiovascular Centre of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nowicka-Sauer
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jarmoszewicz
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pietrzykowska
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Batkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003071:Cognition; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004644:Emotions; D005195:Family Relations; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014850:Waiting Lists