Uncertain Meanings

Merleau-Ponty [ 11 ] further developed this ambivalent and complex relationship as an embodied existence where the lived body is regarded as the starting-point for our experiences and actions [ 12 ].

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5. uncertain - meaning in Kannada;
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Hence, to live in health and illness means to exist with body breast, digestion , emotions fear, happiness , thoughts understanding, beliefs , social connections family, friends and more [ 13 ]. It follows that the existential uncertainty of individuals in this situation is about the uncertainty of the prospect of the disease trajectory, about being able to survive or not and how life will be before death.

People diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer report existential uncertainty as early on as their diagnosis [ 16 , 17 ]. The fact that existential uncertainty is common is supported by studies conducted on younger people with cancer [ 5 ] and for different cancer diagnoses [ 21 - 24 ]. Since cancer is highly prevalent, many people may be living with such existential uncertainty.

In , close to 13 million people were affected by cancer, in an equal distribution between men and women, and primary sites in the gastrointestinal organs are among the most common form of cancer in the world [ 25 ]. Improved treatment methods mean a larger proportion of people diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer now survive and greater numbers are living for longer with the disease. Although existential uncertainty prevails in cancer patients, there are studies which show that they can also experience certainty and even existential certainty in the sense of having a fresh take on life, getting to know themselves better and appreciating their families in a different way [ 5 ].

Receiving bad news is well known to be challenging information [ 26 , 27 ], but so is making sense of receiving palliative treatments [ 28 ].

What is Measurement and Uncertainty?

Reluctance from physicians to disclose prognostic information [ 30 ] would indicate one source of uncertainty. Earlier research clearly shows that while the information needs of patients are marked, they are also complex in relation to fluctuations in the progression of the disease. Further research is needed regarding what the vacillation between uncertainty and certainty, as illustrated by these studies, means to the patient [ 28 , 29 ]. The purpose of this study is to interpret meanings of existential uncertainty and certainty for people diagnosed with advanced gastrointestinal cancer and receiving palliative treatment.

Meanings of uncertain in Kannada

The present study is a secondary aim of a larger project about information provision among people receiving palliative cancer care [ 28 , 29 , 31 ] where the fieldwork was informed by life-world phenomenology [ 12 , 32 ]. In this way, the theoretical bases considered continuity between description and interpretation [ 12 ]. People were asked to participate from an oncological outpatient clinic that specialises in palliative care for gastrointestinal cancer.

For inclusion in the study, participants had to be diagnosed with advanced gastrointestinal cancer. According to the principles of qualitative method, variation was sought across gender, age, occupation, family constellation and socio-economic factors. Individuals whose primary nurses considered them to be too weak to participate lacking strength to share and relate their experiences were excluded.

These patients had had cancer primary tumour sites were liver, colon and unknown for periods of from two months up to two decades. All participants were diagnosed with various metastases.

Four had permanent colostomies. Participants were included from one month and up to three years after receiving their diagnosis of advanced cancer and initiation of palliative treatments mainly cytotoxic drugs every second week and in a few cases, subsidiary radiation therapy and surgery with active symptom management.

All the participants were born in Sweden and most of them lived in urban areas. All of them had children but only three had children at home, one had deceased children, and three were widowed with adult children. The participants had a range of occupational backgrounds, and differed in their employment status 8 were retired, 3 on sick leave and 3 worked part time and part-time on sick leave and the majority had a history of cancer in the family for more details, see [ 28 ].

Data collection comprised 66 narrative interviews conducted over a period of two-and-a-half years with supplementary observations selected to facilitate monitoring of participants over time, the aim of which is reported elsewhere [ 28 ]. The narrative interviews varied in length from 30— minutes and most were audio recorded. In some cases, notes were taken. The following topic areas were covered in the interviews: What information the participants needed and wanted to know, 2.

What is Measurement and Uncertainty?

How they sought such information, 3. What they asked fellow patients and clinical staff respectively, 4. What they reflected on at home and 5. What their preferences were in relation to information and knowledge for more details, see [ 28 ]. The audio recorded narrative interviews were transcribed verbatim and the transcripts were analysed in three stages: The initial naive reading served to generate questions for testing in the further analysis. First, the narratives were read all the way through a number of times.

This reading aimed to be as unbiased as possible and focused on the descriptions of the narrators and their reflections, which were used to guide the subsequent structural analyses. The participants presented narratives that revealed uncertainty as well as certainty regarding their changed and still-changing life situations following short- and long-term palliative treatment. The data was subsequently processed by means of NVivo in order to discern meanings and actions in narrative segments dealing with existential certainty and uncertainty. The initial reading of these segments suggested further analysis of meanings guided by the following two analytical questions:.

The following analysis aimed to systematically examine the script in order to identify and clarify potential meaning structures. Each narrative segment was analysed on the basis of the two analytical questions. Firstly, meanings were described for each narrative segment that corresponded to one of the analytical questions.

The identified meanings were then analysed on the basis of similarities, differences and how these meanings could be related to one another. This analysis led to the disclosure of two meaning structures. The interpreted whole means creating a deeper understanding of the meanings that have been extracted and clarified during the structural analysis. Participants were asked to consent to repeated interviews. Each participant had an initial meeting with one of the researchers at the outpatient clinic.

For the participants, existential uncertainty and certainty appeared to change life in a decisive way. Our study interviews contain descriptions of aspects which both create existential certainty and counteract uncertainty.

The participants said that they started to reflect on how new and uncertain aspects of life would unfold. Below is a presentation of these spheres of existential uncertainty and certainty, followed by the meanings related to moving between them and finally, an interpreted whole. Nevertheless, they could feel existential certainty if they got the opportunity to learn more about their disease and how their bodies reacted and functioned.

The more the participants got to know their bodies, the more they learned to recognise their own limitations. This knowledge contributed to their development of new body awareness. It was only when this was no longer obvious or functioning that they realised its worth and could appreciate it.

Having everyday routines gives a sense of assurance and security. The participants spoke of these routines as providing meaningful occupation during the day and highlighted them as important. Even the opportunity to experience a change of environment in everyday life brought relief to the participants from their existential uncertainty. This can be understood as a kind of passage through time and space, in which intrusive thoughts regarding uncertainty ebb away and everyday life can be understood in a different light. Consequently, a functioning ordinary day that included a change of environment in the form of a trip or visiting someone was associated with assurance.

This could then create the conditions for existential uncertainty to transform into increased existential certainty. The participants maintained that relief from existential uncertainty can be found in companionship with others. Feeling you are of value to other people was described as meaningful.

The participants described how important it was to have friends who shared their difficulties and gave support, as well as affirmed their continued value to others. Further, supportive friends and family members provided a sense of context and greater certainty in belonging to a community. Conversely, existential uncertainty was perceived as greater when participants lacked a place in such a community. The participants related how important it was to receive treatment for their disease.

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They revealed that they sometimes felt vulnerable in the presence of healthcare staff, especially in situations where they felt exposed. The participants perceived imbalance between themselves and the healthcare staff and felt it was important to retain self-determination and integrity. Existential uncertainty existed in healthcare encounters characterised by obvious power imbalances. When the participants perceived themselves to be in a vulnerable situation, a sense of existential uncertainty arose. Integrity-breaching behaviour on the part of healthcare professionals could also contribute to existential uncertainty.

Existential certainty was promoted by meetings with healthcare professionals when the participants felt that they were listened to, when the healthcare professionals took their time, answered their questions and treated them as human beings, gave them affirmation in their predicament and generated a positive health visit experience.

Doing various activities in the natural environment were said to be associated with greater awareness, strength and inner calm. The participants described different kinds of experiences with nature and related that in close proximity to nature they could find existential certainty in their existential uncertainty. For example, some of the participants described how they enjoyed walking quickly or slowly in the natural environment, and being close to the sea and perhaps going for a swim.

The participants stated that the present could be experienced as more certain, as opposed to the future, which appeared more uncertain as a result of living with advanced cancer and receiving palliative treatment. In this dichotomy, they spoke of now being the time for them to do something meaningful. Postponing an activity telephone calls, trips, family get-togethers etc. For the participants, this implied that plans for the future could be jeopardised because of their life-threatening and unpredictable disease. Being personally involved in planning important things for the future was described by the participants as providing a greater sense of certainty in their existential uncertainty.

It was also meaningful to have a goal to look forward to, having something ahead of them that was perceived as meaningful. They entertained hope of being cured, making a full recovery or getting to live a few more years so that new treatment methods would have time to develop, and consciously tried to live as well as possible during the disease trajectory.

Being able to trust people in their surroundings meant participants experienced greater existential certainty in their uncertainty. Thinking about their own future was considered a demanding task, as such thoughts encompassed great existential uncertainty, in their opinion. Time Traveler for uncertain The first known use of uncertain was in the 14th century See more words from the same century. English Language Learners Definition of uncertain.

Kids Definition of uncertain. More from Merriam-Webster on uncertain Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with uncertain Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for uncertain Spanish Central: Translation of uncertain Nglish: Translation of uncertain for Spanish Speakers Britannica English: Comments on uncertain What made you want to look up uncertain? Get Word of the Day daily email! Need even more definitions?

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