Table 2 Conversations regarding treatment*
From: Cancer patients on Twitter: a novel patient community on social media
Conversation 1 (psychological encouragement) | user18 | I cleared the blood test ♪ but because of a concerning observation above my collarbone (I have had it for 3 years) that I feel has gotten a bit bigger, I had to take an echo test. (>_<) |
user17 | Glad to hear that you cleared the test! | |
user18 | Dear (user17), thank you ♪, now the echo test… Wish me luck(^^) | |
Conversation 2 (psychological encouragement) | user14 | Dear (user16), thank you. The medication was effective and I was able to confirm the shrunken CT image. So I think I am ready for chemotherapy. (^O^)/ |
user16 | Once it turns out to be effective, we feel we'll be able to take it further. Let's do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |
Conversation 3 (psychological encouragement) | user16 | You don't have to try hard. Just keep yourself in good physical condition for now, so you're ready for the operation next year.After completing treatment, you can come back. |
user16 | Dear (user15), keep it up. | |
user15 | Dear (user16), good morning. (*⌒-⌒*)o ♪ I took a day off from work today.~(¯∇¯;) | |
user15 | Thank you. (^-^)v I will just take a day off to relax and refresh myself. (*⌒-⌒*)o | |
user16 | Be careful not to catch a cold. | |
user15 | Dear (user16), thank you for your kindness as usual. (*´∇`*) | |
Conversation 4 (report on hospital visit) | user16 | Dear (user12), be careful when you visit the hospital. |
user12 | Thank you. I am off to the hospital. (*^o^*) | |
Conversation 5 (conversation regarding physical constitution) | user19 | Good morning!! I still have some pain 1 week after the operation. Strangely, my left arm which I broke some years ago hurts. Why? |
user16 | Because the weather is terrible today, my scar hurts, too. | |
user19 | Hi sister, good morning! Well, you, too! It's my first time to experience an old wound hurting.Having various pains here and there is confusing (laughing), ha-ha. | |
user16 | It also hurts just before it starts to rain. Because I have keloid diathesis and my wound is rather wide and mounted, with adhesion, it really hurts when I have intestinal movements. It is really painful when I have diarrhea, but now I am used to it. | |
user17 | Dear (user19), good morning (^_^). My cut wound from a year ago has been hurting me since yesterday. Although I can bear the pain if I just moan, apparently there are many people who feel pain from old wounds when the weather gets cold. I hate it. Let's keep ourselves warm. | |
user19 | Dear (user17), good morning. Wow, you, too, dear (user17)! I guess the cold weather does have an effect, after all. Let's keep ourselves warm so that we can heal, everybody. Keep it up today, too. | |
Conversation 6 (report on hospital visit) | user11 | Dear (user16), good evening. Here is your aunt to talk about nice things. (Laughing) It's nice. I feel like drinking tonight… but I will have a gynecological exam tomorrow for the first time in 6 months. Because they will collect my blood as well, I will leave that until tomorrow so I have something to look forward to. d(⌒-⌒) |
user16 | Don't miss it. | |
user11 | I will meet with my favorite attending physician for the first time in 6 months. I'm really looking forward to it. d(⌒-⌒)! | |
user16 | Me, too. With CT and check-up, there will be two hospital visits this month. | |
user11 | Just like this year's year-end tax adjustment? For both of us… I will have a gynecological exam tomorrow, too, and the year-end lymph care adjustment the day after tomorrow.(laughing) | |
Conversation 7 (report on hospital visit) | user11 | Dear (user16), good morning. Today is the last lymph care of the year ♪ I am wearing order-made new stockings and feeling great, ready to leave for the doctor's office. d(⌒-⌒)! |
user16 | Have a nice day. | |
Conversation 8 (report on hospital visit) | user16 | Dearest (user22), good luck with your bone scintigraphy, RT @(user22): Good morning, everybody, today is the day for the bone scintigraphy~~ . |
Conversation 9 (psychological encouragement) | user7 | Dearest △△, good morning (^_^)/I totally understand your feelings. Me too, when I was receiving radiotherapy treatment, I really felt depressed whenever I went down the steps, because I felt like I was being told every time "cancer patients are this way?" |
Conversation 10 (advice on treatment) | user17 | Dearest (user21), good morning. You are now being treated with Xeroda. It's been just a few days, right? Sorry if I am wrong but it may take some time for the drug to take effect. |
user21 | Dear (user17), good morning! Oh, Xeroda. Well, if left for 2-and-a-half months without chemotherapy, that seems rational. (´;ω;`) Internal medicine apparently works slowly.(´;ω;`) It will take time, too. (´;ω;`) |