Cascading Losses: A Case Study of Suffering from Head and Neck Cancer
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
October 2016
Abstract
In this case study, we analyzed an online illness narrative written by a middle-aged man living with HIV/AIDS who received a diagnosis of squamous cell cancer of the tongue. We found that the onset of a second illness initiated a series of cascading losses that became increasingly problematic, severe, and interconnected. In response to these losses, the author developed several coping strategies, including sharing his story with others and engaging in magical thinking. The findings of this case study broaden our understanding of what it means to live with a complex and unusual combination of illnesses. We conclude with implications for practitioners and scholars engaged in the sociology of loss.
Journal Title
Illness, Crisis, & Loss
Volume
24
Issue
4
First Page
217
Last Page
235
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1177/1054137315596693