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Table 3 Disturbed body

From: Patient experiences of recovery after heart valve replacement: suffering weakness, struggling to resume normality

Meaning units

Significant units

Theme

"It turned out to be a blood clot in my leg, I am not who I once was", "they said it was stroke", "I am still afraid that something breaks loose".

Stressful complications

Disturbed body

"I am very aware of my body now", "I am afraid of doing a lot of things, thinking how my heart reacts", "I compensate for my scar by working out, to build muscles".

Bodily attention

 

I don’t lose my breath…it is better and better", "I lose my breath as much as before","I improved my exercise capacity by 37 % but I didn’t feel it".

Physical capability

 

"I lost 10 kg", "Food tasted awkward", "I slept 5 times a day", "I still had a lot of pain in the body".

Physically affected