Outcomes of content analysis
| Category | Example quote |
| Changes to the relationship | |
| Emotional and communication disconnection | Partner 04: We have to slow down our conversations because we don’t hear as fast as we used to, and I say something and he only listened to the first half and the second half is the most important. Then, he might get mad at me because I didn’t do what he thought I said, I had said something else. We used to get along. Our daughter used to say that we do everything in short hand, and now we have to go back to long hand…I want to go back to what I had before. |
| Overprotection of the patient | Patient 10: I try to get independence…‘I want to do this…’ and she says ‘well, you shouldn’t do that’ and I couldn’t stay up at the cottage alone because it takes the paramedics too long, so I felt that my summer was a little hijacked. After the angioplasty, you tread on eggshells and that’s the way it’s gonna be now…I feel like a puppet on a string sometimes. His spouse replied: And, I feel like the ogre. I had to be the one who would say, ‘you can’t do that, or I can’t let you do that.’ I was some scared. It takes a long time getting over being scared to that degree. |
| Role changes | Partner 02: For me it’s been a 6 month full-time job, and that’s my problem…something I’ve struggled with is doctors and nurses and support people saying “take care of yourself…” that is the most difficult thing in the world because there is no time to take care of yourself because you are looking after yourself and somebody else and life goes on… And for me, I managed fine for 3 months and after 3 months I all of a sudden realized I wasn’t even breathing, so how can you rebalance, so what happens is, I get short tempered, intense and stressed. |
| Adjustment to lifestyle changes | Patient 04: One of the things that we enjoy a whole lot together is ballroom dancing, and we got up to a fairly reasonably advanced level and, then all of a sudden with this heart issue, I didn’t have the energy to stay upright for very much time at all. I would sit in one of the chairs on the side and [partner] would find herself busy dancing with an instructor, so at least she isn’t sitting on the side as well, but it’s so frustrating to not be able to do the things you used to be able to do before. |
| Positive relationship changes | Patient 09: What [the cardiac event] has done actually, it has brought us closer together. I feel our relationship is stronger. From a selfish point of view, I am the one being taken care of. I have a 24 hours nurse. I feel it would be completely different if that even hadn’t happened, who knows, we might have gone in different directions…now we do stuff together all the time…we try to see the positive side of things |
| Intervention needs and resources | |
| Practical resources | Patient 12: I think some media to take home. Some pamphlets or DVDs or something. You could have like workshops for different things for couples. |
| Sharing with peers | Partner 06: It’s been a roller coaster, up and down, we tried to pick up the good moments and continue doing the right things…but it’s tough. I’d like to learn more about other people and experiences and be able to share. |
| Relationship enhancement | Partner 13: Sometimes people are secretive, and with [patient], he doesn’t talk much. I’ve actually been to some of his rehab visits so that we have everything laid out and we are able to understand each other. I think communication is key to have people understand what’s going on in your life, and sometimes you need that third party to get that communication going. |