Keywords
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is a rare disease that presents body changes, ranging from long scars to amputations. It is more common among children and adolescents, whose survival can reach young adults. This documentary based study, descriptive, exploratory and interpretive nature, anchored in ricoeurian hermeneutics, aims to analyze the narratives written in personal blogs about how to survive osteosarcoma. Narratives of seven bloggers, from 299 posts, were investigated, resulting in the interpretation of five units of meanings: the diagnosis as an unforgettable moment; b) the strategies used to face the impacts of the disease; c) the discovery of virtual communities as support and empowerment; d) the living experiences of aesthetic and functional changes; e) e) the assumption of a new existence as a human condition. The results suggest that writing about the disease on cyberspace improves empowerment and self-esteem and reduces social isolation and anxiety, besides keeping friends and relatives informed.