The “Patient Patient”: The Trauma of Waiting and the Power of Resistance for People Living With Cancer

Abstract

In Canada’s health care system today, cancer patients are expected to endure long, often painful wait times. In this study we explored whether Gilda’s Club (an organization that supports people affected by cancer) might increase opportunities to resist the role of the “patient patient,” consequently providing a better understanding of how cancer patients cope with the long wait times in Canada’s time-crunched health care system. The research presented here provides examples of the painful waiting experience for cancer patients. Yet, this research also provides examples of patients refusing to be patient. We argue that organizations like Gilda’s Club can provide a space that facilitates resistance and allows patients to become more informed and more participatory in decision-making processes. We conclude that these findings reflect a gap in cancer care in Canada that might be addressed through integrating organizations like Gilda’s Club into standard medical practice for cancer patients.