The use of narrative in understanding how cancer affects development: The stories of one cancer survivor

Although cancer disrupts development, the experience of having cancer is of ten understood using developmental theories that do not assume serious illn ess at an early age. This article presents a narrative analysis of one pati ent's story of survivorship. She tells three interrelated stories: how othe rs have reacted to her illness; her struggles to understand her illness; an d how it has changed her priorities. Taken together, her stories comprise a n account of how the experience has affected her development. Her story is an example of how individuals integrate unusual life events into their deve lopment. It suggests that focusing more on how unusual life experiences con tribute to development may expand and enrich our understanding of developme ntal processes.