Objective:

To describe, interpret and analyze the feelings of people with diabetes in the course of their illness.

Method:

A qualitative, phenomenological study was conducted at the Chepén Hospital (La Libertad, Peru), on 10 people between 50 and 70 years old, determined by speech saturation and who met the inclusion criteria. The data collected was with an in-depth interview. Three moments are considered: description, reduction and comprehension that includes the ideographic and nomothetic analysis reaching generalities.

Results:

four main units of meanings were generated according to the greatest number of convergences: suffering, fear, resignation and faith in God, which were grouped into two main units of meanings: "living with suffering and fear to accept my illness" and "having resignation and faith in God to learn to live with my disease". They also expressed anger, loneliness, self-confidence, hopelessness, guilt, denial, sensitivity, envy and joy, indicating the unveiling and understanding of the phenomenon experienced by people with diabetes.

Conclusions:

In cohabitation with a chronic illness, all face bereavement as a necessary natural process, which causes mainly suffering, fear that culminates with acceptance, but when this process is not satisfactory the person chooses resignation, hence the importance for nursing take into account the emotional universe of the patient to understand it, putting themselves in his place and helping him to learn to live with his illness and improve his quality of life.

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