Table 5 Categories and examples of meaning units for theme 2: “Life changes”

Being diagnosed with diabetes (Comparison with other people with diabetes, relations to surrounding persons)

When [I] heard [I] have diabetes [it came] all at once […] I saw before me the people who get insulin […] if you travel anywhere you … it’s not so simple … (IP3)

I [have] lots of mates who are seriously ill […] they’re injecting all the time […] and they live a perfectly good life (IP6)

my sister always had to go for pedicure […] so I thought that would be the only positive thing about this, that you could get pedicure, but she didn’t think I needed that so nothing came of it (IP9)

my ex and my children’s mother think […] you shouldn’t be reading and thinking too much (IP7)

the only one who knows [about my diagnosis] is my dietician […] and a close workmate […] who [also] has diabetes (IP9)

but there’s also a witch-hunt on […] people who are overweight or obese [or] smoke [or] drink a lot […] often their own fault because that’s something you can influence […], and the debate isn’t always so nice […] they demand a bit of the patients […], they don’t feel sorry for them (IP9)

Therapeutic treatment (Non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment)

life [hasn’t] changed much, except that I’ve stopped … a lot of sweets and sugar in my coffee and lost seven kilos (IP1)

it’s a bit hard [to change anything] such as now when I eat bread that I never liked […] but now you’re not allowed to eat everything you want (IP4)

I was quite good [about taking exercise] at first but, uh, well … I’ve maybe cut it down a bit and would maybe need … to walk a bit more (IP1)

I find it very difficult to swallow tablets so my only thought was how will this go, but … it’s gone well (IP5)

I take so many tablets that it doesn’t matter if I take more (IP6)

[I worry about insulin] because then there’ll be no more flying (IP1)

I saw before me the people who get insulin […] if you travel anywhere you … it’s not so simple … (IP3)

I hate injections too, that’s another thing (IP9)

as an adult I don’t think it [insulin] is such a big deal … the syringes are so fine today, it’s not so terrible (IP10)

Relation to health care (Expectations, trust)

[What I] expect of the doctor and the diabetic nurse is above all knowledge and that they are involved in research and development in the field (IP2)

the diabetic nurse refers to the doctor when it comes to medication [and the doctor] refers to the doctor in the hospital … so that I don’t have any concerted point […] you feel rather alone [in the health service] (IP7)

I’ve had really good [help from health care], they have a very good […] organization for this diabetes thing (IP9)

I think the key word in all medication [is] the participating patient (IP2)

it’s not the case that I phone and book an appointment [to discuss], if you look out in the waiting room it’s packed so you can’t always do it for reasons of availability so it a good thing that we have had some regular visits […] I appreciate that part (IP7)

The importance of knowledge (Obtaining supplementary information about diabetes, relating individually to the information)

I have a son who […] works in health care […] and he’s living with a doctor so I’ve had a bit of information there (IP1)

[there] was a bit of researching on the internet about what this [the diagnosis] involves (IP7)

but I think that if I am to accept a diabetes diagnosis that is chronic in character then I must accept and understand how my body functions […] I felt that I must make it my responsibility and start reading (IP7)