Abstract: Different themes emerged from the lived experiences of the 36 co – researchers, here referred to individually with their fictitious names. The following are the themes and their respective meaning: A) Desensitizing information - Initial reactions of the condition: counting the days left, full of disbelief, unbearable, unacceptable, Why me!, What have I done?, and difficult to explain; (B) Holistic disease experience – individual symptomatic experience: Fluid restrictions, Easy fatigability, Vomiting, fever and abdominal pain, Edema /heaviness, Gasping for breath, Increased / decreased blood pressure, fragile, easily fatigued and weak, lost my appetite, think more often, afraid to die and difficulty urinating, weak and body pains; (C) racing against the waves - coping with the illness and support systems: