How Lived Body and Lived Space Intersect to Influence the Experience of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) impacts not only the body as symptoms are experienced, but also the way one experiences the environment. However, the intersection of these experiences is not well understood. Using interpretive phenomenology, we explored lived body and lived space among people with COPD. Eight participants were interviewed and transcripts were analyzed using detailed line-by-line analysis. Lived body was characterized by gaining stronger bodies yet experiencing bodily limitations. Similarly, lived space was both comfortable and threatening. Participants managed these experiences by negotiating and avoiding threatening spaces to make the best of things.