The mothers were annoyed when their husbands did not
want to listen to them while they talked about the child's
health problem and the frustiations with the health care
system They speculated that their husbands did not like
to see them upset or else they wanted to pacify them Two
mothers noted that all they wanted was an opportunity to
talk They did not want a solution from their husbands —
they just wanted an opportunity to vent their feelings and
be heard When the mothers' attempts to share their innermost
feelings were met by evaluation, reassurance or misunderstanding,
they felt very much alone with their plight
Anna, the mother of a 6-year-old boy with a recurrent brain
tumour, captured it best