Managing life with a chronic condition: the story of normalization.

One way that families and individuals manage living with a chronic condition is to construct and live a story of "life as normal." The conceptualization of this process is based on constant comparative analysis of accounts of individuals and family members who are managing chronic conditions. The process begins with construction of the story of life as normal and continues as the story is lived over time. As the story is enacted, persons reauthor their lives. Thus the reciprocal nature of the process becomes evident. Specifically, how individuals and families construct and enact the story is discussed along with the role of health care professionals in the process and associated costs and benefits.