This exploratory study examines how the word “time” gets enacted and functions across a longitudinal study of interactions occurring between a breast cancer patient, her husband, and her care provider team (e.g., surgeon, medical oncologist, patient navigator, nurses). Key relationships are revealed between communication, temporality, and the routine management of a cancer journey from diagnosis, through treatment, and eventual remission. Examined interactions occur during clinical encounters, home family conversations, phone calls, work settings, and other daily communication environments. Specific attention is drawn to how speakers’ references to “time” access moments when emotions get displayed and affective stances get taken about how to organize and cope with cancer experiences. The affective stance prompted by the word “time” is presented in three schemes: (1) reporting behavior of others, (2) communicating a self-reflection and (3) presenting a warrant. Materials for the study are drawn from video recordings and transcriptions of communication occurring during a 2 1⁄2 year period of time, and were captured for an emerging documentary film written and produced by Dr. Wayne Beach entitled A Journey Through Breast Cancer. This project was a collaboration with SDSU filmmaker Dr. Timothy Powell, and UCSD’s Dr. Anne Wallace who is Director of the Comprehensive Breast Health Center at Moore’s Cancer Center.
