This study aimed to learn about the discourse on the life of former Hansen's disease patients who lived in an old Hospital Colony. This qualitative study is characterized as a descriptive-exploratory research. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 subjects and were organized by means of the Collective Subject Discourse technique, which produced the following core insights: "There is a difference between how it was before and how it is now" and "For somebody left with sequels, nothing changes". It was found that the perception of cure was controversial as some patients regarded it as a victory, that is, the fact of being free of the disease allows them to think of (re)starting their lives.
Hansen's disease; Leprosy; Collective Subject Discourse; Social history of the disease
