Even though I turned in my profile essay and you can all access it via my blog, I thought that I would give you a little information about my interview and what I learned about my interviewee, as well as things we talked about that didn't make it into my paper.
I interviewed a woman named Annette Fetty-Santilli. She is a volunteer for PanCAN and works as the West Virginia Affiliate Coordinator. This organization became a part of her life after her brother passed away from pancreatic cancer. Since his death three years ago, she has been involved in a number of events that help to raise both money for research as well as awareness for pancreatic cancer.
As someone who understands the loss of a close loved one from this terrible disease, I got to talk to Annette not just about her story, but also about mine. We talked a lot about the way the person fighting the disease changes and starts to slip away as the disease progresses. We agreed that watching this happen and being unable to do anything about it was one of the most difficult aspects.
Although I have spoken to friends and family about the loss of my mom, it is very different talking to someone who knows the way you feel and has seen what you have seen. Not everyone realizes the deteriorating conditions that happen when this disease claims the life of a loved one and the image that is etched in my mind of my mom's final days are forever with me, whether I try to forget them or not.
Annette and I talked a lot about moving on with life after such a loss and the everyday struggles that we both face.
Overall, the experience of this interview was a good one for me. I made a new friend and learned that everyone struggles with moving on. Three years later or thirteen years later, life is still different and you just have to adjust to it.
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