Interview: Nancy Alvarado, Decameron Project

TL;DR

A poignant narrative exploring the challenges of handling illness and death during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transcript

hi i'm nancy alvarado and this is an excerpt from my piece called rest oncologists and caseworkers weighed in the prognosis for pancreatic cancer wasn't good and mario's general state of health meant he wasn't a good candidate for chemotherapy surgery followed by pain management meant he'd be comfortable as the medical team figured out next steps n... Read More

Key Insights

• 🎲 Dying during COVID versus dying from COVID: exploring the narrative of individuals overlooked during the pandemic.
• 😨 Emotional and logistical challenges: navigating hospital visits and restrictions amidst fears of exposure and transmission.
• 💨 Memorialization complexities: portraying the struggle of honoring and remembering a difficult individual who passed away during the pandemic.
• 🏥 Impact of heightened hospital protocols: describing the escalating levels of protection and panic induced by stringent measures.
• ✍️ Reflective writing during pandemic times: how the author's writing style and perspective have evolved in response to the global crisis.
• ⌛ Importance of storytelling: the significance of memorializing personal experiences during the unique and challenging times of the pandemic.
• ✍️ Shift in writing focus: reflecting on how the pandemic has influenced the author's thematic and narrative choices.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did the author choose to focus on dying during COVID rather than dying from COVID in the narrative?

The author wanted to shed light on the often overlooked stories of individuals who passed away during the pandemic but not necessarily from the virus. This exploration aimed to highlight the challenges of dealing with illness and death amidst a global crisis and the complexities of memorialization.

Q: How did the heightened hospital restrictions and protective measures impact the author's experience of visiting a sick family member?

The author described the increasing levels of protection and panic induced by stringent hospital protocols, from interacting with hazmat-suited personnel to handing belongings to a security guard in a plastic bag. These measures added an ominous and anxiety-inducing layer to the hospital visits.

Q: What inspired the author to write this narrative, and was it a story they had been contemplating for a while?

The author wrote this story specifically for the project, drawing from personal experiences of accompanying a terminally ill family member during the pandemic. The evolving hospital environment and challenges of memorializing a difficult individual sparked the need to delve into this narrative.

Q: How did the narrative address the perspective of the patient in understanding the restricted visitations and isolation imposed during the pandemic?

The story portrayed the confusion and distress of a patient who was already battling illness and delusion, now faced with the added layer of not being able to see loved ones due to pandemic restrictions. It highlighted the emotional turmoil and complexity of communication in such circumstances.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• A narrative detailing the struggles of dealing with a family member's terminal illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The emotional and logistical challenges of hospital visits, restrictions, and the fear of exposure during a global health crisis.

• The author reflects on the complexities of memorializing a difficult individual who passed away during the pandemic but not from COVID-19.