my data collection

I have just started the data collection for my thesis...a series of interviews with patients who have a stoma. For those not in the know, a stoma is a hole in the abdomen to which the intestine is attached and therefore one proceeds to void himself through this hole into a bag rather than through the rectum into the toilet.

I have conducted my pilot study and everything went smoothly...however I noticed that how these people are simply dying to tell their story. So much so that when I am conducting interviews they completely digress and start telling me about how their children react to their condition, how doctors have treated them and how their pet can smell them.

Which all boils down to this theory I have: that everyone has a story to tell...and even the most reserved and secretive of people are dying to tell it, as long as someone will listen. Sometimes I think I'm gifted because everyone seems to want to tell me their story...then again I am very non-judgemental and thats what people want...people usually don't want approval for their actions...they don't want disapproval either...in fact, they won't want any sort of opinion at all. They just want someone to know what they have been through and the consequences. And ofcourse understanding.

So data collection isn't just something I am doing for my course and with patients. It is something I do every day, with everyone I know. And it isn't just data collection. Its story-telling and like a child, I listen, draw my own conclusions but remain silent.