 |
| Myself, at my sister's wedding in 2014 |
Until I was twenty nine, I did not have seizures and all that I knew about it is what was 'fits' shown in cinema - a person whose one hand and a leg stretch back and forth with froth coming out of his/her mouth, give an iron key and they would get alright within minutes.
Four years ago, I had seizures. After taking oral medication for about fourteen months, an MRI was taken which disclosed the fact that there was a tumor in my brain. The tumor was malignant - glioma grade III. This blog is about the symptoms faced, the initial treatment given, the MRI that was taken fourteen months after my first consultation with the neuro physician, the surgery and the treatment I underwent, and how I have recuperated now and back to my normal work life.
The purpose of this blog is to provide an awareness of symptoms of epilepsy (seizures), the importance of certain medical examinations that doctors ask us to undergo, the improvements in the medical field and certain attitudes in close ones that a person affected by critical illness requires, to get him/her back to routine life. I also want to focus on the confidence and the positive attitude that a patient with a critical illness has to acquire to return to normalcy.
Since I am not in the field of medicine, kindly excuse me if any medical terms are incorrect. Please mention them in comments.
Here is the link to my article 'A cancer survivor's testimony of battle' that got published in a newspaper - The Hindu, which helped me identify my writing skills.
Please keep reading.
Compiled on: 16-06-2014
I am Aravind, 46 years old, a retiree from Indian Air Force and presently working in a PSU.
ReplyDeleteIn 1996, I suffered from jaundice for about six months. I tried to get rid off the disease by many medicines and diet restrictions. Also, I was under tremendous mental pressure due to various reasons. In January 97, I found a lump in my right armpit which was about the size of a lemon. I went to a doctor in Kerala and he misguided me without giving a test. He told me that it could be due to gland TB, which can easily be treated, and there is no hurry to undergo treatment. He also told that there is nothing to worry even if, it surfaces anywhere else too. Since my wife was conceived, I wanted to avoid any further check ups till the baby was born.
I approached another doctor with the same issue, while my medical review was done for jaundice. However, that also failed since senior doctor at the reffered hospital neglected it. July 97, we were blessed with a baby girl. By Oct 97, I could find that the mass underneath my armpit was growing. I went to a private hospital and immediately the doctor advised me to undergo biopsy.
In Oct 97, it was confirmed that I had Hodgkin's Lymphoma (one type of cancer of lymph) and by then it was in the III Ax (Advanced) stage. It took few more weeks to start the treatment at Pune and it spread from right armpit to left neck. The size of tumour in armpit was 12X6cm.
I underwent six courses of Chemotherapy followed by 4500 units of radiation in 28 sittings. After few days of radiation, I had pneumonia due to radiation/bleomicin (a chemo drug). Radiation was stopped for few days and again it was started.
At the end of my radiations, I had radiation wounds from which puss was oozing out. Again I had another attack of pneumonia due to the given reasons. When CT scan was done, the doctor had any hope that I will survive. But I was blessed with guts to fight back. I tried to equip my mind with positive thoughts and I was not ready to surrender.
One of the article which gave me immense strength was of Dr. Deekshit which was published in The Week. Dr. Deekshit was a plastic surgeon who came back to life after heart attack which paralysed his right hand, an accident which gave recovery of his right hand ailments. By then, he mastered doing surgery with both the hands. Again he suffered from throat cancer. He used to come to India from US every year and to do free of cost cliff lip corrective surgery to poor people. By then the article was published, he had already done over 5000 surgeries. I used to tell my mind that a man with such limitations can do wonderful things, why not me. Presently, my role model is Mr. Nick Vujicic, differently abled motivator.
I got discharged from the hospital after a continuous stay of over 11 months. None of my friends could recognise me when I got down from the train at Gwalior. Such a change happened to me during those 11 months!
I tried to keep myself busy in my job and never bothered to think about the disease unnecessarily. Kept moving my life with positive thoughts and fun. Days passed to years and when I look back today, I feel that I was tested with the disease because I had the courage to fight back. Also I feel that life after cancer is much better than what I had earlier.
Later years, I could represent IAF in UN Peace Keeping Mission at DR Congo for one year, recognition in the form of medal in service, grab an out of turn promotion. Also destiny took me a rare occation of joining my next job on the very next day of retirement! We are blessed with two daughters (the second one was not expected since my sperm count reduced to zero for about seven years due to chemotherapy).
When Ms. Chithra asked me to write my experience, she reminded me the value of sharing our fighting experience for the sake of those who are undergoing the trauma. I would like to mention few things which I followed during/after the treatments.
ReplyDelete1. I tried to interact more with survivors than those who were facing it. It gave me immense confidence and also lot of guidance. Interaction with sufferers must have induced more fear in me.
2. I used to ask genuine doubts to medical staff and they guidede me for extra hygiene required during chemo. Since fruits are ripen with chemicals, they advised me to consume them only after peeling off the skin. I used to drink more than 5 Ltrs of water during treatment. Also I used to have many short meals during the entire day, rather than having three time full meals.
3. Kept positive attitude and a spirit to come back to life. I used to sing few lines of a poetry which I studied in my college days to my wife:-
"Look for me by moonlight!
Wait for me by moonlight!
I will come to thee by moonlight!
Though hell should bar the way!"
4. I tried to be self-dependent and tried to be away from sympathisers.
Last 17 years, I am not under any medication and now I feel that the things which I followed changed my destiny. I keep sharing my experience to many using various media and I will be happy if it can extend the life of anyone by even a minute. Hats off to those people who happened to be the part of my life and gave me enough strength to be back in life!