A story of faith and
hope
Not being a
product of strict religious beliefs and having a family from various parts of
India and abroad, my journey in the armed forces of India for four decades was
a seamless transition. Gita, my life partner for 46 years too came from a
similar mixed family. Consequently we had our own freedom to follow and
practice what appealed to each of us-that included the faith that our children
followed.
The first
time I used the word miracle was when Sam, our African Grey, flew away from our
home and was found 18 kms away after a month, that too in the most crowded part of our city. No one could
scientifically or logically explain how we were reunited and hence the word
miracle.
Some years
down the line, Gita became a diabetic which was discovered in a routine bi
annual blood test that we opted to do.
It came as a surprise to all that a perfectly healthy individual was afflicted
with blood sugar levels of phenomenally high levels- virtually overnight. The endocrinologist
began the medication as a routine measure. About a few months later she developed
symptoms which cloned drug reactions to the medication commonly prescribed for
diabetes. Aversion to food, bloated sensation, loss of weight and nausea
followed in quick succession. These were attended to by various specialists but
the pain increased with time till she could not tolerate it. Modern diagnostic
tools of ultra sound, endoscopy etc, revealed nothing. Her blood reports were
as perfect as ever.
It was at
this stage, I sought the intervention of the Naval Hospital INHS Asvini located
about 180 kms from my town. First handed over to the navy in 1952, this
hospital had grown both in quality and size to become one of the most modern
and efficient hospitals of India. I was to consult a very impressive, articulate
and communicative specialist in the
medical field. An immediate CT scan was suggested even before I moved my wife
to Mumbai.
The moment
of realisation followed the CT Scan undertaken by a very reputed private hospital.
It revealed the presence of a fairly well developed tumour in the pancreas.
Traces were seen in the liver too. Question- how do I communicate this to her
when she was already in considerable pain? Trained to assess pros and cons of
all possible options before arriving at the best course of action, I decided to
move her to Asvini and in small installments to prepare her for the worst case
during the journey by road. We now knew what caused the agony but were yet to
discover the damage caused within.
Quite
unexpectedly, she took it in the chin much like a seasoned boxer.
"OK", she said, "I have it, so let us get on with the
biopsy". I realised then and there that we had won half the battle. The
battery of oncologists and medical experts who received us at INHS Asvini, well
after working hours, quickly poured over her case sheet and evaluated all the
radio-logical documents. It looked ominous and many were leaning towards the
worst conclusion. However, the biopsy was the only way to pronounce a
judgement. The immediate family was
informed.
Then
followed an even more grueling week of repeated efforts to reach the main
source located at a critical junction of the pancreas. Having exhausted all
scan aided procedures and after due consultations with other experts in the
field, surgery was the only option to tap the requisite material for biopsy. In
the mean time, PET scan revealed that there was no damage to the liver as
suggested by the first CT scan.
Post
surgery, Gita had to be observed at the ICU for at least 24 hrs while the
pathologist commenced the lab tests. When it rains, it often pours during
monsoons at Mumbai. At about 6AM the
next day I was informed that my wife had
severe chest pain and that the cardiologist would need to eliminate any heart
condition, since she had lived with a minor one all her life. The CO who is a
renowned cardiologist had just arrived the previous night and was on his
morning run which took him to the ICU. Within the hour she had been moved to
the cardiology ward and an angiography completed. Things that were not possible
during my days in the navy. Cleared of all doubts she was wheeled back to the
ICU
Back in the
ward after three days at ICU, we now had to await the results of biopsy. Ramzan
was round the corner and a long week end much needed for the Doctors and staff
was a necessity. We decided to move Gita to my son's house for the week end.
Just when we were ready to depart, there was a cryptic message that the chief
coordinator and the Doctor I had alluded to earlier, would like a word with us.
My son, daughter-in-law and the two of us were seated in the room which
reminded me of those who await their sentence.
The smart,
well turned out and composed Surgeon Captain who had assumed the role of our
guardian entered the room and with his characteristic communication skills,
began to sum up the case. "The good news is" he said, "the
tumour is benign, but the bad news is that it is there and has led to a non functional
pancreas with all its attendant ramifications". It had to be medically
treated and a close watch kept on the patient.
It took a
few seconds for all of us to digest his message. My daughter-in-law broke the
ice by rushing and hugging Gita. I stood still as I was trained to. My wife had
a smile as if to say what else when so many are praying for me. All in all it
was a solemn and almost a military occasion when emotions were to be exhibited
in private.
The Doctor
was inundated with questions about the future. He invited more, till all were
answered. My wife asked, "What are the odds when such a result, defying
predictions, occurs? Is it a miracle?"
The seasoned
Doctor, by now well accepted within the family, smiled and said, " You can
say that Ma'am-you can say that!". Hence the story.
