From medical to........(Part 2)

6months after i wrote my very first blog,on my journey through Class XI,im now ready with the part 2 of that journey-Class XIIth........................

March was nearing an end,we were done with our final term exams.shortly after our exams,12th started,classes were being held.But,someone was missing!my dear friend Pooja,she had left our school.I felt really sad but my other friends comforted me. In the last week of march came the farewell party for our seniors.By that time i had bonded well with my classmates,so we enjoyed the evening in each other's company and danced a hell lot on the dance floor.

Then came my 16th birthday on April 1st.It was the most eventful year of my life.

Synchro classes were going on as usual,and school classes had started taking normal routine shape.The coaching schedule during vacation months may-july had already been chalked out and was very crucial as XIth revision formed an important part of it.I had geared up myself for real hardwork.I was determined to improve upon Physics and had plans to revise my XIth well.The time from May-july is very crucial for students preparing for entrances because this is the only time they get for brushing up their XIth portion which significantly features in all entrance exams.I had chalked out my own revision schedule as well,but it seems God had some other plans,infact at that point of time he had really ruined it.

Mid April there was a tinge of backpain and what followed was bad real bad.........

Now i had experienced the same kind of pain earlier about 6months back during Diwali time(when i was in XIth) but with rest it went away over a period of time.

When it came back,it became a matter of concern and there was some other development which further raised our suspicion.There was a lump on the right side of my lower neck region.

My mother was very worried and shocked the moment she saw it.Being a doctor herself,i guessed she had detected something but dint tell me anything.I was getting really curious-"Whats wrong with me?",i had asked my mum.....She showed me to her colleagues,i went for blood tests etc.And then there was MRI.Now,this was at Apollo hospital.The radiologist told my mum to go for further check ups coz he thought it was cancer/tumour!My mum was shattered,shocked,depressed all at once.I saw it in her eyes.She suggested it maybe Koch's(Another name for TB) but he denied.It was a rainy night i remember,the storm was as much inside my poor mum's heart as it was outside.

We took a rickshaw, were returning back to our place.As soon as she entered she rang up my dad.They talked,then suddenly she took an umbrella and we left on foot for her colleague's place.It was just a block away.But i can still remember the lightning noise and the silence between us....Ironical.........

All through this while i was absolutely calm and had no sign of worry or fear.I have always been an optimistic person and i knew that it cudnt be cancer/tumour and told my mum not to worry!

After her friend checked my lump,he suggested her to go to a path lab and get the lump pricked.Now,that was supposed to be the final test to know the disease.

The very next morning Dr.Mudgal uncle another of my mum's colleague took us there.We got it sucked by the needle.It was a funny sight for me,i could see the lump getting deflated.haha!

But i also saw a sigh of relief and a smile on my mum's face(the first after i had showed my lump to her) i asked her "What happened?" Both uncle and mum laughed and said-"No problem.Its Koch's,its curable"......Actually when the doc sucked the lump through a syringe,yellow pus-like fluid came out,it was an indication that it was due to the bacterial infection.If blood would have come out,then there was some other reason like cancer/tumour. The lump was on the front,but its exact origin is where my vertebrae were.

That bloody radiologist from 'Apollo' was plain careless in his diagnosis.When we later showed the MRI film to other doctors.Everyone instantly detected that it was indeed TB,they said it was pretty much evident from the affected vertebrae.And can u believe it,that doc from apollo said he wasnt sure whether its cancer/tumour but he said he was sure it was not TB!!!

Imagine,What would have happened if we would have blindly followed him.I woudnt have started ATT(Anti tubercular Treatment) and it would have spread.Already,many of my vertebrae were affected.A lil more time and i would have,well,need i say more?.......

On the same day when we reached home,my mum called up papa and for the first time in my life i heard him crying,he cudnt talk,he kept on crying and saying"Bhagwaan ka shukar hain,dont worry now beta ul b fine.just take those medicines regularly" o man! o god!i can never forget that feeling and i never wanna experience it again,the one u get when u c ur parents crying........

I was bindaas as usual.i told mum"Kya chinta hain(not to worry)?Its curable then y worry.Medicines lo theek ho jao" lol.....I think it was my free-spirited,optimistic attitude that helped me sail through that 'painful phase' as my mum says.

I had bone TB,the non contagious one.My whole back had been infected,it was the timely detection that saved me.I had 3 medicines every morning for 1.5yrs.They kept changing after phases(3-4months) they are a bit tough to manage with, cause the body gets time to get used to it.With some u feel dizzy,with some nauseating and with some there is some deficiency so u need to have supplements too.Yeah i accept it was tough but i dunno,i was cheerful throughout.For me just the thought that it was curable was enough.Me and my mum were each other's strength throughout and my whole diet chart comprising LOADS of PROTEIN was chalked out.

(A hell lot of Protein and calcium was required to recover/refill those eaten up vertebrae of mine!) [sounds funny na? :)]

In between my mum kept blaming herself;sometimes me for my poor diet that led to this.The same old thing yaar,junk food,missing out on ghar ka khaana(She said its all coz of ur coaching)

The pain disappeared in 3weeks flat!I mean wow.My mum told me that ATT kills all the bacteria of TB in 1 month max.You still have to take the medicine for more than a yr to make sure that it doesnt come back and all remnant ones are killed too.

It is said that Mycobacterium tuberculum (bacteria that causes TB) is there inside each one of us Indians.TB is most common here.Its just that those bacteria need a chance to cause disease.So,as soon as ur diet goes haywire/ weak(read junk) u get signs and symptoms of TB.

Now, Lung TB is really common,Bone TB is not and Lung TB needs medicine intake for just 9months.Bone TB needs double the time.

Now as soon as i started taking medicines,i was also advised to take complete bed rest and ultra care as my back had gone weak and to ensure that it doesnt get deformed i had to wear a brace all the time.i was too conscious to wear it to school so i dint use to wear it during school hours but otherwise,always.

At school noone knew this. I just told them there was some back problem.Only 2-3 close frnds knew besides family. Its difficult to explain all this,not everyone understands,form unnecessary perceptions.So my doc only advised me not to tell.

So,basically,i missed out on all those vacation Synchro classes.Dint study a word,felt very very very bad.And as school opened it became even more tough and i struggled to cope up with XIIth forget revising XIth lolz........

It was a well kept secret,but now its OUT! ;-)

Man,that was long.I hope u ppl are still reading.......

Coming back to my XIIth.........

Something really sad happened,Ajay sir and Mumtaz sir,botany and zoology teachers respectively,left Amity.It was the biggest shock to us and we felt really really bad and sad.they were more than teachers to us and we were really attached to them.They had some dispute with the management.And lemee tell u the management was getting worse day by day.O we just hated them.They were doing a 'Bad job' for sure.Some miss was playing a real hitler in the name of 'controlling' the institution.huh!

In Sept end came Amity's ETP.ETP stands for Extensive Training Programme.Yeah right!!il tell u what it was,there were some students selected from each branch-noida,saket,janak puri and they were put together as one class and sent to Amity's Def Col. Centre.It was a Big Dud!duh programme......lolz

Imagine after school hours we were taken there,used to return by 7:30-8pm!My god and how angry my mum used to be,i remember!hehe she was like "u need rest" "dont go there study at home"

"all these things are crap" "ur diet will again suffer"

hehe :)

Yeah it was indeed a failure, a big waste of time.I mean i had not even revised my XIth dude!Was coping somehow with my back and the load of 'XIIth'!I dint noe where my life was goin and these bloody ppl were coming out with ETP....hahahaha my foot!!

The year was nearing an end.I had no clue Where my year went away?Whats gonna happen?

And i definitely knew it was not gonna be a 'HAPPY NEW YEAR' for me.haha

So,as jan,feb were approaching 'BOARDS tention' was growing.I had left all my coaching studying stuff and was concentrating on 12th exams........

But also,my school life was coming to an end.....

So,i gave away my badge (i was the school captain,u see) There was scribbling day,Citation ceremony on feb 14th.O how can i forget that.Whole day spent with friends,blessings were showered upon us.It was great and every1 felt nostalgic.

Then boards came and went.Then came our Farewell night!it was awesome,photo sessions,all that dancing, that too in saree.

So this way school life came to an end in 2006.But another Ordeal began,Medical entrances.

O the most interesting part of my life.....I have got loads of incidents,experiences to share....

But this post has already become so huge!It will take some time i guess for all of u to digest what u read!!hehe ;)

So lets take a break!il c u soon......... And by the way am absolutely perfect and fit now!my haemoglobin level is 13.5!!(im so proud of it) and my back is as healthy as ever. :)

While I was reading............

Sunday,17 February 2008

Guilt trodden, that I didn’t read newspaper since many days (A sin for a budding journalist) I sat down with the Sunday Times. It was very elaborate and a lengthy issue, but when you have a strong will, nothing matters.

As I read, many issues came to light:

• An accident at HCBS corridor (now known as Bus Rapid Transit corridor), Questioning its very existence. Same old unplanned ways of ‘improving’ traffic conditions in Delhi…..


• A special report on growing Maoist trouble in Indian states. Questioning the centre’s failed attempts to raise security and fill up security personnel posts.(As many as 7000 constable vacancies in Orissa alone)


• 1 shootout of a student (yet again) when he objected to eve teasing of his sister; A molestation case, victim yet another N-E girl. Questioning the Delhi Police and a slap on its face for the nth time.

But what really caught my attention is Shashi Tharoor’s article on the edit page. He writes about his visit to a school run by Bangalore charity Parikrma. Reading on, I find out how smartly this organization tackles the schooling business. Besides taking in kids from families earning less than Rs.750 a month. The organization goes on to make sure that other factors do not hinder their education. For example: They provide the kids with full breakfast on arrival, a solid lunch at mid-day & a snack before they leave for home. They also provide with bus passes and health care assistance to entire family during student’s years in school.

I recall that the most common stand poor parents take for not sending their children to school is- “It is useful only, If they reach till college level and later earn”

Now, interestingly, this organization is fully prepared to check this excuse also. They raise funds for full scholarships to send their graduating class to university.

Isn’t this brilliant?

When we think of charity in terms of education/literacy. We just think till a certain point. Like, opening a school for poor children. But this organization has gone a step ahead and has thought about all whereabouts that exist. They have checked all possible conditions that could hinder a child from getting education and have turned the negatives into positives intelligently.

Another thing, which came to my mind while reading today’s newspaper, was that there are so many issues surrounding us. Each needs equal attention, care, zeal. So, this leaves me confused. I want to do ‘something regarding everything’. But where do I start from? & how should I go about it?

Once in a while actions (Parikrma) rather than words answer my questions and leave me inspired……….

Mumbai-'I'tes

The Thackeray surname is synonymous with ‘Breaking news’ type comments,attacks,and sort of a goonda raj!only this time The ‘goonda’(alleged) were migrants in Maharashtra and the speaker-Raj Thackeray.

At a function at Dharavi, hitting out at north Indians, Raj in his statements criticised Amitabh Bacchan’s inclination towards his home state U.P.

Basically expressed his displeasure towards the migrants from U.P and Bihar who are diluting the ‘marathi’ culture and depriving the locals from facilities,job opportunities etc.

He went on to say a little too much to tolerate:

"You claim about India being a free country and every one has the right to move around the country. Even we agree, but the local population does have some rights of its own. You speak about feeding others at the cost of the native Maharashtrians, that cannot be tolerated. Maharashtrians have the first right to benefits accrued from this state and MNS stands for that"

“Many outsiders don’t even know how to speak Marathi. Go to states such as West Bengal, there people wouldn't even answer if you don't speak to them in Bengali. You don’t have problems with the Asom Gana Parishad but you have problems with MNS.Our basic demand is learn to respect Maharashtrians. The locals have to first right on this land.”

Earlier, the MNS leader had also opposed the north Indians’ Chhath Puja and Uttarayan (north India day) celebrations attended by Uddhav Thackeray.

"I am not against Chhath Puja. But what I oppose is that it is used as a means of show of strength," he said.

The whole incident invited attention from various sources:

"I heard that Raj Thackeray owns huge properties in Maharashtra...In Mumbai...Kohinoor Mills. If he is willing to donate land, we can start a school in the name of (Jaya's daughter-in-law) Aishwarya here," MP Jaya Bacchan said.

Lalu Prasad said it is better if people say "Jai Bharat".(instead of Jai Maharashtra)

Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh lodged a police complaint against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray after his party supporters disrupted his party's rally and attacked workers.

The MNS also resorted to violence, damaged taxis in Dadar, vandalised a theatre showing a Bhojpuri movie in Thane.Security had to be beefed up in sensitive areas.

If we look into the statistics-

In the 1960s, the share of out-of-state migrants in Mumbai’s population was over 36%. In 2001, it had dropped to 26%.

Mumbaikars now constitute over 57% of Mumbai's population compared to 34% in 1961

New migrants are mostly settling down in Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan and Mira-Bhayander areas. They live in these areas, and if necessary, travel to the main city for work. Thus, the perception that they are putting an unsustainable load on the civic infrastructure is not completely true.Over 49% of male migrants coming to Mumbai do production-related jobs.

Experts say migrants, apart from working in industries, are involved in providing 48 types of services in the city — ranging from selling milk, vegetables and provisions to driving vehicles, working as security guards and so on.

While these are mostly low paying jobs, their contribution to maintaining the standard of life in this affluent city cannot be discounted.(TOI)

So what was all the hue and cry about?

Is Raj trying to make it to the headlines with an issue or two to promote his two-year-old party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, an offshoot of the Shiv Sena?

Is he trying to be the next Bal Thackeray? (Controversial statements, attacks by party men)

Is this a smart trick to attract votes from ‘Maharashtrians’,with elections round the corner?

The whole incident also indicates towards growing 'Regionalism' and dying 'Indianism' among Indians.A city like Mumbai,Delhi etc cannot be made single handedly,it requires efforts,hard work,perseverance from locals as well as migrants.We can't keep a place out of bounds for anyone.Opportunities cannot be for select few,and where 'culture' is concerned.I don't see any threat from anywhere!We have maintained our collective as well as selective culture since ages.There have been no disruptions/dilutions.

Our Worthy Existence..........

Me and few of my friends had been toying with an idea for quite sometime!and we finally came up with something concrete with the help of our teacher(friend,philosopher,guide)

On ryze.com,we have startd a community calld-'My worthy existence'

Its been formulated with an aim of awakening and gathering all those citizens of our country who want to act nd not just 'think' on issues that surround us 24*7..........

We were familiarised with Ryze.com only recently by our Faisal sir(IT teacher)

Its a large scale platform for various groups who have some aim in mind.....Excellent way to reach like minded and other people as well...........

Our 'aim' was not single but we had multiple aims in mind...

The first 1 being:Telling people to vote,since,elections are around the corner

We formed a community in orkut and are spreading this message through facebook 2..........

A frnd of mine replied to the thread saying:

"the problem with me is that i don't feel that any of the existing politicians are fit for anyones vote. according to me they are all stupid and they don't deserve my vote."

My reply 2 her nd others who feel like this(even i used 2 feel the same):

"i understand!many ppl say this but dats not the solution dear!since many yrs we are observing that coalition government is formed as a result of no single party getting a majority,so most of the time the party in power is engrossed in pleasing their allies on almost all issues and r concernd just in saving their 'Kursi'...Coalition govt is very unstable and has many cons.....so please just decide on a party and vote.By not VOTING u r doin more worse to the nation.......remember ds.......many politicians misuse this common thinking of ours!they lure the poor nd needy to vote for them.....but thngs vl change when educated,thinking nd responsible citizens like u and me vote!so let nothing stop u frm VOTING......"

So what are u waiting for?Last date for registration at your nearest electoral outlet is 5th feb 2008....(for Delhi,dunno about other cities)Ask ur parents about it,they must be knowing abt the procedure!So please hurry up and pass on the msg to every1 u noe!its very imp to vote!we'l keep cribbing about the system nd how bad it is but lets do sumthng about it!The least u can do is vote!! So please just not sit back and comment/blame any1 the next time u come across a problem!We all have a role 2 play......

(The orkut community link is: http: www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=22426967

do join it)

Survival.....

Everyday Nancy and Neena set out to tackle the ugly,dark,ruthless world...
One sets out as a domestic help,helping out in daily cleanliness chores which we take for granted.While,the other heads for Janpath and lays down colourful cloth mats and covers and spreads it over the ground,with a hope of selling enough to survive for a day.Survival,which,to the privileged is an alien term and yet for others a question that haunts them everyday.

There are several migrants who leave their village/home each day,catch a train and land up in a 'CITY'.A City of hope,a city of opportunities.A city that is mystical and what they dreamt of while dozing off in Chaarpai in the protected environment of their village.But a deeper,harsh reality awaits them,when they finally make it to 'The City'.

Neena was one of them.30 years back,when she was little she set out on one such journey with her parents.Life was about survival,and hardships lay at every step.Somehow,overcoming them,she grew up,got married,had kids.To feed their tiny stomachs both husband and wife started earning.

Then,one day a tragedy struck.Husband,the auto driver lost his leg in an accident.With this,the responsibility of feeding the family rested solely on Neena's shoulders!Till date she fights with her circumstances,destiny and on few occasions the police constables,who to add to her woes,harass her and her neighbour sellers on issues of 'parchi'.[Apparently,the hawkers who sell their stuff on Janpath get this 'parchi' regularly from a committee and if few are missing in their record,then they face the threat of being told to vacate their space.]

When she narrates her agony,i can't help but ask Do you feel angry on anyone,sometimes?

And with a sigh,comes the reply God.What is sad,is the fact that it takes her a lot of thinking,when asked What makes you happy?Her happiness comes only from her children and nothing else in this world.

And then,there is Nancy.A hard working woman,who earns enough to feed her children and is usually smiling.

What went wrong with her life? Well,an alcoholic husband who although earns enough.But, spends most of his earning on alcohol, and energy in beating his wife.Nancy struggles,not as much as to earn money,rather, in saving that money from her husband's eyes.

The inference one draws from Nancy and Neena's life becomes clear when we observe the roles played by their husbands.Post accident,Neena's husband stays at home,takes care of the children and even cooks.He regrets the day he ventured out,to earn but returned with a disability stamp,which has closed all doors of future opportunities on him.

Whereas,Nancy's husband gets drunk each night and makes life difficult for his wife and children.His legs and arms are functioning fine,he has a job which pays but it seems that he takes his working body parts for granted.

In our day-to-day life.There are so many things which we take for granted.

The food,shelter,clothing.Our sound body and mind.We,crib so much about anything and everything that comes our way.We have this long list of complaints for god,So many times we hear ourselves say,"Ye mere saath hee kyun hua".We behave as if our problem is the toughest and biggest in this world.Now,Come to think of those who begin their day with prayers like:

"I wish am able to earn a little more than yesterday,am ready to do hard work for it";

"Please,god let today be that day when my kids can go to sleep with a full stomach";

"Let them not wake up and say in the middle of the night-Maa bhook lagi hain!"

Lets realise that god has given us just this 1 life,and we must not let him down.

As neena puts in,"Jab tak haath-pair chalenge,main kaam karungi,kamaungi!"

VIP?

Who are VIPs and Why do they behave the way they

do?

Well,VIPs include Govt officials-Bureaucrats,politicians etc.

I am angry due to an incident that happened today:

Today evening,at about 4:30pm,me,my sis(she was driving) and my mum were coming back from Bhogal,Jangpura Extension towards Ashram.Suddenly,we heard a siren and saw a VIP car (escorted by a Pilot car and escort car) passing by.They had the time,resources and audacity to put the national emblem and a beacon on their car but not a simple number plate and when my sis pointed this out to a security person seated inside the escort car,(through her window,while driving) his reply was "Aapne abhi No. plate dekhi nahin hain,madam" Watever that meant!

I immediately clikd a few pics from my mobile and sent them to Metro Now with a small description of that incident.

What i am proud of,is the fact that this was not solely my decision,infact it was my mum and my sis who first pointed out the car to me.I had heard a siren,but i was busy reading a novel in the backseat.When we all noticed the missing no. plate,it was my mum and sis who encouraged me to click the pics.Infact i was so engrossed in trying to peek into the tinted windows of the VIP car,that it din't strike me!I am so proud of them!Both of them were least bothered or scared to voice their opinion towards the whole issue....Infact 3 of the cars(the VIP car,the escort car behind it and the pilot car in front of it) were moving side by side with our car, for atleast 5mins...and while i was clicking pics,the security personnel noticed and were pointing towards us......

VIPs misuse their power to get whatever they want!In this case,getting through the traffic,ahead of others.The road is equally ours,as much as theirs.Can't they respect the fact that on the road,outside their Govt offices(including the Parliament) they are like any other normal civilians and should behave like one too.

The use of the siren and the beacon light appalls me.Since, the Republic Day is approaching, yesterday's incident was,in a way, a breach of security.Any terrorist can hire a car with tinted windows and 2 additional cars and move out on the roads as a VIP.No one will question anyone,thinking that the person is a genuine VIP(because of the siren and the beacon).....Isn't this scary?As we saw,the basic identification of a car-the no. plate,could be missing and yet no one would question it/issue a chalan,if the person in question was a VIP!

I also realised from this incident that there is a journalist/activist inside each one of us which comes out in such times.................

I am still wondering who that VIP was?Because the person had heavy security,even when the car used to stop,there was this 1 guard with a gun who used to stand besides the door to the passenger seat....................

The Messiahs

The two Messiahs(saviors) we witnessed in 2007 were R.K Pachauri and Al Gore who did what many had tried earlier,but with a tremendous result!They awakened the world on the alarming issue of Global warming.

They were honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize,for the same,on December 10,2007.

Mr.R.K Pachauri heads, a body-The Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),established in 1988 jointly by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to address the problem of potential global climate change.The panel has been given the award for its efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change, the Nobel committee said.

Pachauri has been heading the IPCC since 2002 and active in several international forums dealing with the subject of climate change and its policy dimensions.

Mr. Al Gore,the former US vice president featured in the documentary:

'An inconvenient Truth',addressing the issue of Global warming.Gore warned that humanity is facing a "planetary emergency".

The reach of the message given out by both the prominent figures was widespread and conferred with the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize,they were taken seriously and so was their warning........

Also,The 13th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Third Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol were held in Bali, Indonesia, from December 3 to 15, 2007.Delegates from about 190 nations had gathered.

The big polluters - Saudi Arabia, US and Canada. All three earned the first "Fossil of the Day Awards" at the climate change talks in Bali on the first day, with each receiving a little sack of coal adorned with their national flags at a mock award ceremony.

Kyoto Protocol is a treaty established in 1997, by United Nations, which requires its signatories to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons methane, nitrogen oxides, and sulphur hexafluoride(greenhouse gases).The actual commitment period, however, starts from January 2008,until December 2012. Although the American delegation signed the protocol, the United States Senate has refused to ratify the treaty citing that the climate agreement represents 'Unacceptable economic costs' for them.

An Adaptation Fund Board on climate change was also created during the meet, which will clear and pass on funds to the countries to carry out adaptation activities.

In the meanwhile,Scientists say that sea levels have already risen 17 centimeters during the 20th century, most of it due to the simple fact that warm water has a larger volume than cold water as mentioned in IPCC's report[http://knowledge.allianz.com]

Pachauri,has already declared that the world has a window of seven years to reverse the effects of global warming.

Only time will tell whether Kyoto signatories are able to cut down emissions by prescribed norms.Depending on which the 2nd phase starting from 2012,will be thought upon.

When will U.S ratify the protocol?

How supportive each nation will be towards each other?

What futher changes we'l witness in our environment?

Will those changes occur earlier than the stipulated time?

Will the danger zones(to be affected first) get the attention they desperately need?

The answers to these questions,will shape our future.......