Monthly Musings : November -20 The turnaround begins

 

Monthly Musings : November -20 The turnaround begins

30^th November was exactly a year ago when Manas was operated for the tumor and we got to know that it was malignant and now exactly after a year, he is getting back to normal. This month was when we did all the re-tests which included doing MRI and Echo and both came as normal. What was very heartening and satisfying was the Dr Komal Prasad (Neurologist) comment on his report which stated ‘remarkable progress due to his will power’, this summed up our emotion and journey of last 12 months. While we don’t want to think about it, it brings both tears of pain and joy at what Manas endured. This month, he started running in the colony and also we got out to play cricket with tennis ball for a hour. His 2 friends Aditya and Gautam come and join us. It is so nice to see him back in the nets, have fun and enjoy the game. The Corono virus also completes a year since it turned its ugly head but then being at home and quarantined is a new normal. The one year has been a year of turnaround and the entire world was giving us company.  His grandparents also went back to their home in Pune after being with us for 11 months and they were an immense support. The IPL also concluded and RCB reaching playoff was a welcome progression something that Manas was rooting for. This month also had India tour of Australia though we got hammered in the first 2 One day international. Sagar also left for Indore to spend some time with his parents and meet his friends. I hope and pray that from December is a beginning of turnaround for entire world and sign of better times to come. Like us, let this be a positive turnaround for everyone. Amen

Monthly Musings : October Real Birthday 2020

 

Monthly Musings : October Real Birthday 2020

This was the 2^nd month of maintenance phase, we had to visit the hospital once in 2 weeks and that too only for blood test and correct the tablet dosage. Manas parameters are coming back to normal limits, his WBC has to be kept low. We also went and met Dr Komal Prasad the Neurosurgeon who performed the operation on Manas, he was very happy to see his progress and in fact wrote on his report that the remarkable progress has been due to his will power. We were very happy to see that. He suggested we do a MRI and keep so that we have a baselined report, something that we will be doing in end November along with the echo report. This month on 7^th was Manas 17^th Birthday and it was a joyous occasion to celebrate, made cake at home, he got his friends on zoom call and got him a personalized Chelsea and Barcelona football jersey. This month we also did the 1 year Sharddha function for my parents, the priest also did a health pooja for Manas. Now Manas is more or less fully independent hence his Physio said he can do the exercise on his own and no longer required. A zillion thanks to Kirubanidhi the physio who not only was a great physio but a became a good friend to Manas. Manas regular studies started hence got a new laptop for his online studies. October was the month of re-birth, a real birthday.

Monthly Musings : Come September 2020

 

Monthly Musings : Come September 2020

This was the first month of Manas maintenance phase started. Time seems to fly past as he has got back into the routine of exercise, study and tv. He has developed interest in drawing and painting and did some wonderful sketches. Sometimes in discussions his initial months of pain comes up but he does not want to even think about it, wants to erase this as a bad dream. This month we decided to meet the priest and perform the  1^st year Shraddah ceremony for my parents as it is over 1 year over due. This month also had many birthdays and one more reason to celebrate. Started giving batting practice with a tennis ball inside the house and he has picked up nicely, though he needs to get full balance. Now we have follow up once in 3 weeks and his hameglobin has increased to 11. Hair has also started growing. Next month on 7^th is his birthday so plans to get new Bat and gloves. The Covid situation does not seem to improve at all and praying for a solution soon. A month of new beginning.

Weekly Musings : Week 40 Have to Be Careful

 

Weekly Musings : Week 40 Have to Be Careful

As things were settling down we had a small incident where Manas slipped a bit in the bathroom and got a cut in his leg. There was slight bleeding as the toe skin had come off. His GCSF was given and his counts were good. His maintenance phase now officially starts from 7^th September. As he had a cut we were asked to be very careful in the maintenance phase to avoid any kind of injury or infection. Funny how mind works because as soon as the major phase is done, there is a rush to catch up, but then there is need to exercise caution and be careful.

Weekly Musings : Week 39 Still Settling Down

 

Weekly Musings : Week 39 Still Settling Down

This week Manas maintenance phase was to start, he was excited. We went to do the blood test and his counts were low hence Dr Shobha asked us to give GCSF for 4 days and then come again. We all thought things will settle down soon but realized that 6 months of intense chemo injections will take time to taper down. The week was fine and Manas has started his studies and onlines classes. The school also admitted him and he is settling down to the normal that was there a year ago. We now give him cricket practice at home with a light tennis ball.

Weekly Musings : Week 38 The Normal Settling In

 

Weekly Musings : Week 38 The Normal Settling In

This week Manas got his blood test and parameters were normal, though heamoglobin was bit low Dr Shobha said it will come back. With no further injections, it is the settling of the new normal. Manas was very happy and took a snap in the same dress he had bought a year ago for his birthday. Time seems to fly and didn’t realise what all the poor kid had gone through, he has taught us so many things and so many people have touched our lives. It was a an emotional feeling of having conquered something big. The normal is something all of us are slowly getting used to and pray the world also comes back to its normal self.

Weekly Musings : Week 37 Our Freedom At Midnight

 

Weekly Musings : Week 37 Our Freedom At Midnight

15^th August was the 74^th Independence day celebration for India and it was no less a freedom for Manas as well as his last chemo injection of Cytrabin was given on 15^th August. He was very happy and relieved and celebrated by speaking to his friends. Evening he played a few shots, somehow balancing himself. On 15^th August the cricket legends MS Dhoni and his buddy Suresh Raina announced their retirement. I was telling Manas that one MS retires and paves way for the other MS (Manas Shalini) and another left handed batsmen retires and he can fill those shoes. It was an emotional feeling like having scaled the peak after a long and arduous trek. The maintenance phase starts now and the same care and discipline needs to be followed, pretty much like our freedom, it was tough to achieve and require equal effort to maintain the same.