Rita Banik, founder of RACE to Rein in Cancer has been living with cancer for more than 12 years. She reflects on her journey, the ups and downs and what keeps her going as the fear of relapse stays in the mind forever.
Sunder and Sriram are twins who were diagnosed with cerebral palsy when they were just 6 months old and who now run Twin Twigs, an eco-friendly business initiative. Ramesh and Radha are their enterprising and supportive parents. The twins and their parents talk to PatientsEngage about this exciting endeavor with the dual goal of creating employment for disabled persons like themselves and making our world plastic-free via a sustainable green model.
Anita Nanda, 58 who resides in Mauritius, battled breast cancer with a positive attitude, which was, of course, aided by the loving comfort of her family. She recalls those difficult days in this personal account.
What was the emotion uppermost in your mind when you were diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2017 - Depression, anxiety, fear or something else?
All of these. Oh my God! It can’t be happening to me…’ was obviously the first thought.
Mona Balani, 43 from Delhi has had multiple rounds of TB and HIV. Motivated by her own experience of limited support and lack of knowledge, she now advises other patients and works actively with a support group of TB patients
Prof Anita Ghai, a leading disability rights activist and academic reflects on her own life, her life with polio, rheumatic heart disease and breast cancer and her persistent struggles with undesirable societal attitudes towards disability.
‘How come you had polio? Were you not vaccinated? Why was your mother not more careful?’ These are some questions that always haunt me. Of course, there are many others such as ‘why me?’ that all of us always ask ourselves.
When Jeeva Anna George was diagnosed with Celiac disease, an uncommon digestive disorder causing inflammation of the small intestine, her whole life began revolving around food. Here she talks at length about her personal journey and how she learnt the hard way to control the disease by strictly following a gluten free diet.
At what age did you discover you had celiac disease?
My symptoms started when I was 25 but I was diagnosed a month after turning 27.
Shibani Ganguly, 50, sole caregiver for her mother with Alzheimer's
Patience, time management, skill and personal health care are very essential for caregivers. One needs to develop all these to be a good and dependable caregiver.
Vimal Balachander on caring for her mother-in-law during her steady decline with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Its sometimes easy to look upon suffering when one thinks it is a just effect of past misdeeds. One accepts the pain, and works to remain stable and calm through it. Belief in Karma gives great strength. I was able to cross all these shores because of my belief and finally when I waved her goodbye, I knew I had done my duties well, and that when I meet her again, I hope to meet her as a daughter not daughter-in-law and we can both strengthen each other through other journeys. Amma, my love.
Carol D’Souza recounts her mother’s advancing dementia and how she and her family made peace with the agonizing decision to put her in a care home.
Each day after my evening swim (which I needed to cope with the stress) I would go with her for a walk, during which time she enjoyed the breeze and remained very quiet.