In the middle of 2009, we got a call from Lekha teacher, who later on became one of our ardent volunteers, informing about smt. Narang. Teacher was, of course her next door neighbour.......
Our first visit:- It was on 20th June 09. A hot Sunday morning......we a group of 4, Hamzaji, Antony Sir, Kareem Sir and me took the metro to Tilak Nagar... We traced her house, which was easily identifiable due to presence of so many idols of Hindu goddesses kept nearby, in the bylines of Tilak Nagar. We were greeted by her husband and led to their dilapidated house. There on one corner stood Mrs. Seema, who was trying to maintain a pale smile on her face despite the awful pain in her lower abdomen. She was neither able to sit, nor stand as the pain does not subside. Her husband narrated the string of events and informed that the hospital where she underwent operation for Uterus Cancer has now asked for the CT scan to be done to diagnose the secondary development. The hospital has given a date after three months for scanning and so the poor lady had no choice, but bear with the pain as financial constrains made it difficult to get her diagnosed through scanning done elsewhere in order to start the treatment in the same Government hospital. We, the inexperienced volunteers however, decided to pool in money for getting her diagnosed and also conveyed the situation of this patient to our ever helping Dr. Sindhu Sunil Madam, whose medical intervention went a long way in mitigating the excruciating pain Seema was going through.
Our second visit:-
Our second visit was an abrupt one on the day when hospital authorities thrown the bad prognosis on face of the patient. Not only the patient, but her family comprising husband, daughter and father-in-law were in deep shock and crying when we managed to reach near her and with our concerted counseling for more than two hours we could not only calm down the patient but to our utter dismay a determination to live life despite oddities could be instilled in her. The confidence in life built by us then we made
It was after one week we along with our doctor friend Sh. Nishad visited Smt. Narang. He saw the diagnostic reports of progressing cervical cancer, but the patient was coming back to normalcy though on symptoms due to medication, unaware of the depth of the disease. She was already feeling well...probably our intervention worked out.... but this was the critical moment too....how to tell her when she was relaxing, smiling and sharing her life’s ups and downs with us. She was blushing profusely while narrating her happier times including love marriage. We were all like her long lost friends found again by this time.
Lekha teacher was of great help to Seema in her critical moments and so they were very close to each other. Later we realized that teacher was helpful not only to Seema, but plays the role of an agony aunt to the entire locality. So we were able to appraise Seema’s husband about the bad prognosis bit by bit through Lekha Teacher. We were also to make her understand that 'all was not well '. However, may be due to inexperience, we were instilling a hope for life in her by diverting her attention from all the sufferings she was going through. On our instance she was limping back to life with medicines, checkups, some religious texts, and even to write ghazals as hamzaji used to advise her. She started insisting for our long presence with her as it increases her confidence in life.
Weeks gone by, our visits also increased as we were well aware of the imminent in her case. On our specialist Sumitha joining the group visiting this patient things changed tremendously as Seema started opening up her heart further before Sumitha and Lekha teacher. She was unwinding all her worries....anxiety about her daughter, about her husband and all.
Her condition started deteriorating during the first week of July 2009. By the time we had really made a bond with her and the family. The doses of pain killers prescribed were increased considerably... still her ardent belief that the Goddesses around her house will not deprive her was the only hope left in her.....though knowing well we were also hoping some miracles to happen as she was more than a patient, say a sister, a family member, for all of us by then. Slowly and gradually she was becoming bedridden.... increased pain...more and more weak.....and loosing weight considerably. Her condition was even worse in the midst of July. Her hope was grim and we were supporting her and family socially and psychologically...
On a Tuesday evening, she invited all of us to tie Rakhi on Raksha Bandhan day. I could make it to accept her invitation. It was very painful to see her… She was in excruciating pain, still her happiness on my reaching there was felt through her scanty smile. She tied a beautiful Red Rakhi on my wrist......... that night, about to return her condition was severely critical and I along with Lekha Teacher took her to the nearest doctor and got some pain killer injections for a temporary relief....
Just a couple of days passed by, the message came from Lekha teacher that Seema needs to be hospitalized as she was seemed to be sinking. .....it was around 09-30 at night and we along with Hamzaji went to DDU...there she was given some more pain killers getting her temporary respite......We returned after 12.30......the following morning I got a message from Hamzaji that Smt. Seema Narang is no more…. I was shocked....nothing in my mind for a moment.....the Red beautiful Rakhi was holding tight on my wrist...........
Madhu Nair
(*Name of the patient changed to hide her identity)
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