Yay ... Yay ... I brushed !!

After almost a week, the mouth is better today and I could have a proper cleaning of my mouth with toothbrush. How good it feels to be able to brush!!

As I was feeling better and have energy to walk around, I thought of considering the invitation of the Force India to compete in the first ever Indian Grand Prix!! ahem..ahem...

But, then The Hindu warned in their first page yesterday that the temperature goes up to 55 degrees, drivers lose about 4-5 kg of weight after every grand prix and they are heavily dehydrated!

As I am sure to win, the only problem is that I won't materialise finally in the podium!! So, ditched it!

(But, frankly, for environmental reasons, racing of cars should be banned, isn't it, instead of rejoicing that India got its Grand Prix?)

Diwali fireworks in my mouth

The last one week has been the most painful (literally) week of my life - till now, that is :-)

Due to the Chemo effect, the WBC count seemed to drop even more drastically than the global economic melt down. So, with no policeman to control, even petty thieves were acting big!! Normal dry skin in the lips was trying to threaten me, imagine!!

But, after Madhan, my saviour in Gudalur Adivasi Hospital gave 300 ml of perfectly matched A+ blood, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel this morning.I showed their place to the lips already, the tongue and the throat are slowly getting around to it ...

I drank 3 glasses of something today and hope, will be back to "normal" by tomorrow.

Judgement delivered - VTV is the best!

I think, I have made up by mind. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya is the best of A.R.Rahman's albums. I waited for more than 6 months before making up my mind, but tonight, I think the decision is made!!

Minsara Kanavu, Kandukondain..., Taal were very good too. But, VTV is absolutely out of the world and divine music. Kerala, backwaters, melody, pathos and church bells...! Simply superb....

Hostile Gatekeepers

At the India-Pakistan Wagah border, we have two of the most hostile gatekeepers that you can find anywhere. Till recently, I used to think they are probably the most hostile gatekeepers that you can find in the world!

But, the chemo drugs introduced me to another set of gatekeepers who are, in fact, more hostile than these two poor souls. The mouth ulcer and the throat ulcer! Together they are such a potent force that it has been very difficult to beat them! During the 2nd half of both the second and third chemo cycles, I had them appearing from nowhere in my body. As it is, the taste buds were not working and everything was tasting the same. Now, the throat ulcer was constantly secreting a salty water whenever I try to eat something, it was an effective way of saying NO to food!
So, I tried to cajole them and used the liquid route. For the last one month or so, the diet has become only liquid. When both the gatekeepers were looking the other side, I tried to send milk and juice and soya milk and water inside the system. By mistake, once or twice I tried venturing into solid food, but immediately our gatekeepers shut shop! Once they looked a bit lenient, it looked like the food went inside; but, I didn't account for another more powerful fellow inside called Nausea - who very brutally pushed the food outside! "You won't listen to those two chaps, eh?" Disgraceful...
But, what to do with the tablets? They are solid. If it was a little bigger, it would have resembled our famous Kerala puttu or an elongated Idly! Somehow, I was sending them in, but tonight, the first tablet went inside and there was a big revolution in my food pipe, forcing me to abondon the second tablet. I guess, this is the end of my 3rd cycle of chemotherapay.
As of now, I guess, we have crossed half the well. We have to go to Vellore on 2nd for a CT Scan and meet the doctor on 4th. Let us see what is the result of these 3 cycles of chemotherapy!! Fingers crossed.

10 Ways to Know You are a Cancer Survivor

Bhanu sent this cute little list to find out easily if you are a cancer survivor. So, to cheer up others going through the ordeal, here it is !!

• Your alarm clock goes off at 6 a.m. and you're glad to hear it.
• Your mother-in-law invites you to lunch and you just say NO.
• You're back in the family rotation to take out the garbage.
• When you no longer have an urge to choke the person who says,"all you need to beat cancer is the right attitude."
• When your dental floss runs out and you buy 1000 yards.
• When you use your toothbrush to brush your teeth and not comb your hair.
• You have a chance to buy additional life insurance but you buy a new convertible car instead.
• Your doctor tells you to lose weight and do something about your cholesterol and you actually listen.
• When your biggest annual celebration is again your birthday, and not the day you were diagnosed.
• When you use your Visa card more than your hospital parking pass.

She also sent some jokes on doctors; but, let me wait till I finish the chemo treatment! Don't want to rub them in the wrong side as yet!!!

3rd cycle started

The 3rd cycle of my chemotherpay started. Went to Vellore on Sunday, met the doctor on Monday after a blood test. Thanks to the topping up done in Gudalur, I didn't have to have any blood transfusion in CMC. So, the doctor did not even admit me in the oncology ward and said that I could have my chemo IV infusion in the Day Care Centre.
First time, when I heard the name day care centre, I thought of a creche kind of thing - looking for a room with a yellow duck toy or a wooden horse and some colourful play things strewn all around! But, what I got was a small room where six chairs that remind one of a fancy saloon. Everyone sitting there with IV sets hanging over their head. It takes about 1 hour waiting and 2 hours of IV. Then, after 5 minutes of rest, you are out. Quite an efficient system.
So, by 12.30, my medication was over - no effects during the process. So, quickly we left Vellore by 2 pm. As we had to cross the Mudumalai sanctuary before 9 pm, we rushed back to Gudalur. We had two schumachers with us in Tarsh and Dilip, who reached us in record time of 7 hours from Vellore to Gudalur!
The steriod is still holding up, the hiccup minion is occasionally showing its presence, but no other side effects have started yet. Waiting till the week end to get a real picture.

Meanwhile, my latest photograph in the day care centre is given below - thanks to Nikhilesh.

This is just to show Sundar that I have not still become bald (mottai) - not yet!!

Feel like a SIM card

These days, I feel more like a SIM card than a human body - what with constant talk of 'topping up'.
When I heard the doctor saying, "Oh, you are traveling on Sunday and you will be roaming. So, we better top up", I handed my mobile phone to him, "yes, doctor". "No, No, what I meant is to top you up with more blood. You come to the hospital in the morning and we will transfuse one unit of it."
For the last one month, such conversations have become normal. As I will be roaming tomorrow, the charge probably will come down faster with all that travel etc., so better to boost it up a bit. Till now, 4 units of topping up has happened and more to follow!
Blood banks are quite advanced already. Even before the telecom sector came out with number portability etc., blood banks have done that. Any group is fine - exchange offer and you will get yours.
Fortunately, there aren't any festival offers and promotional schemes which may give new ideas to the doctors - "why don't you go for a top up today itself and then wait for the Diwali offer ?", he might say!
In the process, they are trying to neutralise myself with the blood of other sane people. Though Tarsh, Gopal, Shikha, Harsh and his friend gave the blood, what I finally got was that of James Raj, Joe Ezhil Chinnappan and one Nine Wangoli. Today, Udayan will join the illustrious group of people whose blood finds a place in my body - albeit temporarily!

2nd cycle of chemotherapy completed

Few days ago, the 2nd cycle got over. Actually, all the side effects that I was warned about seemed to decide almost the same time to have a go. So, from mouth ulcer to throat pain, from a confused state of diarrhoea / constipation to a nauseous sensation.... All happened during the last one week, and most of them do continue. As the WBC count was coming down, the doctor suggested to stop the tablets one day earlier! Bless him!!

This morning, some of the effects seem to wear off a little - so, feeling a bit okay. Have another five days ago, before the next cycle starts!! All the side effects are okay, but whether the actual main effect is happening??

This is just a matter of fact update - as long silence from my end is killing my fans!! For the last 3 days, the idea for the next blog post is brewing. So, wait for that - may be, in a day or two!

Meanwhile, Happy Dussehra to everyone!!