A day to remember and cherish

   A day to remember and cherish

August 8 , 2019 is a day to cherish and remember in my life.

You all know from my past posts about the "Bells Palsy" attack I suffered in January 11 this year. You must also have read the wonderful treatment I  was getting from the Terna physiotherapy hospital since then. Well the treatment is almost at its fag end and I , having been restored to around 95% of my original self was given the good news by the Physiotherapy head Dr. Jul Dave herself that I might be duly discharged by around the 15th of August 2019.

She however put across a difficult proposition to me , that I as a patient who is about to be discharged and set free from treatment in a weeks time (15th August happens to be Indian Independence Day) must prepare myself to give a short speech to her fresher(first and second year) students on August 8th about the treatment given to me , the emotional phases a patient goes through after a sudden major illness and what expectations a patient has  about the treatment from his side etc.. Dr Ankita Jui madam's deputy called it “ A Road to recovery”

On August 8 the informal function started by Jui madam setting  the ball rolling by introducing me and my wife (who was also present) to the gathered students.

I started narration by giving a brief account of how the palsy struck me and how I landed up at The Terna Hospital where after an MRI scan I was recommended to undergo physiotherapy at the OPD in the neuro division.

On admission I was introduced to Dr Jui Dave, The head of Physiotherapy, Terna college She in turn handed me over to her deputies Dr Loveleen and Dr Vaishali who were Post Graduates In Physiotherapy I learnt later.

I was under shock after the attack which had caused the following disabilities in me
 1) my mouth was twisted on the left side,

2) my left eye was always open , I could not blink my eyelids

3) My walking was imbalanced as my left leg was affected

and 

4) Hearing on my left ear was affected.

I was in a state of stupor and was worried how I was going to come out of all these problems.

That was when Dr Loveleen and Dr Vaishali like two angels descending from the heaven took me under their care and assured me all will be well in no time.

Loveleen initially started me on Electrical Stimulation and Vaishali took over the physical exercises part.

I found Dr Loveleen to be cheerful and always smiling , She gives each patient she handles an impression that the patient is her most important patient. She handles them gently, speaks softly to them and never gets angry. She will bond with the patient wholeheartedly and the patient starts to trust her implicitly. She enquires about the patients interest and about the near and dear ones. The patient quickly goes in to a comfort zone.

Dr Vaishali on the other hand is quiet, speaks very less but no less efficient. She goes about her taskj on hand like a horse with a fly—mask, never distracted full attention on the patient. She gain is soft-spoken and handles the patients gently.

I would call Dr Loveleen as the heart of the Neuro division, beating non-stop, efficient and full of warmth. On the other hand I would call Dr Vaishali the soul of the division, invisible but always finishing the tasks allotted to her efficiently.

They are both as different as chalk and cheese but equally efficient and effective.

Thus physiotherapy is not only about the theory and practice of the physical treatment to patients, but also dealing with the mental trauma and shock a patient goes through during the recovery period and a person who wants to be an ideal therapist must also learn to literally hold the patient's hand and bring him/her out of the mental shock.The freshers must understand that treating a patient for his physical needs only is not sufficient but the therapist must bond with the patient and build a rapport so that the patient is comfortable and trusts the therapist. With these words I concluded my short speech.

Dr. Deepika was the next to speak. She spoke about the support provided by my wife during the six months of treatment. My wife was there at my side everyday of the treatment. In the initial days I was unable to walk properly and I used to reach the OPD with her support. An eye drop was to be administered every one hour and she was there without fail at the stroke of the hour.

Dr. Jui next spoke and said that I was one of the most sincere patients who did the exercises with lot of enthusiasm despite my age.

I again took the stage and thanked Dr. Deepika for reminding me about my wife. I apologised for not mentioning my wife. I said this is because of the fact that we Indian men are known to take women for granted. In fact my wife was so dedicated and took so much stress that she developed muscle spasms and had to undergo treatment herself at the Musculo section.

I became emotional when me and my wife were honoured with a flower bouquet which was presented by Dr. Loveleen, Dr Vaishali and Dr Akanksha.

I must mention here the names of some of the therapists who attended to me and some others whom I observed.

Among the seniors I felt Madhuria, Nidhi who attended to me and Pranali and Deepika whom I observed impressed me with their approach to their patients and hard work.

Among the Juniors I recall Vidhi, Razia, Gazala , Hetvi and Amin. I feel they have have a bright future.

There may be many others amongst you whom I had not seen and must be doing a wonderful job.

I congratulate the Administrative team Of Dr Jui, Dr Deepika, Dr Ankita and Dr Pratibha who are great leaders and are churning out a high percentage of capable therapists.

Below are some of the photos clicked on the occasion.

Bouquet of flowers being handed over

With the management Staff

Mr Venkatraman speaks

Mr Venkatraman giving his speech

Dr.  Deepika speaks

August 8 also happens to be a great day in Indian history. If you want to know more about that day and the historical significance read further.

The Quit India Movement

August 8th is remembered by Indians as the launch of the "Quit India" movement in India. The Gowalia tank maidan in Mumbai was renamed "August Kranti Maidan" to remember the event.

The Quit India Movement, or the August Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8 August 1942 during World War II, demanding an end to British Rule in India.

The Cripps Mission had failed, and on 8 August 1942, Gandhi made a call to Do or Die in his Quit India Speech delivered in Bombay at the Gowalia Tank Maidan.  The All India Congress Committee (AICC) launched a mass protest demanding what Gandhi called "An Orderly British Withdrawal" from India.

Even though it was wartime, the British were prepared to act. Almost the entire leadership of the Indian National Congress was imprisoned without trial within hours of Gandhi's speechThe leaders  spent the rest of the war in prison and out of contact with the masses.

The British had the support of the Viceroy's Council (which had a majority of Indians), of the All India Muslim League, the princely states, the Indian Imperial Police, the British Indian Army and the Indian Civil Service.

Many Indian businessmen profiting from heavy wartime spending did not support the Quit India Movement. Many students paid more attention to Subhas Chandra Bose, who was in exile and supporting the Axis Powers. The only outside support came from the Americans, as President Franklin D Roosvelt pressured Prime Minister Winston Churchill to give in to some of the Indian demands. The Quit India campaign was thus effectively crushed.The British refused to grant immediate independence, saying it could happen only after the war had ended.

Sporadic small-scale violence took place around the country and the British arrested tens of thousands of leaders, keeping them imprisoned until 1945. In terms of immediate objectives, Quit India failed because of heavy-handed suppression, weak co-ordination and the lack of a clear cut programme of action. However, the British government realized that India was ungovernable in the long run due to the cost of World War II, and the question for postwar became how to exit gracefully and peacefully.

In 1992 Reserve Bank Of India  issued a 1 rupee commemorative coin to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Quit India Movement.