Immortality

There aren't a lot times I feel like throwing out my modest and humble nature. As much as I try, I just end up telling myself that it isn't worth it to behave the in the perceived 'Maryite' manner (read: arrogant, snobbish, absolutely in the air, having an attitude, considering other people as dirt and not worth talking to). There are many more things I need to add to this list to complete it, but that would be another time.
Point is, I am a product of the school and I do have all of those 'qualities' (actually, I shouldn't even put this word is inverted commas, because I truly think that in the right kind of a person, these qualities are 100% what the word wants to portray). Somehow, I never seem to bring them out the extent that I have people cursing me for it.
But, today, I want to. I want to jump in the air and tell people that I am SO BLOODY GREAT!! I want the whole world to know that I have done great things and am going to do great things. I want people to walk up to me and ask for my autograph (or the medical equivalent of such a scene :-)). I want people to turn around and look at me twice and say, "Look, that's her!" Basically, I have reached immortality and I want to flaunt it. I want the whole college to know that my name has finally appeared on the Roll of Honour Board. BECAUSE IT HAS!! And it shall remain there, a proof of my achievement for generations to come :-)

Man, I feel like Gagan Narang right now. I don't have my name up there for three consecutive years or anything. But, I have it up there for that one year. That's enough to make me treasure it for a life time. An Olympic Medal is a medal- gold, silver, bronze...ultimately that podium finish is what every sportman dreams of. Congrats to Narang, by the way. He has actually made me believe that this hyped up Indian Contingent had some real people capable of delivering when it mattered.
Seeing my name on that board has ignited a flame inside me that wants it up there another time. I am going to work very hard to make that happen. Oh, and what made that moment extra special was that, I saw it on my  parents' wedding anniversary. The news and the photo made a very special gift for them. We have had 6 people from our family graduating from BJ Medical College. I'm the 7th and the 1st to have made it to that Roll of Honour. This is a matter of pride :-)

 Let's hope I deserve another try at this honour again :-))

p.s. I topped BJ in my 2nd year University Exams. That is what this post is related to. To read about it, refer to "From the Topper's Desk", dated February 25th, 2011.

Down with Flu

My life has been plagued with viruses that seem to get attracted to me, like flies to honey. I guess I’m an excellent host. Viruses get all that they need for their subsistence and more when they colonise my Upper Respiratory Tract.

Initially, I used fall ill once a year. This was usually around February. The moment that cold winter and spring decided to clash, I knew I was going to be visited by the ‘Virus-Fairy’. This continued all throughout my school life. It was only when I entered Med School that the fairy decided to favour me and visit me more often.

I think it was related to the hectic schedule. I am the first to admit, I’m not the strongest of people, physically. A little less sleep or a little more running around than normal, and my immune system decides to go on holiday. At times, just emotional stress is enough to allow that immune system to file in its leave application. Med School is pretty demanding. It provides the perfect setting for viruses to surround me and my immune system to want its designated holiday.

Throughout first year, I fell ill twice I think. But, it wasn’t all that bad. Having parents as doctors makes you exempt from doctor’s visits every time you have slight cough or cold. You straightaway start with symptomatic treatment and stay at home for a day or two. Soon, you’re back to normal. So getting the flu wasn’t a cake walk, yes, but it wasn’t a matter of national importance.

It was only in second year (during my first terminal examination) that the flu hit me hard. At that time, I thought it had a lot to do with the long nights I spent studying, before the examination. Now, I think it was just a precipitating factor, rather than the actual cause. I fell ill after two papers, wrote the third battling high grade fever and hardly studied for the fourth. If the examination had ended here, I might’ve recovered faster. But, it didn’t. There were practicals to come. That is where I was hit REAL HARD.

I have a pattern. I guess it might be the same as everybody else, I don’t know. Flu starts with a unilateral sore throat and earache. There is a little bodyache but not something that instantly catches your attention. Soon the unilateral sore throat becomes bilateral. Next, runny nose sets in. Watering of eyes begins soon enough. This goes on for a few days. The sinuses start paining to add to the general discomfort, and there is a slight voice change. Ears get blocked to give you a compressive feeling. On day 3 or 4, the voice change is more apparent than ever. You start coughing a bit (but not expectorant, mind you. No use of those gargles, if you think they’re going to stop that expectoration from coming.). The nose gets blocked quite continuously, and watering eyes give you more problems than ever. Thereafter, that cough becomes expectorant (yes, the bacteria have decided to add to the colours of the ravishing part inside my respiratory tract :-P ) and fever sets in. The nasal discharge gets its purulent nature. Add on, there is a peculiar smell that comes. This smell to me, suggests that I need to start antibiotics immediately. Now, the voice totally goes. Problems arise in getting even a few words out. The fever makes a few visits here and there. With the effect of the antibiotics, the discharge stops, the cold decreases, the fever reduces. What stays is that cough and the voice change. I have been told that I quack like a duck. My dad has said that I sound like a broken gramophone record. This continues for 2-3 weeks. Gradually, the cough decreases, the sputum also reduces. The voice gets closer to normal. I strongly feel that the voice never really returns to normal. It just comes pretty close to it.

Going back to my second year problem, I had to give my practicals in that horrid voice. I couldn’t get words out. It was so bad that my mom finally took me to a doctor. She suggested that I immediately continue with the antibiotics and not talk at all. I had to spend a week at home, I think. I thought the degree of severity was related to my habit of saying things aloud while studying. I immediately decided to change my style of studying. I would say things in my mind or write down a few points. It took me months, but I managed to succeed in finally retaining what I had read and learnt without uttering a word.

Since then, I’ve fallen prey to the flu about twice a year. I usually start with antibiotics after 2-3- days. There is no use of giving prophylactic antibiotics in such a case. This time, maybe the trip to Kolhapur  was the precipitating factor. A day of travelling with the addition of a punctured tyre shook my immune system a bit. The Sunday following the trip, my aunts came to meet us. The preparations involved a lot of work. So there wasn’t any rest as such.

I’m in the initial phase of the secondary bacterial infection. I started with antibiotics yesterday. I don’t mind the flu. I’m pretty used to it by now. I mind the interruption of my studies and my project. I was feeling the urge to study. But, I’ll have to push that urge to Monday now. There is no way I can concentrate with the blocked sinuses and the on-off fever.

By the way, the reason for the trip to Kolhapur was that my brother got admission into the Government Medical College there. It was a shock to us, because the College usually is allotted to those whose ranks are between 700-800. My brother’s rank is 660 so we thought he would be going to Government Medical College, Solapur or Miraj. But, having made the trip to Kolhapur and seen the beautiful campus there, my brother decided that it was an awesome thing that he got this particular college. Since he is used to city life and its attractions, Kolhapur is a much better place for him than the other two cities. I wish all GMCs were like this one. It would make the first year of college very joyful and sweet J    

FREAKS

My wish for a smooth journey regarding the Ethics Committee certificate has been anything but heard. This journey actually has put into perspective every single notion I had about "for every good that happens, there is equal amount of bad". Because here, there has been bad, worse and worst.
As you already know, it started 3 days before my exams. I had to present my topic in front of an Ethics Committee, and they had a lot to say about it. Particularly, it was on gentleman from PSM, whom I took an instant dislike to. He wanted newly diagnosed cases. He felt there was nothing that could come out my project. Yet another gentleman wanted me to decide the severity of the disease using Glycosylated haemoglobin. I had enough trouble getting a simple Lipid Profile done. Where could I manage the Glycosylated Haemoglobin? Another issue was that I had already taken my cases. And I was NOT going to take new ones. A nagging thought during all this process was, "Why have they asked me to present my project any way? They never do it for the ICMR!" At that time I decided that I'd just listen to whatever they said and go back and study.
Part 2 of this saga began on Friday (30th June) when I was told that I needed to make the changes or I wouldn't get the certificate. I talked to a teacher on the Committee, told her that my project had been selected as it was, and I had already done most of the work. She told me to meet the HoD (although I wasn't aware that this guy had become the HoD. The previous HoD had been transferred which I did not know). This new HoD was on Medical Leave. I decided to go and try on Tuesday. When I found out that even on Tuesday, he was still on Medical Leave, I decided to go and let my Guide know what all had happened. He told me to give him a copy of my proposal and told me he'd talk to the concerned people and let me know. I felt that things would get into motion now.
Part 3 of the saga occurred today. I got a call from the Pharmac Department office. On going there, I was told that I had been asked to call the new HoD. The lady told me that he and my Guide had talked to each other, and now I was supposed to talk to him. When I did talk to him, I was shocked and shattered. With anger, frustration, depression and unhappiness. He had the following things to say:
1. Why did you present your topic if it was an ICMR one?
Sir, I was told by the lady in your office that I had to. I told her that I hadn't heard of this happening to anybody before. She told me she had been told to ask me to, and she was just passing on the message.
2. You should've objected then.
How could I, Sir? You are all Professors. I thought the whole Committee had looked into my project and decided that I needed to present it. How I refuse or even object to it? Wouldn't that have been rude?
3. You have already started your work, it seems.
Yes Sir, I got a Provisional Certificate before. So I started.
4. You got a certificate before the meeting? That is not right. It is illegal to get a certificate before the meeting gets through.
Sir, I had missed the previous date of your meeting. So I asked my Guide and even in the office here, and they said I could get such a certificate. And the previous HoD went through my proposal and then issued a certificate.
5. How can one person issue such a certificate on behalf of the whole committee without even talking to them?
I do not know that, Sir. Since he said that there was no problem with getting such a certificate, I started with the work as soon as I got it.
He laughs...."This is not right. I don't understand what lengths you people go to. Look I don't have a problem with your project, but Dr. R--- does. I just don't like that provisional certificate."
What should I do then, Sir? What should I do with the project and my cases?
He laughs again...I'll talk to your Guide and let you know.

I just can't understand how unlucky this project is. Every single step that I've taken has been wrought with trouble and complications. It is so amazing that a person like me can get involved in so many issues. This HoD knows my parents, has taught them in fact. In my second year, I went to him to get some advice on how to study for the PG Entrance exams....at that time he talked as if I had already started classes with him. I didn't go back again. Is that why he's creating these problems? Did I hurt his ego? And seriously, if the previous Head gave me a certificate, big deal!! Why can't he just not let this newfound 'I'm-the HoD' ego not create problems for students? And for heavens sake, the ICMR selected this project. The INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH. A body that controls and encourages research from all over the COUNTRY. If they did not have a problem, what problem do these people have? May be this HoD was right. I shouldn't have presented my project only. I'd have invited their anger at the beginning only and not had to go through all this drama.
FREAKS. All of them. FREAKS. 

Spanish Armada : Long Live the Giants of The Beautiful Game