Happy 10 to Mama & Me.
On 3rd September 2023 we completed 10 years of our liver transplant surgery.
Reason for the surgery
Well the story begins with my birth in 1987. With my Mama’s doctor having fractured her hand her junior had to assist in the C section delivery & had to stitch her back. Unfortunately just two weeks after my birth my Mama’s stitches opened up and she had a lot of blood loss. To compensate for this she was given two bottles of blood from the blood bank. Back in 1987, the medical industry in India was still evolving and blood banks didn’t check the blood for particular viruses namely Hepatitis C. This led to the virus entering my Mama’s body and then started the tumultuous journey of hospitals, doctors, treatments and so on.
Mama’s Strengths
My devout father and the entire family stood rock solid by her side making it possible for her to go through this journey with a bit more ease and strength. She has always been known for her unwavering will power and grit, all of which mounted to her successfully battling her health situation along with the love of her family. Also our angel in disguise Dr.Vinay Thorat, a specialist of gastrointestinal guided us at every step. She would have up days and down days on the health front yet she marched on like a soldier.
My Journey Begins
Life went on, in 2009 as I started learning paragliding I came across a lot of friends into the practice of yoga and inspired me to start my yoga journey. Like they say when you are ready to walk the path the Guru appears, Anadini Jorwekar, lovingly called Aunty came into my life. A Yoga practitioner herself and disciple of Iyengar Guruji since the 90’s, my Aunty has been my guiding light, my teacher, my pillar of strength, my grandmother and a constant cheerleader. She saw the diamond in coal, she saw in me what nobody else, not even I could see then. A kind hearted soul and always sharing straight from her heart, her teachings of the physical asana practice to life lessons to just being a kind person have shaped and influenced me in a big way.
The Big Jolt
Cut to 2nd February 2013, my niece and nephew were born. As we all celebrated the birth of the angel twins in our family my mother’s health seemed to be deteriorating with her hemoglobin & albumin levels dropping to all time low. We rushed to get all the tests our doctor recommended including CT/ MRI. I clearly remember this day, we all family members were shuffling between hospital, work and caring for my Mama at home. I got a call to collect Mama’s reports and meet the doctor. As everyone was tied up at that moment I went ahead by myself. The doctor went through the reports and he immediately let me know that the virus had affected the liver entirely, lesions were forming and that she needed a liver transplant at the earliest. He called it the ‘golden window’ the cancer had not spread beyond the liver. Before it spread into the other organs we had to nip it at the but.
Walking The Path
In that moment a voice very clearly and precisely guided me towards walking on the path of my dharma.Without a second thought I told the doctor I will be donating my liver and we would be able to make use of the ‘golden window’.
Oh well back then the concept of Dharma didn’t even register while making the decision. It was all about doing the right thing at the right time and standing by my family. Well my family had their concerns with me donating as I was all of 25, which they saw as a hindrance in my future life whereas I saw it as my strength to heal and bounce back quicker. After much debate within the family and looking for alternatives, finally without further delay we all family members arrived on the same page. With everyone’s might and support our family came together and marched as one unit to make this mission a success.
Successful Surgery
On September 3rd 2013, we both went under the knife under the expert hands of Dr.Rela and his team at Global Hospital, Chennai. Time slowed down outside the OT for all the family, friends and well wishers but by the end of the day the doctors had successfully completed our liver transplant. The postoperative care was intense for both and the healing took both of us close to a year.
Living With Gratitude
Today as I look back, ten years have flown by in a giffy with everyone’s blessing and that infinite universal energy always guiding. Both Mama and I are doing well and carry on with our day to day lives with all its ups and downs but always knowing we have each other’s back at all times. Such is the power of love with a good mix of will power and a lot of science and technology to make it possible.
The Inner Journey Begins
My yoga practice from 2009 to 2013 helped me to be physically fit and mentally strong to go through the surgery. But honestly, I feel in 2014, a year after the surgery when I stepped on the yoga mat under the guidance of my Guru was the time my yoga journey truly began, my journey to healing, living life on my terms and the magic of manifestation began.