HYPOCHROMIA

 

     

We met Riya for the first time when she had joined us along with her husband Ronnie for our visit to the Thripparappu Waterfalls.  Her son Rohan accompanied her. Ronnie had been a good friend of ours. We had been planning this trip for quite sometime.

The Thripparappu Waterfalls is a popular destination for tourists. It offers a delectable view.. The visitors invariably take a bath there. Ronnie and Rohan went off to join the crowd at the water that streamed down. Later they spent quite a lot of time at the adjacent swimming pool as well.

Since we observed the floor slippery we did not go for a bath.  We were content to sit on the steps that gave us a panoramic sight of the Waterfall. A cool breeze swept across on that hot summer day. Riya came to us and offered to take Indu for a bath. Indu politely declined as she was scared. When we queried why she did not join her husband and son, Riya quitely replied, the cleanliness was far from her standards.

Finding the Sun directly hitting us, she went up two levels on the upper reaches and came down. She suggested that we ought to move up to the second level that was comparatively clean and offered a direct view of the Waterfall. She left us there and went after her son who was splashing around in the pool.  We sat there enjoying the scenic beauty that unfolded.

Ronnie and Rohan took their own time to come out of the pool. Once they were back, we had to climb the sharp gradient to reach our vehicle. Riya held the hand of Indu as we went up. To our surprise she did that wherever we stopped later. It was a big relief to Indu as traversing difficult terrain had always been a challenge to her.

On our way back, we visited the Mathoor Aquaduct or Thottippalam. We stopped at the resort Anantya By The Lake  for lunch and afterwards at the Kuzhipallam Botanical Garden and Research Centre. Riya  scrupulously ensured that Indu was comfortable everywhere. It seemed they were bonding well.

When the sightseeing was over, Riya and Ronnie affectionately invited us for dinner with them.  

At home, Riya was vibrant. She prepared a sumptuous dinner in quick time. Ronnie was  assisting her in the endeavour.

As we sat there at the dining table, Riya revealed what she had been through the past couple of years. It shocked us.

Her travails began with rashes on the body. Since it didnot subside with the treatment at the local hospital, she was referred to the Medical College Hospital. In the four months of treatment the doctors there were unsuccessful in identifying the disease.

Riya is illustrious. Her journey had transponded her to associate herself with Dr. Wilson S.S, who had been conducting online classes in Motivation, Health and Computer Science.

Dr.  Wilson came to know of the ailments that were debilitating Riya. He referred her to Dr.Gokul at the PRS Hospital, Trivandrum. Dr.Gokul conducted a detailed investigation on Riya. It took four days. The Diagnosis was that she was suffering from Hypochromia.

The good doctor had explained what it meant to be a Hypochromic patient. The RBC count of the affected patient goes on a depletion spree. In order to exclude other possibilities, she was investigated for Hemophelia as well as the big C. Once they were neagative, Dr.Gokul initiated treatment for Hypochromia. 

Riya, the sprightly girl, met the challenge with fortitude. As Hypochromic patients tend to become bed ridden for longer spells that in turn subject them to bed sores, Riya had made it a point to never lie on the bed. She was a revelation to her doctor as he had never come across such a patient who ran around cheerfully.

Another challenge was the occasional drop in the count of RBC that made her very tired. She was advised to take an injection every month to counter it. The hitch was, the cost of an injection was Rs.20000.00. She found out that the Medical College had a drug bank where the drug was available at Rs.10000.00 per dose. She went for it.

Riya had been advised to ensure that she didn't fall as she moved around.  The fall could harm her. It could be beyond redemption.

Yet another missive she faced was sudden bouts of dizziness.  She had been advised to check into a hospital at once for the administration of an IV for which she had to carry the medicine with her always. She kept an ID with her. It spoke of her medical condition.

She showed us the red rashes that had formed on her legs after a day of exertion. But she said they would go off after some rest as she had been on drugs and treatment. 

Riya is very practical in her approach on her fight against the ailment. 

She said in case she fell unconscious at any point of time, it was imperative she was admitted to an ICU, which would be a costly affair.  According to her, the ICU would make her shell out Rs.13000.00 per day.  Since the family's resources were not sound, she had made a  bracelet in Gold out of the wedding rings of herself and Ronnie. It was for the rainy day.

As Ronnie was a student with limited income, Riya  was more or less managing the home front that included the EMI of Rs.18000.00 for the Home Loan with which their beautiful and well kept house had been built. 

It was Rohan's birthday, the next day. He wanted a new dress. We offered to buy it for him. Riya declined it at first. She said her son had to grow up learning that he had to survive in a state of scarcity. Later she relented in response to our gentle persuasion.

Well, what Riya  revealed had raised a lot of questions within us. 

We had always thought the adversities we faced had no parallels.  But here it was, that was on s higher scale. We met a girl who was fighting for dear life. And she was facing up to the adversities squarely refusing to give up.  We met a family that had very little to face a life of inexorable challenges. The silverline was they were enjoying their life. They never missed a meal. They knew how to manage themselves.

Life that had been unkind was kind to them.