03/12/2024: Silver Linings

 Updated 03/12/24- Silver Linings


After an entire day of rain yesterday, the sun made an appearance in Portland this morning. With him came the news of my little victory with the various benefit claims. I had no reason to believe that the disability claims would be denied, but such has been the mindset that everything small and big is making me anxious. I  can finally put the job security concerns and compensation uncertainty to rest- one less call for me to make on a daily basis! 


On the symptoms front- the sinusitis is still very much present. I have taken more milligrams of antibiotics and steroids in the past three weeks than I have in my entire 44 years of existence, and that may have a lot to do with my current loss of taste and appetite, and increased fatigue. I also get headaches, especially in noisy surroundings. Over the weekend, I attended a dance event where Raaga and team performed a beautiful Kuchipudi item. Theirs was number four on the list, and my head was already spinning before the beginning of the show. However, when Raaga’s team came on the stage, the joy of seeing their dance overpowered my various discomforts and I just sat there, proud and mesmerized.


As for the timeline of surgery, I just need to wait till my appointment this Thursday. I continue to stay optimistic that I can go under the knife late April and come back strong by early June. Fingers crossed!


Emotionally, I feel overwhelmed. Bhaskar has completely taken over the kitchen logistics. The girls have brought food to me in bed and offered to massage my head with their cute little hands. Many friends have reached out with offers of unconditional support. A  Manabadi teacher, while on way to India,  grieving the loss of her father, called me to talk about my imminent surgery and offered me strength with words of support! I must have done something right to be surrounded with such an immeasurable amount of love! I fold my hands to all of you with heartfelt gratitude!


Important Dates:

3/14/24: New Neurosurgeon appointment and care establishment

3/15/24: Decision on surgery time frame, ENT Follow up

4/11/24: Angiogram

4/18/24: Follow-up, establishing the status of sagittal vein and nature of surgery

4/19/24: Raaga’s photoshoot for Rangapravesam!

4/25/24: Taara displays her mental math skills at Sato’s Got Talent! Her audition video got approved!

7/14/24: Raaga’s Rangapravesam!

TBD: Surgery and recovery

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sleepy in Seattle!

Image
Done with session 17/32 at Seattle's Fred Hutch Cancer Center!  I am at halfway point in my radiation treatment here in Seattle. This seemed an eternity away when I started my treatment on September 3rd, right after the labor day weekend during which I tested positive for Covid. It is crazy how I dodged Covid for years, only to get it on the one emotionally charged weekend. I ended up isolating myself from my girls than hugging them tightly ahead of my hiatus to Seattle. I had lofty plans of getting groceries stocked up and fridge filled with food so my mom can have an easy time managing meals in my absence, and instead required mom to send me quarantine room service! The first radiation session is still fresh on my mind. I was nervous, frightened, not to mention sick (from Covid). I knew they needed to keep my head extremely still, for the obvious goal of ensuring the robot's precision in hitting the tumor cells. What I did not comprehend until that first day was how  they ac...
Read more

Just Do IT!

Image
The calendar progressed from February 15th to 16th without much fanfare for the first 44 years of my existence. Destiny somehow decided to spruce things up a bit for me on 02.16.2024. One year later, as the date reads 02.16.2025, I have so much to reflect on, so much to feel grateful for! Thursday, 02.15.2024, to begin with,  gave me a headache, but also gave me the right mind to go to ER for it. That D-day, 02.16.2024, upped the ante by making me cross paths with the best medical team possible right at the crack of midnight. They exercised abundance of caution, ordered the battery of tests that enabled them to be ready with my diagnosis by 5am. The day after, 02.17.2024, gave the best gift of all- the sense of purpose. 02/16/2024: Video call from ER It was Saturday, Feb 17th, 2024, and my memories of that day are vivid. We were at a dear friend's place for Baba puja. The aarti had just got done and I stood near their butlers pantry area, waiting with my plate for the buffet c...
Read more

Ringing the bell

Image
The second half of my radiation treatment has been nothing short of a roller coaster!  I routinely ran into patients of all ages, waiting to receive their treatment at the Proton center. However, the day I saw a toddler in a diaper on his way to radiation, I completely broke down. I just sat down in the lobby, unable to control my emotions. Ian from the front desk came and sat next to me, held my hand, and just let me vent. I talked about how gut-wrenching it was to see that toddler go through so much pain. I cried about how unfair it all seemed. I wondered out loud what that little boy's life would be like. Ian let me talk and cry, and, when I went quiet,  he gently shared his thoughts. He told me that, as hard as he too finds young children going through radiation, he takes comfort in the fact that these kids are getting the best treatment possible. He mentioned how they often get letters from the children's families, two, three Christmases later, letting them know how well ...
Read more