I created a lot of ruckus when I wasn’t able to register for the Mumbai Marathon of January 2012.
After coming back from my Diwali vacation, I started to look into their official website more closely. Somehow waiting for more than 14 months for the next marathon was not on my agenda. There has to be a way, I thought and there was! One could get registered for the marathon by donating for a cause to any of the NGO’s listed on their website. Here, was my chance. I clicked on the first name on the list…the charity bib status was “Sold Out” in red letters. Shit! I clicked on the next, and next and next….they have more than 213 organizations registered, wasn’t even one available? Just as I was losing hope, there was “Available” written in green. Yes! Actually, I did not mind as to which NGO I would donate as long as I got my bib. But, when I saw the name of the organization, I couldn’t help but, smile. God never ceases to amaze me. It was the “Epilepsy Foundation”….my son was an epileptic as a child!!
He was barely 6 months old, lying and playing on the cot. He started crying for no apparent reason. I lifted him up and tried to calm him, when his eyes rolled back and so did his head. ?? I just shook him. And, he was ok, just like that…! He seemed a bit tired and he slept. I thought this was one such incident and did not mention it to anyone.
This happened again after a month. My friend was with me that day and she freaked out more than I. We did take him to the Paediatrist. Nothing could be established, but the doctor told me to bring him immediately if the episode recurred.
Three months later, now 9 month old, when the crying began whilst he was playing. His dad picked him up and laid him down on his lap. First the twitching, then the jerks and a full blown seizure to the left side of his body. All I can remember now is that I picked him up and ran to the doctor’s clinic which was just across the street. I could feel my baby go limp in my arms. He was semi-conscious.
Series of tests began. My baby looked so vulnerable and tiny. The CT scan machine seemed to swallow him up. Wired to the EEG monitor with so many electrodes coming out of his head, the scene was surreal to experience.
There can be many reasons for a child to be an epileptic. Even insignificant things like worms in the intestine, teething, which is a natural process and of course a fall, high fever …anything can cause a seizure. But, fortunately he did not have any attacks while on medication.
His medication was stopped after 3 years. And then, a relapse! One night he just did not sleep, he was disoriented and lost. There was a blank look in his eyes and he failed to recognize me! That was an “Aura” of an epileptic seizure. Now, he had to take medicines for 5 more years.
He started school, and when he was introduced to writing; he used to write with both hands, sometimes right and sometimes left. I thought he was ambidextrous. But, I failed to recognize it as his confusion; it was an indication that he was dyslexic. This was limited to his academics only. It became more pronounced as he got to higher classes. He was also a borderline ADHD – attention deficit hyperactive disorder. He was fidgety, lacked concentration, could not sit at a place and always hurt himself. The doctors denied any association between epilepsy and his learning problem.
Today, almost four years since the discontinuation of the medication, he is fine. No ADHD at all. His learning capabilities have improved a lot. Academically, he is poor but, there is more to life than academics. He is healthy, that is all that matters.
HE has a way of connecting the dots or placing the pieces of the puzzle in such a way that the big picture becomes visible only when the last dot or the piece connects. I, donating to the Epilepsy Foundation became the Big Picture. It makes complete sense now.
P.S. – I have signed up for the marathon, awaiting confirmation.
