15th July, 2105 my mother's younger brother, Amulya Nath, sister Rekha Devi Bora and her husband Atul Bora came from Guwahati to look up Ma. She was happy to see all of them but her declining health prevented her from expressing her happiness. So 15th July 2015 passed with happiness in the household. On the 16th July, all three along with my sister, Monoroma left for Guwahati with mixed feelings, knowing that this was the last they were seeing of Ma and at the same time hoping that some miracle would keep her alive.

On my part, I never gave up hoping that she would bounce back from this health crisis. We did everything possible to keep her happy. Refrained from doing anything to upset her. To reduce the load of painkillers, we went to Dr. Pratip Banerji, son of Dr. Prasanta Banerji who saw her on the 23rd June 2015 and prescribed some medicines and said she will be alright. Ma believed him. I believed him too. So did my sister Monoroma. Ma scrupulously followed medicine timings. For her, that was almost her last hope of recovering. For me and my family too. At the same time we could see the external part of her malignant condition. It kept on growing. Dr. Pratip Banerji had advised us against any further Radiation Therapy. We had no options but to follow his advices. On more than one occassion, Ma kept telling us that a certain point on her chest she felt defined pain. I knew, as was expalined by Dr. Kapila Manikantan of Tata Medical Centre that the tumour would continue to grow out and also internally and would eventually claim her.

Claim her it did on the 20th July 2015 at Woodlands Multispecialty Hospital. We took Ma to the Hospital on 17th July 2015 morning as she had stopped eating on 16th July. Infact, she could not sleep the whole night. In the hospital a Ryles tube was inserted through nose for feeding. She was put on dextrose and fluids. Dr. Klyan Banerjee attempted to insert a more appropriate feeding tube on 18th July but told us that her oxygen saturation was critically low. This was at 2pm on 18th July 2015. By about 4.30pm that day, Dr. Banerjee told me that she wont make it and to call my folks. I did.

On the morning of 20th July, Ma breathed her last at 8.45AM.

Rest in Peace. Till I meet you again. Yo are the best. No one can replace you ever. 

Radio Therapy

After liaising, pleading, cajoling with some authorities associated with Tata Medical Center, I have now managed to get a slot for radio therapy to start on Saturday. Hopefully, this will stop further growth of the tumor and most importantly stop the tumor from fungation.

I leave the rest to God

Mum has a malignant tumor

                         Ma .... in 2012 (On her 50th Wedding Anniversary)

In 2008, a stone was surgically removed from her Sub mandibular gland(read salivary gland) along with a sub-mandibular gland.

She started complaining of pain in her throat and that followed a series of tests, leading to no specific findings.

2012 April, a ct scan revealed a tumor under her tongue. Specialists at Vision Care advised an FNAC (CT guided FNAC) that said they could not find any malignant cells in the tumor. She was thereafter given anibiotics to control inflamations.

In Dec 2014, she complained of pain again when doctors in Bangalore did a whole range of blood tests, MRI of the brain and vertebrae, USG of the neck and found nothing of consequence, stating there was age related restriction of blood supply to the brain.

Mid April, 2015, a swelling started appearing on her neck. What was a small swelling became the size of a golf ball and soon grew further. I brought her down to Kolkata where I work and live. A series of visits to Woodlands Hospital and Tata Medical Center including a host of tests and scans.....turns out that she has, what I feared the most, a malignant tumor that is growing rapidly and has invaded various parts.

She is old, post 70 years of age and frail, having lost a lot of weight in the last few months.

The consultants at the Tata Medical Center tells me that surgical removal of the tumor is more or a less ruled as it supposed to of high morbidity and in her case, the surgery may involve her jaws and tongue. The next best option is radio therapy(RT in their lingo) as Chemo therapy would not work on sub-mandibular tumors apart from their reservations on usage of chemo on her owing to advanced age. Needless to say that I am going through a harrowing time as the specialists in Tata Medical Center tells me she needs immediate RT whereas they do not have any dates before the next two months.

That leaves my mum and me in a spot. I need to find a place, not involving too much travel time as mum is frail and cannot take too much physical strain. The fight is on and I am trying to commence treatment at the earliest. I now have to wait for the final biopsy results and a final consultation before treatment can start. Tomorrow will be that day, hopefully.

I need---

1. a good place where she can be administered RT at the earliest;
1. Tata Medical Center has long waiting
2. Apollo Gleneagles is a good option, very professional
3. Westbank Hosptal is another good option
2. a pain management consultant/support
1. Dr. Somnath Bagchi
3. a group that supports/counsels/helps in such cases

I shall never give up hoping to bring good living and a good life for Ma. She is the BEST