A minor urinary bladder surgery in April 2012

It is not that Vin does not have problems...but then who doesn't have problems in this world?? :) Vin's problems are just a little bit different. Earlier this year in the month of January, it started to get difficult for us to catheterise him, coz there was a false passage in his urethra since the Vellore visit in 2008. By the end of Jan, it became impossible for the catheter to go into the bladder. Sometimes his dad would miraculously put it in, but then those were rare occasions. So we decided to go in for a test, and as luck would have it, we found a good Urologist surgeon in our town itself. Or else we would have to go to Kolkata for a Urologist earlier..He did the test and said he wanted to work on it surgically. Now Vineet was going to have his Class Six Final term exams in March, so we postponed it for April first week.

               No sooner had we checked into the Nursing home on 9th April morning, and Vineet went into his terrified-self :P As soon as the nurse came with the needle to do a patch test on him, he started screaming and crying and he started pleading to go home and said that hence forth he would remember to drink his water in school(which he doesn't mostly). But what had to be done, had to be done...It was painful to see him like that...as always....Then at around 12 in the noon, he was wheeled into the Operation Theatre while I stood guard outside it. I saw that he was scared to see the anaesthetic's mask, but the Doctor was very gentle and made him believe that it was a similar one to the ones he wore at b'day parties......just before the door shut.

                 Seconds, minutes ticked by, and finally he came out after two and a half hours immediately looking out for me and his dad when he came to his senses. The Doctor explained to us that there was indeed a false passage,but it did not lead to another path. Rather there was a fleshy constriction within the urethra itself dividing it into two.So he had trimmed it as much as he could and so now the passage was clear. Besides he had also made the bladder's mouth a little bit bigger. So, he said, there should be no more of the urinary problems. We were so relieved :) He also gave us a CD of the entire process to watch later...We were very impressed, happy and thankful to this wonderful Doctor. And of course to God...

                 By evening, Vineet was in the recovery room and wanting to go back home. After much persuasion, he agreed to stay overnight after we promised him to take home the next day. So he was moved in to his cabin and I stayed with him for the night. The next day started the injections and by evening he was fed-up of the mobile games as well. He wanted to go home. At this point, his dad noticed that the urine outflow had stopped. So we called the Doctor and he flushed the foley-catheter that had been inserted and out came a piece of skin/flesh?  that had been blocking the catheter. So we decided to stay back for another night. In the morning we went home.

                  The Foley was to stay in for 15 days, so no school for 15 days
                      

           

VINEET'S FIRST TRIP TO THE HILLS AND MOUNTAINS 2012

Its been more than a year since I blogged about Vin. Its not that there has been nothing to post about, lets say it has been my idling away of time on Facebook! Hah! too bad, I know. Then yesterday Vin's dad got an email from another father who had a son with SB. Of course he was very happy to go thru Vin's blog, but then I realised I had not been updating(say helping others) about Vin since a long long time. So here I am :)

          So recently Vineet travelled to the hills and mountains during the last week of May.He went to Darjeeling, Kurseong, Gangtok, and North Sikkim right upto ''Zero Point" , at the foot of the Himalayas, where the road ends!!! He had a great time with all family members and friends,especially because his cousins were there with him too!

          EXCEPT for the day when he could not go up to the snow part of the mountain at Zero Point, because it was very far off from the road, and the way to it was thru a stream with lots of big stones(as is the case with all streams of course). So there he sat at the road's side on a rock with his dad for company while I went to the snow for my daughter with tears in my eyes. And when my daughter asked me why I was crying, I told her- All throughout this time, we had been planning when we'll see snow, we'll play and fight with snow balls, and make snowman with Vin.And here we are,and Vin can't play with us''. And tears came in my daughter's eyes too...she's a darling and loves her brother too much...

             We came back to Vin from the snow and said it was very tiring(atmospheric oxygen was very low at Zero point). And I cud see it in Vin's eyes that he was sad, but he wouldn't show it. Then it struck me and I said - ''What a waste of time!!we chose the wrong place to see snow! we cud have seen more of it in Shimla or Kashmir, where you get snow beside the road!! Sheesh!!! We'll go there next time, okay Vin? what say?'' Vin, who was silent all this while burst- ''That is what I was thinking, we have to go to those kind of places''. And I added, -''There's another best option you know, study well, go to Canada, and you'll find snow at ur doorsteps every morning, so much snow that you''ll get bugged of it!!!'' And there was laughter all around again.... :)

            So basically I have to end this topic saying that hills are very ''wheelchair-unfriendly'' , and they can't help it - Thats the way they have to move about - via steps, gulleys, alleys- all rugged. It was a first time for me too, and I'll say - Good Experience.

    AND I DOUBT IF VIN WILL BE ABLE TO GO THERE AGAIN.....

THE LINK TO THE TRIP FOTOS

Vineet's Goa-Mumbai Tour 2010-11

So Finally, today I have taken out time to update Vin's blog and share with you my views as well as the fotos of this wonderful trip (otherwise supposed to be perfect except that we ...cudn't,yet again, meet Hrithik inspite of having been to his doorsteps..literally..)
So let me start with Goa.Amazing place...Tourist Hotspot....n the moment we put our feet on the 'Madgaon' station (main station to halt at for Goa), we were greeted by a cobbled platform...broken at some places, and horror of all horrors!!NO WHEELCHAIR RAMP! So..so.. how do we get out of the station??!! "Not to worry m'am, says the coolie,'There's a road for the luggage trolleys, we go that way'.OK. If not for wheelchairs, in the name of luggage trolleys. Wait a minute, ARE WE GOING THROUGH THE RAILWAY TRACKS???!!! Yes m'am, not to worry.SO we wait on the railway tracks for our long train to pass through before making our way on that broken path(where a luggage trolley really overturned at the bend!) and I was disguted thinking that "WOW. AND THIS IS THE TOURIST HOTSPOT EARNING CRORES FROM THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A RAMP!!' Oh my Asansol station, You Are The Best!
The second let-down was on Day 1 itself. We walked down to the nearest beach beside our guest-house in Miramar-The Miramar Beach late in the evening. Right at the entrance was a small flight of stairs.OK, we can deal with that.BUT THE WHEELCHAIR won't budge an inch in the sand!!! What do we do now?? 'OK, let me go and see how far the sea-shore is from the beach', says Vin's papa, leaving us n Vin at the entrance.He comes back after a few minutes shaking his head- 'Its too too far to take Vin in my arms..' Silence...if Vin can't go to the sea-shore, neither will I...But of course, we forgot that Vin might get the disappoinment in our words.So we decide to take Vin as far as we could,n we cud sit there n enjoy the beach.And we cud also keep an eye on the wheelchair at the entrance . So we found a nice spot under the tall light and Vin his sister played with the sand.We got ourselves some snacks and drinks. It was a lovely evening and we were really enjoying our family time,when Vin's pa coaxed me to go upto the water with Vinisha. I went.more out of curiosity how far it was than to enjoy it.However when I finally reached the far end(IT WAS THE WIDEST BEACH IN GOA, we realised later), I couldn't stop my tears from coming and I silently vowed that if this was going to happen in all the beaches in Goa,I was NOT going to the water. When I returned to Vin n his pa, My dear Husband realised everything, and he said he would carry Vin upto the water and I suggested maybe he cud stop when he got tired. So off went Vin in his father's arms and Vinisha scampered behind and I watched them go...a little less heavier heart...
The next few days in Goa were happy and fun-filled except wherever Vineet had to be carried around(which is a little exhausting for his papa,I have to admit). So we couldn't climb up to the upper boundary of the lighthouse jail or to the or temples with lots of stairs and no ramps.... And of course.. there were The Beaches, but less wider than Miramar Beach.
AND THE BEST BEACH WAS BAGAH BEACH "COZ IT HAD WATER NEAREST TO THE BEACH. Oh yes! I have to mention our pleasant surprise in Goa on the last day.We planned to board our train this time not from Madgaon station, but Karmali Station, which was nearer to where we were staying.And surprise of all surprises- KARMALI STATION IN GOA had a RAMP!! :))))

mumbai

Well, frankly speaking, I was a bit disappointed with what Mumbai looked liked.I thought and I still do, that our Kolkata is much neater and good-looking, contrary to what people say and think. While the dinner parties at the ITC and Taj were a stuff of what dreams are made of, I was SO SO disappointed the day we went sightseeing to Juhu and Bandra and saw some of the filmstars homes, but our driver could not locate Hrithik's place. Whatever....

The link to the fotos and the stories behind them - http://www.flickr.com/photos/57634602@N00/sets/72157625778042871/

VINEET'S FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

On 14th November 2010, Vineet recieved his First Holy Communion, a Christian tradition, wherein a young boy or girl recieves the Holy Communion for the very First time. Its a religious ceremony and of great importance to any Catholic. So there was the early morning mass which was a beautiful one, and then there was a lunch party at St. Vincent's Schhol Auditorium. Almost everyone invited turned up to celebrate Vin's big day.It was a fine day and after lunch, Vineet and his friends set the dance floor on fire. We elders too followed suit and enjoyed a lot.   You can view some more fotos in this link- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=93796&id=1375597855&l=e3fde84d16

                                                                         











You can also watch the video of him dancing - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eCKIzr5U8M

Post for 24th May 2010

Oh God, I shall remember this day too.. in my life.How much we hurried towards 'City Centre',Kolkata early morning this day. We were sure(as were our people back home) that today would FINALLY be 'THE DAY' when our beloved Vineet wud meet his superstar - Hrithik. And this sight will remain etched in my mind forever- Hrithik's white car moving out of City Centre early morning at around 11.15 a.m. as our car rolled into the mall. My disappointment could be easily made, but Vin,oh what can I say about this boy of mine- nothing on the face, but when I asked him privately about what he thought about that day, he said quietly- "I was very BADLY disappointed''. So you never showed? "No". He's such a sensitive fellow...

So there we were, watching the movie ''Kites'' at the very same INOX theatre where Hrithik had been a few hours earlier.Me for the second time, 'coz I had watched it the previous night with my friends. And altho' most people have not liked the movie so much, including my friends, I sort of liked it, if not loved it!!hehe! Some of my friends can't believe that I sat thru' it a second time!!lolz!

Vineet trying to learn swimming

All these years when we took Vin to the pool, he would simply float in his 'float'.If at all his papa tried to put him in water without the float, he would be very very scared. But this year he put on a lot of weight, and I thought its going to be very difficult to move him around. To add to this was the fact that his height was also not increasing. So I had made up my mind that this year it would be 'water-therapy' in the pool n not fooling around.I saw a few videos of 'hydrotherapy' on youtube n showed it to my husband.And when it was warm enough to go to the pool, Vin was taken in the water without his float.Just a pair of arm floats helped to drift him along and maintain the balance.Much to our surprise, Vin showed an inclination not to be scared of the water, n loved it when his papa taught him to use his hands for swimming!

There is also a video which you can view on youtube.The link is- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s03msXx43To

Just a small note to add that on 1st March 2010 was 'Holi'- the festival of colors, as celebrated in India, and Vin had a great time, be it with friends or with me (He succeeded in putting color on me as well, much to my astonishment!!, and he loved every bit of it..:) Some more fotos here..http://www.flickr.com/photos/57634602@N00/sets/72157623676482824/