True stories - Family
Family relations in India are different from the rest of the world and often complicated. As doctors in India, we have many-a-times seen the family assisting in the treatment of a patient half-heartedly, just because they don't want to appear disinterested in front of their neighbours/relatives. Mostly the patient senses such emotions and I can't explain what would hurt more, the disease or the loneliness.
So I thought I was facing a similar situation the other day when one of my patients, Rahul, who has just recovered after a stem cell transplant, looked gloomy. "What happened, why do you look sad today?? Is there anything I can help you with?." I asked him. "The cost, sir, I have only now began to realise the amount my family has spent in completing my treatment. I don't know how I will survive, once I am discharged." I did not know what to say. He had Acute myeloid leukaemia, and went through a long a complicated induction chemotherapy which was followed by an unrelated donor transplant. The cost surely would've been high, at least on the north of a million and a half. The patients elder brother, Saurav, was rarely seen during treatment and the responsible person in the family was a cousin. However there was never any hesitation or delay in getting any of the medications or essential ingredients, at any point of time , throughout the treatment course. Rahul started speaking, "Once dad expired, me and my brother had divided the family land between us. Once we found out about my disease and the cost involved, we understood that we will have to sell my share of the land. My brother was speaking to a land broker a couple of days before I was admitted. They must have got a good price for my land and that's why I could complete my treatment uninterrupted. Now that I am better, I need to find a job to raise my family, before whatever is left from the sales gets over. But now I am worried. All I have done in life is farming, that's all I know. What is there to farm without farmland? To complicate things, Saurav has hardly visited me 2-3 times in the last few months. Why isn't he helping me??" Rahul asked. He was genuinely depressed. I tried to console him, but I did not know what to say. Doctors are trained for treating patients and even lifting up their spirits for fighting the disease. But what after that? How will I explain or console a person whose family seemed like they didn't want to support him?? I realised Rahul's concerns were genuine and I really didn't have a solution.
So the day before Rahul was due to be discharged, Saurav came to my room to speak about post discharge precautions and advice. I casually asked him about Rahul's work plans. "He will supervise work at his farm, sir. That should be enough to provide for him and his family without having to strive too hard. ", came the reply. I was surprised. "But Rahul told me his share of the farm was sold??", I spluttered. His brother was silent for a moment, then smiled a weak smile. "It was my share of the land that was sold, sir. I realised that if Rahul gets out of the treatment, he would not be able to work hard and would need his farm to feed his family. In case he did not make it through, still his wife and kids would need the farm to keep themselves going. I am young and healthy now, sir. I am now working as a labourer in another farm in the village and that's why I couldn't come to meet him or you often, during the treatment.. "Saurabh said. He continued, "Rahul would've never let me done this, if he had known. So I somehow hid it from him. But I guess he will know soon enough. I have only one sibling, doctor. I can't let him or his family suffer. Money will come and go. I am just glad that he got better." My throat went dry and I was lost for words. I gave Saurav the discharge instructions and somehow told him he had done a great job. Saurav just smiled. Rahul left the hospital, still a little gloomy, because I never told him the truth. I wanted him to find out from his own blood, when the time was right.
Today Rahul came for his D+100 visit. He was doing excellent without any trace of the old malignancy in his body. Saurav came with him. They brought me a big box of Apples. "This is from our orchard", Rahul told. "When I realised what Saurav did for me, I realised how foolish I had been to think about property and money. Now we run our farm together and It has prospered in all these days. With hard work and a little luck, soon we will be able to buy back Sauravs land." Both of them beamed as he said this. They left my clinic and walked away. Rahul's right hand was on Sauravs left shoulder, a support he now knows will be there for him, till his very last breath.
Love works in very strange ways. But one thing is for sure.
Love always wins.
