Ira - The Fighter

'No place to stay' is a common woe of the large number of people travelling to tier-1 cities for medical treatment from far-away places.

It is almost a crisis for patients and families, and many are deprived of better treatment and chances of survival due to lack of affordable and good accommodation.

Here is a verified list of affordable places to stay in Pune and Mumbai during treatment. The contact numbers and other details are valid and functional as of the date of publishing this post.

**Please keep this list at the back of your mind and share with anyone who needs it. This might be especially useful for financially-stretched families- whoever you can think of. If you come across other such place/s please leave its details in comments below or email me.

http://mindofmine.co.in/affordable-places-to-stay-in-mumbai-pune-for-medical-treatment/

AFFORDABLE PLACES TO STAY IN MUMBAI & PUNE FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT - Mind Of Mine If there is a problem, there is a solution. Says history! First there is the problem. Then the problem of finding possible solution/s for the problem. And when a solution is found, there is still the problem of implementing the solution. All the three problems are commonplace in every aspect of life...

Last couple of days have brought in many disturbing news, so that nothing feels right. These are gloomy times. It does not feel right to joke and laugh. It does not feel right to be happy. It did not feel right to write this post.

Amidst the chaos collecting and writing my thoughts helped me stay focused. So here is this post about – feeling grateful if you have someone who cares, someone who supports and someone who makes you happy. It may not necessarily be your spouse, who this post is about, but if you have that one person to rein you in it is all that matters.

And stay strong and safe people!

http://mindofmine.co.in/what-being-a-father-also-means/

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What Being A Father 'Also' Means - Mind Of Mine On this Mother’s Day, and as a once-upon-a-time mother I want to write about and dedicate a post to an important person – Ira’s father and my husband. This is a special post, and very personal too. As the laptop booted and the fan whirred at high speed, my mind kept shifting between finding th...

http://mindofmine.co.in/facing-the-odds-trauma-and-depression/

Tough situations call for being tough. That being said, challenging circumstances put in motion secondary responses including (but not limited to) behavioral changes which creep deeper into life affecting other areas.

Let’s call them collateral damage.

This post is about facing trauma and depression. This is a journey into the labyrinths of my mind to try understand mental health and how it is affected.

Let me know your thoughts or share your experience.

FACING THE ODDS - TRAUMA AND DEPRESSION - Mind Of Mine There’s an article somewhere on this blog on ‘How To Train Your Mind To Not Be Anxious’. This post is second in that series of mental health related articles and deals with sensitive topics like trauma, depression, and su***de. Thought I should just give a heads up. If I had to describe to you...

This post is about people, once complete strangers, who have carried us through one of the most difficult times.
This post is for such crazy times as these. Remember to be kind, to show love and to care.
Special-est thanks to all the readers- known & unknown. Without you this space that I've created for us & myself would have stayed void. Thank you!

THE GOOD SAMARITANS - Mind Of Mine Last post was about the dreams I once harboured and the new midget-like goals planned for 2020. In this post,...

https://www.wrisources.com/blog/even-as-it-shifts-shape-hope-sustains-life

"Once you choose hope anything's possible"
- Christopher Reeves



Excerpt : "Yes, hope is intangible. It will not just bounce into your life and light it up like fireflies at night. Find it within. Hang on to its threads as if your life depends on it, because it really does."

Hope kept changing it's face for us- from Ira's diagnosis with brain tumor to her surgery and into palliative care. As a guest blog for a series on compassionate care, this post talks about how hope helped us cope, how it kept us going steadfastly and how 'realistic' hope matters!

Even as it shifts shape, hope sustains life Following a major surgery for brain tumour, four-year old Ira ended up in a vegetative state. With each passing day, her family’s hopes for cure and recovery changed to hopes for comfort and relief. For her mother, Ira’s life was a lesson in the importanc

There I say it all!
We have each been a part of the Indian medical system - have been cured, fooled, and lured by it. The system is both good and bad, like it is everywhere. But reform is necessary and it should happen soon.
So raise your voice against its wrongdoings and applaud those who are righteous about it.
Tell me what you think. If you want to rant or discuss leave me a comment, email me or simply ping on whatsapp!


http://mindofmine.co.in/the-indian-state-of-medical-affairs/

THE INDIAN STATE OF MEDICAL AFFAIRS - Mind Of Mine India’s healthcare industry is notoriously a’ la mode in several ways, for obvious reasons. Remember, the recent doctor strike 2.0?...

This post is for those who often asked 'why Ira had cancer?'

For those who have loved her despite never having met her (through this post you will get to know her more).

For those who knew her and miss her.

And for every parent who has ever lost a child.

WHY YOU SHOULD STOP ASKING YOURSELF THE QUESTION 'WHY ME?'?

WHY YOU SHOULD STOP ASKING YOURSELF THE QUESTION ‘WHY ME?’? - Mind Of Mine If you would have told me, back in my growing-up years, that I would be writing on ‘why you should...

In the broader perspective, medical treatment may drain one of the saved finances. It definitely shook our accounts during Ira’s treatment.
Here’s how crowdfunding saved us from a financial clinch, how to start a campaign ( for business or social causes) and what it means to the general Indian population.

Do share your thoughts.

CROWDFUNDING: A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN & THE INDIAN SCENARIO - Mind Of Mine Homo sapiens, that is us, the self-proclaimed powerful species has a thirst for constancy- outlive the dangers to its survivability...

Excerpt:

"Post-surgery we had become so embroiled in the complexities of Ira’s condition that we hadn’t bothered to check the medical expenses. We were at our wits’ end when we received a bill of 15,00,000 INR after 30 days of admission. What a tight spot situation, largely because it was not expected!

How were we going to pay that?"
Hence, this post.

Do read and share!

FINANCE OPTIONS FOR MEDICAL EXPENSES IN INDIA – PROS & CONS - Mind Of Mine Going purely by experience, mine and of those around me, two kinds of expenses are the most worrisome – education...

has been a consequential part of my healing process. It has helped me liberate and has led to some soul-searching. The blog is a means to convert and build a positive perspective out of our loss. And here it is displayed on Brain Tumour Support's website.
Brain Tumour Support is a UK-based charity organization dedicated to supporting patients, families, friends and carers. Here's the link http://www.braintumoursupport.co.uk/your-story

Do check their website for other inspiring stories.

Fitness is a hyped phenomenon, but rarely a habit.
Ret. Gen. Jayaprasad Nayar writes how fitness (as a habit) is the most important part of his routine and how it has helped him stay positive through and through his journey of cancer.
The blog was started in April 2018 to share our experiences, generate awareness about cancer and dealing with it and to build a perspective around life.
Sticking to this, for the first time on www.mindofmine.co.in we are sharing a other than that of Ira's.
In his own words he states:
'Do not panic.'
'Do not wallow in self-pity.'
'Try to pick up lost threads as far as your hobbies are concerned.'
Read on to find out more.

http://mindofmine.co.in/god-has-been-kind/

‘GOD HAS BEEN KIND’ - Mind Of Mine The grass was green, the sky was blue and life was nice… It was the summer of 2011. I was...

There’s always more to dying than what meets the eye.

What started as indiscernible tremors in the left hand had a devastating underlying cause in the case of our 3-year-old daughter Ira. She was diagnosed with a midline diffuse glioma positioned at the thalamus and as large in size as a table tennis ball. A surgery and several post-operative complications later Ira was left in a state of no-recovery with more neurological problems than ever before. For 1.2 years, Ira was taken care of at home under the guidance of Cipla Palliative Care Center. We are immensely thankful to the entire team - medical social workers, canteen staff, nursing staff and doctors - for making our life easier while at the centre and at home. Special thanks to Dr. Manjiri Dighe for answering our calls at all odd hours, for ensuring our comfort and peace and for just being there. As parents, nursing Ira in the face of psychological trauma and heartfelt sorrow wouldn’t have been possible without Cipla’s timely advice, medication and assurance. No doubt that the process of dying or death of a loved one is about irreversible loss, immense grief and deep loneliness. But it is also about compassion, love and generosity of spirit towards the dying person, something which palliative care strives to ensure.

At the 26th International Conference of Indian Association of Palliative Care held on 8 , 9 & 10 February 2019, Kochi, the theme was 'Voices in Palliative Care'. Ira's journey and the blog (www.mindofmine.co.in) were mentioned at the conference as a part of their focus this year. Here is a look at the panels presented at the conference.

If you want to know more about palliative care feel free to connect with me. You can also read my post on 'Why India needs to wake up to palliative care?' to better understand the need for it. Read it here https://bit.ly/2Ir38Ve

If you are a care-giver and providing home-based care to a family member (elderly or child) you may find the post 'Challenges of home-based care and how to overcome them' helpful with some easy and quick remedies. Read it here https://bit.ly/2twQ4TX

I, as Ira's mother and on behalf of my family, want to make a statement and an apology.
The statement being Ira now rests in a better place.
It will be 2 months on 11.01.2019. She is dearly missed every second of the day, but she is free of suffering and pain.
I want to apologize for not putting this out here before. For not conveying to all those who have been following her journey, who loved her and prayed for her. I neither found the courage nor the words to say it here. (I assumed that the word must have spread. However, when I received a message in my inbox asking after her I realized it was time to be upfront.)
There's yet a lot to be shared about her journey. Some things are coming up for the blog. But for now, here is a new post about the challenges that we faced while taking care of Ira - challenges which are quite common to elderly people too. Do read and share your thoughts.

CHALLENGES OF HOME-BASED CARE AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM - Mind Of Mine Ira was given all care at home for 16 months after our initial stay at the hospital. During those months,...

This post is about the state of palliative care in India and why we need public awareness about the same.
Let me know your thoughts.
Cipla Cancer Hospital & Pallivative Care Center Pune

WHY INDIA NEEDS TO WAKE UP TO PALLIATIVE CARE? - Mind Of Mine What is palliative care? How many of you can answer this without google-ing it? (Let me know in the comments...

Lots and lots of you always ask about Ira and her present condition. This blog post talks of her clinical condition in a manner of questions that we are often asked.

Thank you again for showing so much love to our child!

TERRIBLE, THANKS FOR ASKING! - Mind Of Mine For a lot of us, talking to a grieving person or family can be quite a challenge. How do I...