Perhaps the best cure for the fear of death is to reflect that life has a
beginning as well as an end. There was a time when you were not: that gives
us no concern. Why then should it trouble us that a time will come when we
shall cease to be? To die is only to be as we were before we were born.
- William Hazlitt
Shivam
Gangwal (Diagnosis: Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumour right Femur with
lung, cranial, spinal and brain metastases), a 15 year old boy from
Bareilly was admitted to our Day Care & Transition Home on 21 Sep
2012 screaming with excruciating pain (predominantly of the neuropathic
type - the tumour was pressing on his right sciatic nerve). He was stabilized within an hour with Step III analgesics, much to the relief to the
harried parents.
Shivam's condition steadily deteriorated due to the extensive spread of the disease. He started to develop a pressure sore. This was promptly managed successfully with the help of a ripple mattress and massage. His constipation since 15 days was also alleviated by the appropriate measures.
One day, due to spinal cord compression, he developed paresis (partial paralysis) of the right leg and urinary retention. An indwelling catheter was placed and prophylactic antibiotics commenced. High dose steroids were administered to manage the cord compression from causing further damage.
The compromised lungs due to the extensive metastases led to a cough and dyspnoea (breathlessness). This was controlled to a certain extent by nebulisation with steroids and bronchodilators.
By the 27th Shivam's intake had reduced and his kidneys started to fail - his urine output was negligible. He became delirious. By now the parents had realized that the Ayurvedic medicines that they were giving on the recommendation of their spiritual Guru was a futile exercise. They wanted him relieved of his misery as early as possible. Shivam was sedated with subcutaneous midazolam. His relatives back home wanted to see him before he breathed his last. We did not discourage the parents form taking him all the way back to Bareilly - if that was their wish.
Shivam was taken home from our Centre at about 0130 hrs on the 28th of Sep and he passed away in his mother's arms en route near the revered township called Garh Ganga.
Shivam's condition steadily deteriorated due to the extensive spread of the disease. He started to develop a pressure sore. This was promptly managed successfully with the help of a ripple mattress and massage. His constipation since 15 days was also alleviated by the appropriate measures.
One day, due to spinal cord compression, he developed paresis (partial paralysis) of the right leg and urinary retention. An indwelling catheter was placed and prophylactic antibiotics commenced. High dose steroids were administered to manage the cord compression from causing further damage.
The compromised lungs due to the extensive metastases led to a cough and dyspnoea (breathlessness). This was controlled to a certain extent by nebulisation with steroids and bronchodilators.
By the 27th Shivam's intake had reduced and his kidneys started to fail - his urine output was negligible. He became delirious. By now the parents had realized that the Ayurvedic medicines that they were giving on the recommendation of their spiritual Guru was a futile exercise. They wanted him relieved of his misery as early as possible. Shivam was sedated with subcutaneous midazolam. His relatives back home wanted to see him before he breathed his last. We did not discourage the parents form taking him all the way back to Bareilly - if that was their wish.
Shivam was taken home from our Centre at about 0130 hrs on the 28th of Sep and he passed away in his mother's arms en route near the revered township called Garh Ganga.
We all pray for his soul to attain moksha
and condole his bereaved parents and family.
Shivam was a precocious and
brilliant child - a student of DPS Bareilly. He was instrumental in
getting his father's little photocopying shop to expand and develop into
a cyber cafe and desktop publishing business. He always was an
inquisitive child - he wanted to be clear about every medicine he was
being prescribed - right from the time of his chemotherapy till he
started receiving Step III analgesics (morphine, gabapantin, amitriptyline).
May he rest in peace. Thank you for this:
ReplyDelete"To die is only to be as we were before we were born."
Yes, very insightful, isn't it?
ReplyDelete