Aa
Cancerjolt- Why My Family?
My family consisting of my parents, myself the eldest daughter, a brother 3 years younger to me, a sister 1 year younger to him and a kid brother 12 years younger to me, were a happy fun-filled family of 6 till the 26th of January 2008. Although each one of us was busy in our own fields the sense of satisfaction the each one is safe and doing well was the binding force.
On the 26th of January when the whole of India was resting after the Republic day celebrations, we had a Tsunami in our family. My brother just 36 years of age slipped into coma due to a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Our life just stopped at that stage. The first question that came to my mind was: why us? Why my family? and why he? He was an obedient son, a caring brother, a loving husband, and a doting father to an 8 year old. A pure vegetarian and a fitness freak with a good amount of time spent in the gym under the guidance of a trainer and a non smoker and only social drinking in moderation, which he had given up as a part of his New Year’s Resolution. Our family has a genetic longevity schedule. My paternal grandfather lived till he was 97 and my paternal grandmother was 84 when she passed away. My maternal grandfather lived till the age of 70, while my maternal grandmother is now 78. It is still not making any sense to me that my brother is no more at 36.
On that fateful Saturday afternoon my brother had an excruciating headache. He skipped his lunch and asked his wife to just give him oats kanchi to drink. After drinking this he vomitted and experienced dizziness. My parents were called and they rushed to his apartment. He was lying down and seeing my father said, "Appa take me to hospital". Meanwhile some neighbours had collected and had called up the nearest medical facility. One neighbour was good enough to escort him. At the hospital, just a kilometre away, he was lead to the casualty section where a doctor was ready to see him. His blood pressure was taken and it was "normal". Meanwhile the headache increased. He was put on drips and taken to his room on the upper floor for further treatment. However, on the way itself he had collapsed and when he was put on the cot he was unconscious. He had suffered a cardiac arrest (as revealed by the doctor later). The doctors rushed and resuscitated his heart. However he never regained consciousness. A CT Scan was taken. It revealed a rupture in the brain stem. Blood count was very low. The Neurophysician told us that the blood platelets were too low, just about 15000 instead of a lakh. The WBC was too high. 'No surgeon will touch him in this condition. He will bleed to death if operated in this state', said the Neuro.
He was immediately shifted to the best hospital in town. Arrangements were made to increase the blood platelets. To reduce the pressure on the brain, an incision was made to drain off the fluid retained inside. Doctors declared a 48 hour critical period. They said he was 'brain dead'. The brain should be activated for any further action. The blood platelets did increase to a reasonable level, internal bleeding also stopped; however the brain continued to be inactive.
The sentence was pronounced; he had leukemia……Something vaguely called as Acute pro myeloid Leukemia. This is something that is seen only in Hindi Movies. The hero is taken to the hospital where is pronounced to have the deadly disease, but even there the hero lasts for 3 to 3 ½ hours before the end and movies generally have a happy ending!! That was not to be in our case. We tried contacting every influential person in the medical fraternity. His case was circulated to every known oncologist in India and the U.S. but each one had the same answer, “treatment can be started only if he comes out of coma, whatever has been done so far is right and the best done.” My brother was on life support and an emergency operation was performed to relieve the pressure in the brain. We were informed that the operation was successful and the hemorrhage had stopped but he had to come out of coma. They said that the next 24 hours could be the deciding factor. The doctors had little hope and asked us to start praying for a miracle.
It is here that we saw the fraternity at pray. Within the next 12 hours, all our relatives from every corner of India joined us. Every hug and the tears that we shed when we saw them made us stronger and bound us together further. We were really hopeful that all our prayers together will pull him out of the dark cave that he had gone into, each person was trying to get the attention of his devout God. All faith merged into one and fought the Lord Yama. All this kept our spirit of fighting alive. We wanted to snatch him back from God. Since the 24 hours was up, we had to give consent to remove him from life support. We literally fought with the medical team and demanded to know why he cannot come back like many a miracle that has happened all round the world. When they told us that he was brain-dead, we refused to believe it and proposed to have an EEG done. There was no portable EEG machine available at our city and through our known sources we arranged for one in a matter of hour and an EEG was conducted. We asked the doctors to wait through the night and conduct a second EEG after a 24-hour gap for look for progress or deterioration. It was as if he gave us every opportunity to try and hold him back, but he did not want to put us through the decision of removing him from life support. Minutes after the EEG procedure was done, and the machine removed, his blood pressure came down drastically and no amount of medication worked to stabilize it. He breathed his last at 10:15 that night, blissfully unaware of the waves of emotions that he had unleashed. The tearful goodbyes that we bade him and our efforts to console our parents and ourselves is a scene that will stay imbibed in my mind for life. No parent, sibling, wife or child should ever have to undergo this loss and trauma.
Now on retrospection, I think, how could he have lived looking and feeling healthy if he had such a disease. He had absolutely no symptoms. The earlier week he and his family had gone on a picnic for a day with their circle of friends where they played a lot of badminton, did some tree-climbing etc. Obviously a person with leukemia would have shown some stress and signs of tiring. He wanted to ride the bike from Bombay to Poona on that fateful Saturday. I have tried to soak up every bit of information on Leukemia but I have not been very successful. All sites tell me that the symptoms are tiresome, lack of stamina and strength and sore throat and cold like symptoms, but ever for these we need time for treatment? Isn’t it? One day you land up with a fever you do not go in for a blood check. A common cold generally is said to last for a week, if it does not get better by then, then you tend to take some action. Some of the unanswered questions are: Did we neglect his symptoms or were there no overt symptoms? Has any one experienced anything like this, who can share their agony with us and reduce our feeling or guilt and helplessness?
On the 26th of January when the whole of India was resting after the Republic day celebrations, we had a Tsunami in our family. My brother just 36 years of age slipped into coma due to a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Our life just stopped at that stage. The first question that came to my mind was: why us? Why my family? and why he? He was an obedient son, a caring brother, a loving husband, and a doting father to an 8 year old. A pure vegetarian and a fitness freak with a good amount of time spent in the gym under the guidance of a trainer and a non smoker and only social drinking in moderation, which he had given up as a part of his New Year’s Resolution. Our family has a genetic longevity schedule. My paternal grandfather lived till he was 97 and my paternal grandmother was 84 when she passed away. My maternal grandfather lived till the age of 70, while my maternal grandmother is now 78. It is still not making any sense to me that my brother is no more at 36.
On that fateful Saturday afternoon my brother had an excruciating headache. He skipped his lunch and asked his wife to just give him oats kanchi to drink. After drinking this he vomitted and experienced dizziness. My parents were called and they rushed to his apartment. He was lying down and seeing my father said, "Appa take me to hospital". Meanwhile some neighbours had collected and had called up the nearest medical facility. One neighbour was good enough to escort him. At the hospital, just a kilometre away, he was lead to the casualty section where a doctor was ready to see him. His blood pressure was taken and it was "normal". Meanwhile the headache increased. He was put on drips and taken to his room on the upper floor for further treatment. However, on the way itself he had collapsed and when he was put on the cot he was unconscious. He had suffered a cardiac arrest (as revealed by the doctor later). The doctors rushed and resuscitated his heart. However he never regained consciousness. A CT Scan was taken. It revealed a rupture in the brain stem. Blood count was very low. The Neurophysician told us that the blood platelets were too low, just about 15000 instead of a lakh. The WBC was too high. 'No surgeon will touch him in this condition. He will bleed to death if operated in this state', said the Neuro.
He was immediately shifted to the best hospital in town. Arrangements were made to increase the blood platelets. To reduce the pressure on the brain, an incision was made to drain off the fluid retained inside. Doctors declared a 48 hour critical period. They said he was 'brain dead'. The brain should be activated for any further action. The blood platelets did increase to a reasonable level, internal bleeding also stopped; however the brain continued to be inactive.
The sentence was pronounced; he had leukemia……Something vaguely called as Acute pro myeloid Leukemia. This is something that is seen only in Hindi Movies. The hero is taken to the hospital where is pronounced to have the deadly disease, but even there the hero lasts for 3 to 3 ½ hours before the end and movies generally have a happy ending!! That was not to be in our case. We tried contacting every influential person in the medical fraternity. His case was circulated to every known oncologist in India and the U.S. but each one had the same answer, “treatment can be started only if he comes out of coma, whatever has been done so far is right and the best done.” My brother was on life support and an emergency operation was performed to relieve the pressure in the brain. We were informed that the operation was successful and the hemorrhage had stopped but he had to come out of coma. They said that the next 24 hours could be the deciding factor. The doctors had little hope and asked us to start praying for a miracle.
It is here that we saw the fraternity at pray. Within the next 12 hours, all our relatives from every corner of India joined us. Every hug and the tears that we shed when we saw them made us stronger and bound us together further. We were really hopeful that all our prayers together will pull him out of the dark cave that he had gone into, each person was trying to get the attention of his devout God. All faith merged into one and fought the Lord Yama. All this kept our spirit of fighting alive. We wanted to snatch him back from God. Since the 24 hours was up, we had to give consent to remove him from life support. We literally fought with the medical team and demanded to know why he cannot come back like many a miracle that has happened all round the world. When they told us that he was brain-dead, we refused to believe it and proposed to have an EEG done. There was no portable EEG machine available at our city and through our known sources we arranged for one in a matter of hour and an EEG was conducted. We asked the doctors to wait through the night and conduct a second EEG after a 24-hour gap for look for progress or deterioration. It was as if he gave us every opportunity to try and hold him back, but he did not want to put us through the decision of removing him from life support. Minutes after the EEG procedure was done, and the machine removed, his blood pressure came down drastically and no amount of medication worked to stabilize it. He breathed his last at 10:15 that night, blissfully unaware of the waves of emotions that he had unleashed. The tearful goodbyes that we bade him and our efforts to console our parents and ourselves is a scene that will stay imbibed in my mind for life. No parent, sibling, wife or child should ever have to undergo this loss and trauma.
Now on retrospection, I think, how could he have lived looking and feeling healthy if he had such a disease. He had absolutely no symptoms. The earlier week he and his family had gone on a picnic for a day with their circle of friends where they played a lot of badminton, did some tree-climbing etc. Obviously a person with leukemia would have shown some stress and signs of tiring. He wanted to ride the bike from Bombay to Poona on that fateful Saturday. I have tried to soak up every bit of information on Leukemia but I have not been very successful. All sites tell me that the symptoms are tiresome, lack of stamina and strength and sore throat and cold like symptoms, but ever for these we need time for treatment? Isn’t it? One day you land up with a fever you do not go in for a blood check. A common cold generally is said to last for a week, if it does not get better by then, then you tend to take some action. Some of the unanswered questions are: Did we neglect his symptoms or were there no overt symptoms? Has any one experienced anything like this, who can share their agony with us and reduce our feeling or guilt and helplessness?
Tahnkyou very much for your support. My prayers to you and your family to tide you over this calamity. Be positive and have faith in GOD.
Regards,
vids68
Regards,
vids68
I am so sorry to hear about your brother! My heart, my tears and condolence are with you.
My son who is 31 years old , also has an 8 year old son, like your brother has. My family too has a good history of health through the generations. Basically the same thing happened to my son without any warning. Never should any signs of symptoms. Except he was fortunate enough , as I should say, in which he fell on his back at work. And from that moment on,, he didn't look right. Very pale grayish color. It took me two weeks to convince him to go see a doctor. I believe if he didn't fall, he wouldn't have a reason to go to the doctor. He was complaining of his stomach and couldn't eat. He finally went to see the family doctor. All his life growing up he never had any sickness or disease except for a common cold. After leaving the doctor, I thought he may have an inflammed gallbladder. But to my surprise, through the blood test, the doctor said he had Leukemia. After the bone marrow test, they said he Aquired the Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.
He is still in the hospital now as we speak. They gave him Chemo right away., sent him home for two days and has been back in the hospital running a 102- 104 fever now for 9 days.
I could only say to you vids68, that life is "Fragile". And sometimes we take too many things in life for granted. I never ever thought something like this would happen to my son...
He's such a good guy and feel he doesn't deserve this. But this is how life is. we are not in control of destiny. Please except my deep sympathy for you. My prayer goes for you and your family.
My son who is 31 years old , also has an 8 year old son, like your brother has. My family too has a good history of health through the generations. Basically the same thing happened to my son without any warning. Never should any signs of symptoms. Except he was fortunate enough , as I should say, in which he fell on his back at work. And from that moment on,, he didn't look right. Very pale grayish color. It took me two weeks to convince him to go see a doctor. I believe if he didn't fall, he wouldn't have a reason to go to the doctor. He was complaining of his stomach and couldn't eat. He finally went to see the family doctor. All his life growing up he never had any sickness or disease except for a common cold. After leaving the doctor, I thought he may have an inflammed gallbladder. But to my surprise, through the blood test, the doctor said he had Leukemia. After the bone marrow test, they said he Aquired the Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.
He is still in the hospital now as we speak. They gave him Chemo right away., sent him home for two days and has been back in the hospital running a 102- 104 fever now for 9 days.
I could only say to you vids68, that life is "Fragile". And sometimes we take too many things in life for granted. I never ever thought something like this would happen to my son...
He's such a good guy and feel he doesn't deserve this. But this is how life is. we are not in control of destiny. Please except my deep sympathy for you. My prayer goes for you and your family.
Thanks for the information. Does give some relief to note that the symptoms would have beeb subtle and nonspecific. His CBC from August 2007 had been normal, when he did have signs of tiredness, sorethroat and cold.
Regards,
Vids68
Regards,
Vids68
Hi.
I'm so sorry to hear what happened to your brother. You and your family should not feel guilty as you exhausted all things imaginable to save his life.
From what you posted, your brother suffered from intracranial hemorrhage secondary to thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) secondary to acute leukemia. There are times when patients are completely asymptomatic and diagnosed only incidentally with acute leukemia after having blood examinations done. Symptoms and signs may be subtle and nonspecific, that the patient sometimes put aside. Sometimes symptoms may date back to up to a year or more.
I hope everything will turn out fine for you and your family.
I'm so sorry to hear what happened to your brother. You and your family should not feel guilty as you exhausted all things imaginable to save his life.
From what you posted, your brother suffered from intracranial hemorrhage secondary to thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) secondary to acute leukemia. There are times when patients are completely asymptomatic and diagnosed only incidentally with acute leukemia after having blood examinations done. Symptoms and signs may be subtle and nonspecific, that the patient sometimes put aside. Sometimes symptoms may date back to up to a year or more.
I hope everything will turn out fine for you and your family.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Community
An interview with the co-discoverer of one of the biggest breakthroughs in cancer research
From causes to treatment options, get answers to your questions about CML, a type of blood cancer
New drug options on the horizon may make CML, a type of blood cancer, one of the few success stories in cancer treatment
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
