Part 3. Department of PHO, KMC, Manipal .

A body without soul (life) is non-living, dead. 

Such a body will not remain even as a body. 

It will start decomposing and disintegrating itself and will become a no-body and no- thing.

That is how any house and department too is and will be. 

Living soul or life giving soul (life) should be therein to make anything existing, living and to be existing or living.

Hence, and thus the department of PHO too. 

Without the doctors as its soul (life) in it, the body department of PHO is and will be non-existent.

It is by using the doctors as its wings and vision, its and spirit the body department of PHO is flying and proving its significance and existence.

So, the head first, in front, ahead. 

To lead the whole body with it and behind it with a vision and version a head first.

1. Dr Vasudev Bhat. 

The head.

Nothing to say in words. 

Words all fail. 

As his name Vasudev means he resides in and he shines in and out.

Words becomes only our effort to express what all we really experience and feel in our day to day life, but always we fail as the words are not enough and as not sufficient.

Dr Vasudev has been throughout an embodiment of dedication with great humility and down to earth approach. 

A humble man, but with great clarity. 

Clarity makes anyone to be really humble.

Dr Vasudev Bhat, a man talking always in low voice and volume (totally opposite to me), is also never complicating, never technicalizing and never formalizing.

Wherever he be, be on his leave or on vacation or on a foreign trip, even after the treatment course of any patient is over, he is there and he will be there available to give you the prompt response from wherever he is and from whatever circumstances he may have got trapped in.

When we approached him for the first time in the department of PHO, he did explain all the nuances and procedures related to the sickness of osteo sarcoma and its treatment to the maximum simplest way and to the maximum comfort level and digestibility of the patients and people with the patients. 

Half the treatment and half of the healing was starting and getting done the moment we saw Dr Vasudev Bhat and the way he presented everything to us then and there.

We were realizing what Dr Navneet told us about Dr vasudev Bhat was true. 

We were really experiencing in real terms, for no doubt to remain.

The moment we saw Dr Vasudev Bhat and interacted with him we could feel that we were in the right place, at the right time, with the right hands.

*******

Because, the core and kernel matters. 

All other things are only covers and packets. 

The covers and packets are only to keep the kernel and core protected and intact and are only to maximum attract everyone to the core and the kernel.

For nothing else are the beautiful dresses called covers and packets.

Covers and packets are to be peeled off if you really want to taste and experience the core and kernel.

We were with the kernel and core when we could reach Dr Vasudev Bhat.

2. Dr. Emin Rahman.

For and on behalf of Dr Vasudev Bhat and also together with Dr Vasudev Bhat it was Dr Emin who received us for the first time in PHOPD.

Dr Emin, as the Turkish word Emin denotes to trustworthiness or honesty, was the first one for us to meet in the department of PHO and she was also the only one we didn't or we couldn't see/meet when we had to leave department of PHO after the completion of treatment course.

Together with Dr Vasudev Bhat, Dr Emin was also the one who explained to us every details and nuances regarding the Osteo sarcoma and the treatment protocol going to be taken/undergone.  

Dr Emin was basically hailing from Kerala, that too from nearby our own native place, gave us more of a home feeling, hence little more courage and confidence.

The way she presented was all the related issues were so convincing and soothing. All the explanations were very clear. Her guidance in the beginning has given us the courage and confidence in facing the hitherto unprecedented situation we were in. Her kerala background helped a lot especially for those others with us to communicate in their own language and get cleared of all doubts and convinced thereby.

3. Dr. Archana.

Wow...

As her name meaning she is an ode (to the whole). She herself is an adoration (archana).

How positive and accommodating she has been throughout. 

An embodiment of pleasance and positivity Dr Archana was through out.

Dr Archana has always been open with no formalities and with nothing to hide. 

Very much comforting and soothing she has always been. 

Always welcoming with very open smile, transparent stance as if there is no need for an hide and seek game and there is nothing to shy away with any doubts we may/might have.

She behaved and interacted with us as if she is a family member, giving suggestions even about tourist spots we can go with Allaam in and around Udupi and Manipal.

Very good in explanation, giving no space for any unexplained doubts. 

No doubts get uncleared in front of Dr Archana. 

Doubts just get disappeared as the dewdrops in sun. 

Everything becomes black and white and crystal clear in Dr Archana's presence and explanation.

4. Dr. Hareesh.

Very humble, simple. 

Hareesh, the name comes from Hari, Shiva. 

But unlike Shiva, Dr Harish never has kshipra kopa ( getting angry fast). Rather always smiling Dr Harish is, always cool.

Never seen or heard Dr Harish complicating anything. He was putting everything very simply in the simple most ways.

Simplicity can be given the name of Dr Hareesh. Very modest.

Less in talk much in walk Dr Harish too is. 

Presents any complicated matters in a very simplified way. 

Again Kerala connection of Dr Harish in his education also gave us a kind of belonging. 

Dr Hareesh was the one who came to my son rushing,  then and there, to counsel, convince and sooth my son when there happened a kind of misunderstanding and confusion about the courses of the treatment and it got prolonged to six cycles from the four cycles that we originally happened to take for some reasons. 

It was when there happened to be a change in the treatment/ chemotherapy course from what we originally thought it will be, Dr Harish came rushing to my son to convince him and sooth him in this regard.

From the beginning till the end of fourth cycle we were with an idea, or somehow we have happened to be thinking that the treatment course was only for four cycles. 

5. Dr. Swathi.

Always coming to the ward happy and making my son happy. 

As her name meaning she looked like pure goddess; blessed with knowledge, Sara-swathi.

Dr Swathi tried her best to put the things very simple and she alwrmade the things look very easy and simple.

Her sincerity towards the patient including my son was noticed when she really became angry towards me once, when she happened to see Allaam was having heavy fever near to 104, after the first chemotherapy of first cycle was given. 

That her anger and shouting was the proof of how serious and sincere she is and was. 

To the extent that she was asking me "you were always in touch with many of your concerns and questions. Then why were you not concerned about your son's fever and why didn't you take note of this fever and informed us of the same little earlier". 

The answer was there ready with me. 

But I didn't want to give her answer and I didn't give too. Rather I became and I wanted to be silent. Rather I was readily standing there to see how sincere and serious she was about my son and the fever of he had. That was more than the win I could get with any argument there.

(Because we were not advised in the beginning about the chance of getting fever and immunity breakdown after the first ever chemotherapy, and we were also not asked to keep a thermometer to always monitor the fever after the chemotherapy). 

We were with no prior experience too. Still I didn't want to give any answer at that point of time knowing that it was Dr Swathi's sincerity and serious concern making her to talk like that.

She always puts forward only the positive side of the treatment. 

Always smiling and making the patients infront of her too smiling she has been throughout.

6. Dr. Santhos.

Never we had to be in touch with Dr Santhosh for the treatment of our son. Still,  personally I have got much time to interact with Dr Santosh very openly. That much open and interesting he seemed to be.

7. Dr. Chaitra

The same way, never we had to contact Dr Chaitra too for the treatment of our son. Still could keep and maintain very good rapport.

8. Dr. Aditya and Dr. Roshan.

True family members and beyond that.

True to say, both were felt to be two brothers to my son and two sons to myself. 

Adithya as the sun, Indra and Roshan as the light were always there with us. 

Hope they will also be always there with us.

Very informally they made themselves available to us always, whenever possible. 

In a way theirs was a relationship stating that formalities are always only the burden of forms and dresses which will be thrown away if you really want to enjoy and experience the life and its nectar.

They gave all their maximum possible presence, the very comforting and soothing presence. 

Their visit to the ward/my son was more of friendly than very official, but never missing and sacrificing or risking their assigned works or seriousness in their assigned works. 

They were behaving and interacting with me and my son as the ones among us. 

They were ready to share anything with us. But all these things without compromising their work and their dedication and hardwork to the cause and core.

They were felt as windows opened for us to enable us to see the world beyond our confinements, especially whenever we have been narrowed down to be closed rooms. 

When we were down like earth they became the high skies for us to look up towards, the shining stars of hopes and lights.

There were no subjects we couldn't discuss with them. 

There were no joke we couldn't crack with them. 

It was actually like breathing into each other, enabling each other live so sportingly and supportingly...

We wish for both of them best of their career and life ahead...

9. PG Doctors 

All the PG doctors were so nice to deal with. Dr. Rahul interacted with us not only as a doctor but as a good friend too. Dr Pratheeth were so touching with his dedication and approach, always ready to explain in detail. Dr. Ann, Dr Spandana and Dr Ashwini were also approaching us in a very dedicated and cordial way.

(To be continued.....