A few weeks ago, I was running a routine telephone clinic. As I glanced through the notes before the next call, I knew this would not be an easy conversation. She was a follow up patient, someone we had seen only a week earlier. That day, I had to do what doctors dread saying the words clearly and honestly. Her bowel cancer was advanced, widespread, and carried a poor prognosis. Continuing aggressive treatment for her head and neck cancer would only cause more suffering, without benefit. She already sensed this, but hearing it confirmed felt final, heavy, irreversible. When I asked how she was, she answered with unexpected calm. “I have accepted my illness,” she said. “And I know I am going to die soon. What is hardest is the waiting.” She spoke of the uncertainty, not knowing how, or when. The endless waiting that made her restless, unable to plan, unable to settle. She had always dreamed of going to Orlando. But travel insurance was impossible. Her husband, kind and determined, had e...
This January, we decided to do a hatke trip. Not the usual “chalo sunshine dhoondhte hain” holiday. No beaches. No warmth. No vitamin D. Instead, we decided to voluntarily freeze ourselves in the Arctic , all in the name of watching the Aurora Lights. Naturally, there was scepticism. Mainly from me. I’m not a very fussy traveller, but I do like my comfort, my leisure, and the occasional luxury ,especially when I’m supposed to be relaxing. Cold, darkness, and discomfort didn’t sound like a holiday… they sounded like punishment. But once the decision was made, Kiran promptly announced: “Let’s go to Tromsø, Norway.” And just like that, the remaining three family members took over. In no time, a neat, concise, action-packed (or should I say packed with action) 5-day Tromsø itinerary appeared and we got packing. As our flight approached Tromsø, we started seeing faint green streaks in the sky. Suddenly, the whole flight turned into a school bus ,everyone standing, craning necks, pointing ex...