The moment of HOPE: a doctor’s perspective – Dr. Ruparna Khurana, New Delhi Poised and serene, dignified and eloquent he sat tall and expectant on his favourite recliner number 8, with an intravenous cannula facilitating a continuous gush of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent named gemcitabine into his blood stream. I smiled as I realised, I could…
Read More
Music Therapy in the journey of a cancer patient – Dr. Arkanil Gain, New Delhi Cancer is one of the most feared and stigmatized diagnosis prevailing in this world. It disrupts various aspects of one’s life starting from the physical, social, psychological aberrations and their interpersonal relationships. The journey for a cancer patient and their…
Read More
Spreading the essence of empathy: an NGO experience in Patient Navigation – Dr. Anupama Mukherjee, Goa On a rainy evening, during a routine visit to the Medical Oncology ward at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Goa, we chanced upon a weak yet playful boy curled up at his bed by the window-side. The nurses…
Read More
My father’s journey with Brain Cancer: from DGM to GBM – Ms. Krithika S. and Ms. Sharanya S., Bengaluru My father, Mr Swaminathan C K, Deputy General Manager (DGM) of BSNL, was a dedicated, humble, loving and caring person. He had built a beautiful family, well nested by his wife and his two daughters. We…
Read More
The Delhi Supportive Care Oncology Group (DSCOG) had organized a grand meeting on Friday, 27 May, 2022, to advocate for the integration of Palliative Medicine in oncology. The meeting was aptly themed ‘Integrating Palliative Medicine improves quality of life’. The evening began with a role play ‘Nukkad Naatak‘ on how the integration of palliative medicine improves the quality of life of patients.…
Read More
Happiness and Palliative Care Ms. R. Vijayalakshmi, Chennai In my personal opinion, “Achievements, goals, fame or fortune may not provide one with true happiness. Lasting happiness is wholly and soley provided only in our mind and heart”. Let me expand on this a bit more with the below article. I met Mr. Raghupathy (name changed),…
Read More
Sleep – Beyond Benzodiazepines – Dr. Rajashree K. C., Thrissur What do we compromise on if we are too close to a deadline? Food? …definitely Not! Fun? …Not at all!! Sleep? …Yeah, I can sleep later!!! This is what most of us say and do. However, have you ever thought that sleep is one of…
Read More
Volunteering: Evolving by touching lives – Dr. K. V. Ganpathy, Mumbai Context: Mr Ananth (name changed), the sole breadwinner in his family, was a Mathematics teacher by profession. He was referred to the Department of Palliative Medicine with relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). He was well aware of his prognosis and was accompanied by his…
Read More
Leveling up the Emotional Quotient: It’s scope in the Technocratic Oncosurgical suite – Dr. Mayank Gupta and Dr. Nimish Singh, Bathinda The unsettling squeeze of hand and a frantic appeal to “save” her, by a lady about to undergo a hemi-mandibulectomy set an undertone of empathy and sadness in our minds. Her apprehension about who…
Read MorePages from the Diary of a Palliative Care Counsellor – Ms. Vandana Mahajan, Mumbai Context: I am a Palliative care counselor and have been counseling cancer patients for over 7 years now. I am associated with a cancer NGO, Cope with cancer-Madat Trust, and currently work at the Thoracic Disease Management Group (DMG) of Tata…
Read More