Kidney, Dialysis, Transplant and Me: 6

Chapter three

It happens sometimes.... Reason or Excuse

???In 2004, my creatinine was 1.4. But I had no idea, what is creatinine? Still due to my regular yoga and exercise and a little dieting; unknowingly my creatinine was 1.5 at 2011. It was the right time to visit a Nephrologist .. but I didn't even know, what Nephrology is. The doctor had just continued the blood pressure pills.

On November 2, 2011, my doctor (General Practitioner) started the only pill, Nephrosev, for creatinine. On November 21, 2011, creatinine reached 2.40. Still no difference was made in the drugs. All blood pressure pills and the only Nephrosev pill were continued.

??On April 7, 2012, creatinine dropped slightly to 2.15. Still, it was a dangerous situation. Yet the same medications were continued. And we were told to visit a nephrologist on that threshold. Then we visited a reputed hospital in western Mumbai, and met a reputed female nephrologist. According to him, then in May 2012, I met a Cardiologist and Pathologist. my hemoglobin level which was above 14, dropped to 6.8. This had increased fatigue. The nephrologist then ordered a lot of pathology tests. On May 14, 2012, the nephrologist asked for a USG: Abdomen and Pelvis test.

As far as I know, pelvic ultrasound uses a device called a transducer that transmits sound waves. These sound waves hit your organs and tissues and then resonate to the transducer. A computer converts sound waves into pictures of your organs, which appear on the picture video screen.

According to reports, my bladder was swollen on the inside and felt hollow.

??????Even after that, I was traveling all over India, completing my training projects. Also at Mumbai University, my other training programs were operational. At times, the blood pressure was a bit high. But I never made it as an excuse and kept on doing my job with faith. No one in corporate client companies or in Prasanna trainings had any idea what was going on in my case. With God's blessing, I was able to do my job well.

??????OPD visits started every month or sometimes in few days. It was a routine to go to the OPD and continuing to see a nephrologist. His medication had also started. But slowly the creatinine was increasing. After going to five, he had given us the idea that we would have to start dialysis anytime now.

??????Upon hearing that, my family and I began to try our best to avoid dialysis. The combination of diet, yoga and exercise continued. So for the next three years, I was able to avoid dialysis.

In October 2015, my Serum Creatinine increased to 5.5.

??????On November 26, 2025, I underwent some important procedures, one of which was the USG Guided Pleural Tap. Our family friend, Dr. Jayant Nadkarni had warned us that the right doctor must be present in this procedure to remove water from the chest.

??????At the time of the actual test, two not so young doctors; A man and a woman were present. They had a thorough discussion with me beforehand. I was relaxed. And then they both began the procedure. He had injected local anesthesia before inserting a large needle into the back to the chest. Without much trouble, they removed the water from the chest. It was later tested and reported. It was stated that MTB was not detected in it. There are different types of reports from different doctors. But nothing serious was found anywhere.

??????On December 1, 2015, one of the leading cardiologists there asked us to do Pleural Tapping again and we asked him, "Will you be present?" Asked. He said, "Yes, for sure!" That's the answer. The next day when we went for Pleural Tapping after making the payment, there was a very young doctor present.

I was a little relaxed, as I had gone through the same test before few days with those two doctors. I asked the young doctor, "When will the main doctor come?" He replied, "He is busy in OPD. So I am going to do this test."

??????I was a little scared then. But the nurses present there, reassured me. After giving local anesthesia, in my back, when that inexperienced doctor injected the needle, I had a pain int the chest. When I shouted, the nurses and the young doctor were all terrified.

??????They asked me, "Have you had breakfast?"

I sighed, "I've had a good breakfast since I was given the idea yesterday."

At that, the young doctor said, "I'll change the needle." He took another needle. I was sitting on a small table, holding a stretcher. As soon as he inserted the second needle into my chest from the back, I had a severe pain in my chest that I fainted on the spot. At that point, I was placed on a stretcher. I was slowly getting awareness. Then I saw, there was a senior doctor, who was a few years older than that young inexperienced doctor. The inexperienced young doctor was telling him the situation.

The young doctor, when he was shown both needles, his senior doctor then slapped his own forehead, and asked, "Have you asked anyone before to use these needles?"

Then the young doctor panicked, "No. I thought those needles were right." That said. I was then given some injections and then was hidden in a side room on a stretcher. Standing outside, my wife Supriya, daughter Niharika and younger brother Sachin, were all asking about me. All three were angry to see that I was not coming out even after a long time.

My wife was blocked by everyone, but in the end, she forcefully came inside. Then they had to bring her to the room where I was hiding.

??????By then I was totally awake. Then I told her in detail what had happened. Then she went downstairs in anger and asked the main cardiologist, about what had happened. The experienced cardiologist angrily told her, "There is a hospital. It happens sometimes."

??????Unbearable and helpless, we went to see the chief nephrologist. But he also seemed helpless. Then he told me to go downstairs and do an X-ray. I later learnt from some of the doctors I knew, that the senior cardiologist had taught them all. They were all surprised and shocked.

When I stepped into the elevator, my family held me so I wouldn't fall. Looking at my condition, the liftman asked, "Why didn't you are on a wheelchair?" Our answer was, "No idea." Then the good man stopped the elevator. Called a staff member, took a wheelchair and started the elevator after I sat down in the wheelchair.

??????The experiences of all the liftmen there were very good. I was thinking that if some of the doctors there, like that liftman, were careful, how much better it would have been!

Still we continued the treatment of that hospital. Because the chief nephrologist there was like an angel. Many people told us very well about him, when they found out that we were taking treatment from him.

??????Between 2015 and 2018, 40 to 50 OPD visits and hundreds of tests were started once again. At the same time my professional and social work also started.

2015 to 2018 .. Rajasthan, Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

??????Between 2015 and 2018, I had visited OPD, 40 to 50 times, along with the treatment by nephrologist and various other doctors, as well as hundreds of tests were done. At the same time my professional and social work also continued.

??????Until 2018, despite my physical challenges, I continued my professional and social work along with my writing newspaper column series. At the beginning of the year 2015, Hon'ble Editor of Mumbai SAKAL Newspaper, Shri. Padmabhushan Deshpande requested me to write an article on corporate culture for one month. In our opinion, big companies are aware of the corporate culture through my friendship with various management maestros and experiences I had with hundreds of companies on the occasion of my training workshops, I had decided to put into words for small and medium entrepreneurs in Marathi language. But by the grace of God, the response from the entrepreneurs was so good that I had to write the same column 'Karya Karan'/ 'work cause' throughout the year.

Now this year or next year, the book is to be published in association with the series 'Be A Businessman' written in Maharashtra Times.

??????Singing and dancing, going to different restaurants to eat, reading favorite poems, sometimes watching movies with Supriya and Niharika, often with Yatin (my college friend, 35 year old friend), I was enjoying my life and still wants to enjoy with proper health.

I had watched all superhero movies with my daughter Niharika at IMAX Wadala. 'Avengers: End Game', we had watched on the first day, second show and enjoyed the hustle and bustle. Mr. Kunal Chawria was very helpful in this regard.

??????Even though I knew the condition of both kidneys, by the grace of God, I was balancing my life. I was enjoying a get-together with my school friends; I was partying (balancing diet) with my college friends once a month.

??????2015, 2016 and 2017; For three years in a row, we did three most enjoyable tours in Rajasthan, Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

??????In 2015, we went on a trip to Veena Tours in Rajasthan. In some places we had seen peacocks, just like sparrows and crows in Mumbai. The tour guide 'Amit' who was with us was very generous and helpful. There were night campfires in the desert. Earlier, the local youngsters performed a variety of dances. Then they called all the tourists.

I danced wildly with my daughter, before I sat down exhausted. The young local girls and women, also joined us to dance. Before going abroad, we should see our India as much as possible. That tour of Rajasthan was unforgettable.

??????On December 1, 2015, I underwent a plural tapping procedure to draw water from my chest, when I fell unconscious.

??????In 2016, we took a courageous step. My wife had booked a hotel and car in Kashmir from a tour operator in Mumbai. After landing at the airport there, the driver had no presence for half an hour. Think about how those 45 minutes, or 2700 seconds, would have gone. As far as inside the airport, more than double armed soldiers were deployed outside the airport.

?????After 45 minutes, the driver arrived. He was, Irshad, good looking, but was not so good in communication, as per first impression. But, on that first day, we felt the humanity in him. He was taking good care of us everywhere. At one point, he saved us from a life-threatening crisis. This will be a separate book describing the Kashmir journey. But traveling to Kashmir made me feel very tired.

??????There was tension in the social environment, as much as the natural environment was pleasant. But we couldn't stay in Dal Lake even though Shikara was booked to stay here. There and at Sonmarg, the experience was not good. Those people are spoiling the image of Kashmir and its people. Otherwise very good human beings had met us in Kashmir.

We had a great darshan of Goddess Vaishno Devi. The trustees should think twice for allotting time to tv channels. After tiresome journey, again you had been asked to stay out as the channels are shooting inside, is not a pleasant experience. I was told that its every day's schedule. Starting at midnight, half way we went on horseback. Then I walked the rest of the journey. But, I was feeling very tired while walking on the way to the temple. My daughter was giving massage to my legs in between.

At one point in life, when I was young, no matter what, without stopping for a while, I used to climb to the top of the forts. And here, I was feeling completely tired. After reaching at mandir, I was not ready to go to the cave to visit. Because I was having trouble breathing. But my wife said, Goddess has brought you so far, Goddess will continue to take care of you. And I was really happy to walk through the narrow lane in the inner cave. I slept full time on the plane while coming back to Mumbai.

??????While in Mumbai, my D3 level was so very low that, when I went to see a nephrologist at the OPD; he wondered, how could you get out of the bed? According to him, if the D3 level is so low, the person is bedridden. But until then, my perseverance and positivity were in place.

In 2017, Supriya and I, were celebrated with a surprise, at our respective birthdays, for competing age 50.

??????We had been married for 25 years, so in 2017, our daughter sent us both to Himachal Pradesh. In my wife's office, a colleague and our family friend, Shri. Firdaus Gandhi was a great help to us. He had booked us a car from Mumbai to in Himachal Pradesh for tour site seeing.

Everyone from the Himachal Pradesh State Government's Tourism Office in Mumbai was very helpful. They had booked us amazing hotels at very good locations.

??????The night trip to see the 108 feet high idol of Mahabali Hanuman on the 8048 feet high Jakhu mountain at Shimla was exciting and daring.

??????Our driver, Bahadur, parked the car we had booked, down at the hill and another driver from the Maruti 800 took us upstairs. The driver was driving at a terrifying speed at night, on a very road with 45 angle. When he answered, we agreed to his logic. According to him, the road was full of climbs and if the speed was reduced, the car could slip. Up to the temple, there were several turns. There was very little space to turn the car. But the skill with which the driver was driving there, was astounding.

??????After approaching the temple hill, we were told to leave our mobiles, glasses, food, etc. in the car. Because there were so many monkeys in the upper temple. If they see something in the hand of the person in front of them, they drag it away. I put the mobile in my pocket and started climbing the stairs. But after a short distance, I got very tired and sat down. I requested my wife, "You go upstairs and visit." From there, a family started climbing the stairs. Among them was an elderly woman.

??????Seeing them, my wife reminded me that even when my mother had climbed the hill to Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, irrespective of her old age, with us. We also toured the surrounding mountains. At that time, many middle-aged women were passing through the doli. Their husbands were pointed to my mother and saying, "Look how aunty is climbing up the hill." After remembering my mother, I climbed the remaining steps to the temple, even though I was tired. Maruthiraya's visit was very nice.

Outside the temple was a huge and tall idol of Mahabali Hanuman. I took the mobile out of my pocket, quickly took a photo and immediately put the mobile in my pocket.

Coming down, the car's journey on the winding road was more terrifying. Every time we went up and down, we were constantly praying to the Lord. No other thoughts were popping into my mind. Once down, we took the breath of relaxation. Then I understood, when I go there to visit Lord Maruti, why only Maruti 800 and special drivers are there ..

??????Another such experience came at Hamta Pass, Manali. We actually wanted to go to Rohtang Pass. But the military had shut it down to tourists.

????Then we took the pass to go to 'Hamta Pass'. As we got closer, we did not know the exact route. Stopping at one point, we asked the locals standing outside for directions. One of them showed the way and finally asked Bahadur the driver of our car, "Do you want to die?"

If we ask Bahadur, he asked us to ignore them. We had a good friendship with Bahadur. As we started to go up, the fog was getting darker. The road ahead was not visible. And there was a lot of turning. When we told Bahadur to keep the headlights on, he shook his head saying that the headlights were off.

??????Based on the parking light of the next car in front of our car, we reached an altitude of 14039 feet. In front were huge snow-capped mountains. And we realized our mistake. All who came there were well prepared; Overcoat, Shoes and strong sticks, with such preparation for snow climbing.

??????In the situation we are in, enduring the cold, we were trying to climb the ice. And at one point, we both fell apart. Since it was snowing, nothing happened. Soon Bahadur came for us with two strong sticks. Someone had dropped off at the tea cart when while getting down. Then, when the sticks came in hand, we enjoyed the snow to the fullest. Earlier, in Kashmir we had played in the snow.

??????While getting down, the fog had cleared. We descended comfortably.

In 2018, we were planning to go on a foreign tour. But the Lord had a different plan in mind.

Since September 2018, my life has changed a lot. But the Lord wanted to make things better.

Yours,

Bipin Mayekar