My family and I are originally from Surat, but we reside in Mumbai. My grandfather was 76 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer. The first signs were his reduced weight and degenerating health. When we consulted a doctor, we found that he had liver and esophagus cancer. It came as a shock to all of us. I began talking to my friends in the medical field and got their support in understanding the situation. It was very difficult for us to accept.
The Bitter Truth:
We decided to consult an oncologist, but we still had to break the news to my grandfather. He had no idea that he was diagnosed with cancer. We consulted a doctor, and he met my grandfather and did some checkups on him. After this, he told us that the cancer was in stage 3 and there was a low life expectancy. That was very difficult for us to comprehend, and we were determined on keeping the life expectancy hidden from my grandfather to reduce any Stress on him.
Tryst with Ayurveda:
The doctor suggested chemotherapy, but my grandfather wanted to do ayurvedic treatments. Our family did extensive research on ayurvedic treatments, and we all felt like it was the best fit. We went ahead with ayurvedic treatment and prepared a schedule for treating him. After a few weeks, he lost a lot of energy and stopped going to the office, since the whole office day was very extensive and tiring for him. He cooperated with the treatments very well and never argued.
He would drink the juices and do some exercises, though his appetite was small and his sleep was quite disturbed. Though the ayurvedic medicines were treating him, his liver was starting to reduce in productivity. After a few months, it became quite tricky. We saw that it was getting difficult for him and decided to bring his mother and my great-grandmother to Mumbai from Surat to meet him once before any adversaries took place. We told her about his cancer and the situation.
Heavy Throat:
A family member went to Surat and brought her to Mumbai. She came and met him, but she never cried, except when she saw him for the first time. She stayed with him the whole day and prepared food for him. My great grandmother stayed awake the whole night and sang lullabies to him and reminisce old times. We were so happy to see the mother-son reunion, and she knew that she may never see him again. It was very emotional.
The Final Good-Bye:
The next day, she gave a beautiful and heartfelt message to my grandfather. She left happily for her native village. After one week of her visit, my grandfather passed away. My family and I believe that God wanted my grandfather and my great-grandmother to meet once more. Though we had a heavy heart, we were happy to know that he passed away without suffering, and he was at peace. My only advice is to get all check-ups done and remain healthy!
