Just imagine how your life would be like when you think you are someone but in reality you are someone else. Radha's life didn't stopped with that. When she got settled with the thought that she is 'someone else'. Someone made her to feel like she w...
A nerve conduction study (NCS) is a medical diagnostic test commonly used to evaluate the function, especially the ability of electrical conduction, of the motor and sensory nerves of the human body. These tests may be performed by medical specialists such as clinical neurophysiologists, physical therapists,chiropractors, physiatrists (physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians), and neurologists who sub specialize in electrodiagnostic medicine.
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Nerve conduction studies are very helpful to diagnose certain diseases of the nerves of the body. The test is not invasive, but can be painful due to the electrical shocks. The shocks are associated with a low amount of electric current so they are not dangerous to anyone. (Source: Wikipedia)
"Does Radha can bear the shock?" Liya asked
"She needs to. No other go." Doctor replied.
"Why can't you delude her with Anesthesia. So that she cannot feel the pain, right?" Ajith asked.
"No. She needs to be in full conscious in order to perceive the nerve response." Doctor said. "Not everybody is allowed in there. Either one of you can stay with her"
Nurse joined in and reported "Everything is ready, doctor"
"Ok. You can take her to the room," the doctor suggested to liya.
Liya took Radha from the play area and went inside the room. It was well lit; the bed covered with wires, a monitor and apparatus stood beside the bed to track the response. Liya placed Radha on the bed. Radha is now surveying the room.
"Ma, what is this room?" Radha asked.
"Doctor is going to make your wound invisible" liya responded without knowing how to explain her. Her eyes are still on the monitors and the cables.
"Ma!!" Radha signaled to catch her attention.Then she continued, "Ma, but that's already invisible"
"No Radha, this time, even the doctor's magical lens cannot see it. They are going to get rid of it forever," liya said.
"But the doctor told no injection"
Liya doesn't know how to explain that this will be worse than injection.
"It is not injection, Radha. It will be like....."
"It will be like?"
"It will be like an ant bite" liya responded eventually.
"Ant ah?"
"Yes, Radha. Just imagine an ant bite as electric shock" liya paused to make sure whether the term "shock" shocked her. But no, she was listening with full attention "It will be terrible at the start and then it will vanish". Liya cannot describe it better as she doesn't know how it'll feel like.
Kids never know what is viable or impractical. For them, everything is possible. Because they trust their parents not their words.
Radha is now imagining how ant bite would be like. Then she concludes and spited out "oh!!.. it is not worse than injection"
Liya is out of words now. She can't stop agreeing more. So she nodded "yes".
"What I need to do, ma?"
"You just need to close your eyes until it's done. Appa will take you to snow world if you cooperate well with the doctor's. Okay?"
Now the snow world shocked Radha more than the current shock. That's how kids will replace the negativity with positivity.
"Promise ah?"
"I promise" liya said, brushing her hair. "But you need to pay a high price for that, radha" liya murmured to herself.
"I'm ready" Radha said, brightly.
The doctor joins the room and was startled by the wide smile on her face. "You look so pleasant, Radha. What is the secret?"
"We are going to snow world after this ant treatment" Radha said in excitement.
He has no idea about this ant treatment. He gazed at liya who's head is hanging down. He swiftly turned to Radha to avert her.
"Ok!! Then let us finish it quick" he replied and made her to lay down in the bed.
Radha is settling in the bed thinking nothing other than snow world. Doctor plugged all the wires in her limbs and legs. Liya dashed out of the room without looking back. She could not control her tears anymore. The doctor adjusted the monitor screen and is ready with a switch.
Before turning it on, he added, "Ajith, you can stay outside if you wish to,"
"No doctor. I'll be here,"
He pressed the switch. Radha jerked for a second. The electrical impulse must've passed through her limbs by now. She doesn't know what it is. Her face is pale now. It was not the same ant bite she expected. But the discomfort subsided after some moments. The doctor noted the response from the monitor.
"Very good, Radha. One more time" the doctor spoke and pressed the switch.
She jerked again. The electrical impulse went through her legs now. It was immensely strong this time. In Radha's words, the ant bite was very severe. And yes, it diminished after a second. Ajith dashed out of the room. The worst suffering is watching someone suffering because of us.The sufferer is not Radha here. It is ajth and liya. Radha felt the shock for real but she doesn't know how the actual pain would be like. Because Radha still imagines the whole situation as an ant bite. So she neither whined nor smiled. It's a blend of emotion. The doctor noted the response again.
After a few minutes, they called Ajith in. "You can take her out now"
When Ajith took Radha, the doctor gave her a candy and stated, "Great, Radha. You can go to snow world now". She took the candy and didn't utter a sound. "Wait for one hour. We'll get the results now"
As soon as Radha saw liya, she jumped over her and said, "Ma, the ant is very BIG!!"
After one hour...
"Listen carefully" the doctor started
Liya and Ajith are observing with full attention. Radha is in the play area.
"It's a Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder also called as hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy" he announced. "It's a group of hereditary disorders that damage the nerves in the arms and legs."
The first question inquired by Ajith is "What is the remedy for this?"
"Actually..." He dragged the sentence "It is a Rare one. FEWER THAN 1 MILLION CASES per year in India.Treatment can help, but this condition can't be cured" he declared in a depressed tone.
Liya and Ajith were dumbfounded.
"No treatment?" Liya shrieked in agony.
"Sorry mam. It is under research. We can considerably prevent it from deteriorating. But still we are not sure about it"
"What is the cause for it?" Ajith shot out another question.
"It may be because of genetics, lifestyle choices and behaviours, exposure to certain medications and chemicals infections during pregnancy or combination of these factors.However, the exact causes of certain birth defects are often unknown"
Suddenly the image of what happened during that 6 months flashed before Liya. But this time she cannot resist it, could not stop it and could not listen to the doctor either. Everything went blank. Nothing made sense to her. She fainted back when her thoughts drifted back.......
What happened during that 6 months? To be continued...
