The Greatest Gift You Can Receive, Is Another Day Of Life.

I have never written anything about myself before, but when I started to write about my journey through organ transplants, it made me relive the last 40 out of a total of 51 years of my life.

1972

1972

I was born in a defense officer’s family and had the usual childhood health issues, but nothing serious. In early 1981, when I was a little over 11 years old, I started losing weight, having more water, and I used to urinate frequently. I got very weak and became a skeleton.

The Diagnosis

It was April and my 6th standard exams were going on when I was taken to a Child Specialist. After some tests, I was diagnosed of Juvenile Diabetes, my Blood Glucose level was over 500. I was admitted in the hospital, treated, and put on insulin injections which I had to take on the upper side of my thighs. I used to take insulin injections after boiling a glass syringe with a 24–25-gauge needle. I was also taught to do urine tests myself with a test tube over burner. There were no disposable syringes, urine testing strips or glucometers in 1981.

1981

1981

Life after that was not normal. I couldn’t go anywhere alone for an overnight stay, couldn’t go for school camps, couldn’t travel alone as carrying insulin at 2-10 degrees temperatures in early 80s was not easy. Fear of having Hypoglycemia when I’m alone, was always there. On top of it, diet restrictions were also there. I became careless towards my health between 1983-1985 and didn’t visit my doctor.

It was only in January 1986 that I stated feeling weak again and met my doctor. I was advised to see a doctor in PGI, Chandigarh now as I was 16 and a Child Specialist was not the right doctor for me. I went to PGI, met Dr. Satish Garg (Endocrinology) there and my Blood Glucose levels were back to normal within a month. I have been under medical supervision of doctors in Dept of Endocrinology at PGI since then.

With Dr. Satish Garg, PGI in 1988

With Dr. Satish Garg, PGI in 1988

 
Career compromises

I had to make a couple of compromises while choosing a career. I wanted to join the Army but knew I will be rejected due to Diabetes. My second preference was Engineering but didn’t get admission in Chandigarh and couldn’t join anywhere outside due to the fear of having hypoglycemia in my sleep when I’m alone.

Finally, I chose Chartered Accountancy and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in July 1994. Even while choosing between a job and practice, diabetes was an issue. I was offered a job in a top of line FMCG company at almost double the salary of what the average starting salary of a Chartered Accountant was in those days. After joining, my medical was done, and I was rejected due to my having diabetes and my representations to the authorities were of no avail. All this took one year and finally I started practice in July 1995 and put my heart and soul into it.

At work - 1995

At work – 1995

 
My Marriage

In February 1997, I got married to Poonam, who also has Type-I Diabetes since February 1989, and in October 1999 we were blessed with our daughter, Arshiya.

Vigyan & Poonam soon after the wedding

Vigyan & Poonam soon after the wedding

Travelling is an integral part of our profession and I have to travel frequently for work. With prolonged Diabetes, erratic eating schedules and very less physical activity took its toll on my kidneys and lead to Creatinine levels going above normal levels in 2005. I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism also in 2006.

The family with daughter Arshiya in 2008

The family with daughter Arshiya in 2008

With daughter Arshiya in 2012

With daughter Arshiya in 2012

 
The Decline

I was grateful for my family and our life. In 2010 for better Blood Glucose levels, I was put on an Insulin Pump which is attached to the body 24×7 and delivers insulin to the body with a tubing. By 2015 things got more complicated when Creatinine level crossed a level and doctors told me that I’ll have to go for dialysis and transplant in 8-10 years depending upon the speed with which kidney function deteriorates.

Fluid retention started in the body which led to my putting on weight and having skin issues. Due to all this, work & travel thereafter were not smooth. With fear of hypoglycemia and something unknown happening anytime due to high creatinine levels was always there. Between 2015 to 2019, I had some very serious instances of hypoglycemia. I was taken to hospital at night 3 times in an unconscious state, fainted twice while travelling for work to faraway cities, and once it got so bad that I went into hypoglycemia in sleep and the Blood Glucose levels dropped to 19. I was lucky to have survived that day.

2016

2016

 
The Road to Transplant

The creatinine reached a level in August 2019 when I was told by the Nephrologist to be ready for a kidney transplant in next 12-15 months. It came as a shocker as I could never imagine that the transplant stage would come so early. I then met my consulting doctor for diabetes, Dr. Sanjay Bhadada, Professor (now HoD also), Dept of Endocrinology at PGIMER and Dr. Ashish Sharma, Prof & Head, Renal Transplant Surgery, PGIMER, Chandigarh and was advised to go for a Simultaneous Pancreas and Kidney Transplant (SPKT) rather than going for kidney transplant alone as I was still in the right age bracket for a two-organ transplant. Moreover, it would require one surgery and one incision only to transplant both – kidney and pancreas, same immunosuppressants are required post-surgery and it would cure the basic cause behind my kidney disease, Diabetes. I also got to know that being on the SPKT list, the waiting period would be short, and I should be ready for transplant within next 6-8 months. I was convinced that SPKT is the best option for me. I didn’t feel scared about SPKT because during my visits to PGI for regular follow-up for Diabetes, I use to meet a young guy who works there, and he has undergone SPKT from PGI in 2015 (2nd SPKT at PGI) and he is quite happy and satisfied. As I never had any fear about the surgery, my family was also quite confident and supportive.

The process and tests for getting various clearances for transplant surgery started in September 2019. In the meantime, my Creatinine level started rising fast and this led to my putting on a lot of weight, fluid retention was all over my body, skin got very dry and itchy, started feeling weak with low stamina and had reduced concentration. I started feeling very uncomfortable but still didn’t reach the stage for a dialysis. In fact, I never had dialysis till the day of my transplant surgery when a 2-hour dialysis was done to check working of my AV fistula.

I was given counselling after the clearances in December 2019 and was asked to stay within 100-150 kms of PGI so that I can reach PGI soon when called for the surgery. As I was going for a Simultaneous Pancreas and Kidney Transplant (SPKT), it is done with organs donated by the family members of a cadaver and such cases can come anytime.

One week before the surgery

One week before the surgery

 
The Call

I got a call from PGI on the morning of 5th Jan 2020 and was asked to reach PGI soon as there was a cadaver available. I reached there and was admitted after some tests and procedures. On 6th January 2020, my transplant surgery was done by a team of doctors headed by Dr. Ashish Sharma. The surgery lasted for a little less than 8 hours. As it was an SPKT it takes more time than a kidney transplant. Mine was the 23rd SPKT at PGI since they started doing it in 2014.

vigyan-a-10
 
Food!!

On 11th January 2020 five days after my surgery when I was still in ICU, I was allowed to have food. As I was having food for the first time after my transplant, it had to be light, and I never wanted to have it from the hospital kitchen. It was specially cooked and brought by a friend’s wife who lived nearby. It was quite an emotional moment and took me a while to believe that now I can have food without an insulin injection. The last time I had food without an insulin shot was on 23rd April 1981. I ate something without an insulin injection that day after 38 years 8 months and 19 days (14142 days)!

The recovery thereafter was good, all thanks to my doctors, nurses, and other staff at the hospital. I had no post-surgery issues and was discharged from the hospital after 15 days, which is the minimum time required to stay in hospital after SPKT surgery. On top of that I had lost 15 kgs and was feeling much lighter and happier.

With Dr. Ashish Sharma & his team – 50 days after surgery

With Dr. Ashish Sharma & his team – 50 days after surgery

 
Complications & Overcoming them

A couple of months after the surgery, in March’20 I developed some complications and was admitted in PGI again. I had Pancreatitis and as a complication of the same there was a Pseudocyst. I was discharged after 31 days and it took 3 months for the fluid to stop coming out from the Pseudocyst. I was told that because of Pancreatitis, there are blockages in Pancreatic Arteries and one artery was 95% blocked and in another one there was 90% blockage. I was admitted again in the first week of July’20 and stents were inserted in the blocked Pancreatic arteries. The complications led to some part of my Pancreas getting damaged but luckily the pancreas function is normal till now. During all this treatment to save the graft organs, I further lost 12 kgs and from 88 kgs on the day of transplant surgery in January’20, I was 61 kgs in July’20.

August 2020 (at 61 kgs!!!)

August 2020 (at 61 kgs!!!)

 
Medicines Cure Diseases but Doctors Cure Patients

I have always trusted my doctors, followed their advice and never discussed with anyone about my medications or line of treatment. I think such discussions with others puts doubts in the minds and at times, some people follow some alternate line of medicine also which complicates the things and makes them worse. Being a professional myself, I know that the doctors want their patients to get well soon and there is no greater reward for doctors than to see their patients healthy. When Doctors give instructions, they mean business and the instructions should be followed.

Magic Johnson, the great American basketball player had once said “The best doctors and medicines in the world can’t save you if you don’t do what you are supposed to do”.

I am thankful and deeply grateful to my doctors for their advice, care and support, without which I wouldn’t have been writing this.

My Life

It has been over one year since the transplant and I’m feeling absolutely fine now. People say that it’s all due to my will power, but I always looked at the options I had.  Whenever I felt weak or low, I had two options- follow doctors’ advice and continue, or just quit.  I didn’t quit, kept on going and the result is the best I could have. The life is as normal as it could get with no insulin injections, hypos, high creatinine etc. I do have to take few tablets, some precautions, and the recommended diet but that’s nothing as compared to what I was going through till 2019.

1 year after surgery

1 year after surgery

 
Indebted for this life to the donor’s family

Lastly and most importantly, I am indebted for this life to the donor and his family, all I know is that he was a 42-year-old Male. My sympathy to his family for his passing away and I thank them for the special gift I got from them, his Pancreas and Kidney. I wouldn’t have had a second chance at life without their donation. God bless his family and may the noble soul always rest in peace.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy life.

Cheers!!!

7 Comments

  1. Udayshankar · May 13, 2021 Reply

    So nice of u for sharing this. some terrible,some hope,some risk,some care,some dedication.All of above d donation.God bless u with joyful life ahead

  2. VIGYAN ARORA · May 14, 2021 Reply

    Thank you Mr. Udayshankar, you are right no words can describe the sacrifice made by a donors family in the darkest hour of their life. All thanks to them and the doctors for giving me an extended life.

  3. Ashima · May 26, 2021 Reply

    Great to know your amazing journey of dual organ transplant. Best wishes!!

  4. VIGYAN ARORA · June 1, 2021 Reply

    Thanks Ashima, I’ve been able to come this far due to care and support of my doctors and of course support of my family

  5. Isha · June 4, 2021 Reply

    That’s such an inspiring story. Good to see you happy and healthy.

  6. Dhruv · July 2, 2021 Reply

    Thats such an inspiring story. Long battle since childhood. Its truly remarkable how have you kept the positive attitude and spirit all throughout. God Bless

  7. VIGYAN ARORA · November 29, 2021 Reply

    Thanks Isha and Dhruv

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