GET UP, WALK & RUN

Lying on the Military Hospital (MH) Bed, there was only one dream in the mind of the teenaged Cadet. He somehow wanted to get up, walk and run. The couple of years gone by had seen him going through ups and now the deep trough of his life’s fortune had arrived. The life had taken a downward spiral and nothing good seemed to be happening to him. The last high point in his life was a selection to the prestigious National Defence Academy. Since then, the tough routine and now the fatal spinal injury had rendered him into a semi-vegetable state. As he lay motionless on his damaged back and stinging feeling of drying plaster around his head, neck and back, he did not know what lay ahead. The friendly military doctor explained to him about the Minerva Cast which he had put on him. He explained to him that it was an orthopedic cast applied to the trunk and head, with spaces cut out for the face and ears. The section encasing the trunk extends to the sternum and the distal rib border anteriorly and across the distal rib border posteriorly. The cast will ensure to immobilize the head and part of the trunk in the treatment of his cervical injuries. This was the best option for the young Cadet since he had not yet signed for a recommended operation.

The drying Plaster of Paris was pushing itself towards the skin of the Cadet. He had no option but to let the moisture dry up and settle inside his new upper body suit. After all, this was the best option till he made up his mind to give consent for the operation. He had no one to fall back to for an advice as his father had passed away just 02 months ago and he did not want to send another bad news back home to the fragile environment. These were the days of a conflict that the Indian Army was fighting in the neighboring island nation. The wards were full to the brim with wounded and hurt soldiers and Officers. Finding a place to park the spinal injury case was not becoming easy for the MH. Finally, he was wheeled into a barrack ward where young Officers from the battle field were fighting for their respective recoveries.

The Cadet’s arrival arose great curiosity among the war veterans. All those who could walk/move, came to his bed to enquire about his well-being and how he managed such an injury. His immediate neighbors were Sub Lieutenant (SLT) Jogi whose lower body had been run over by a truck as his bike skidded and Captain Joe who had been grievously injured in the conflict. Jogi had gone through many days at MH as he fought for a recovery to claim his wings to fly again. He inquired the Cadet’s story in great detail and advised him to begin his fight for a complete recovery, but, without a surgery. After all no one will be able to bind you like God did, said Jogi Sir to the Cadet. A limp right arm and a not so responsive right leg were adding to the hurt and the pain of the Cadet. The instructions were to keep the Cadet straight in the bed till the Minerva Cast settled into its position. The vegetable’s state can only be understood in those restrictive circumstances.

The first night at the MH was desolate as pains and injuries caused moans and hurts. The pain killers brought temporary relief and the effect died down by mid night as the supper time dinner at MH also lost its relevance in the churning stomach. The agony had raised its ugly head in the most discourteous manner. The only option left was to bear/fight the agony, hurt and anger.

The next morning, SLT Jogi and Captain Joe sat next to the Cadet and saw him being helped by the medical assistants to carry out the morning ablution activities. It was a difficult experience as the body had to be kept in a position where the back injury did not aggravate. The Minerva Cast was now drier and sticking closer to the body. Its material had started causing an itch on the skin and the breathing was not becoming easy either as lungs could not be expanded fully. The existence itself was now raising questions in the young mind. Jogi and Joe kept their friendly banter to swing up the fledgling morale. The ward visit by the panel of Doctors added fire to the pressure as the spinal surgery was considered the possible option. Jogi and Joe maintained the same stance of staying away from the surgery. You have fought your war and now do not aggravate your present condition, was the mantra by Jogi and Joe. The Cadet had not much option and the limp right hand was not aiding him either in his decision for a surgery. The moments started ticking by and the days started moving. The war machine kept sending new entrants into the ward and Jogi-Joe combination stuck next to the Cadet.

A week passed by, the Cadet had not given his concurrence for the surgery and neither had anyone arrived from his home to watch over him. He was wheeled for an X-Ray to check the position of his injury. He could hear someone breathing next to his stretcher. Through the corners of his pupils he saw another Officer lying on his back and waiting for his turn for the X-Ray. The wishes were exchanged and he was lying next to Flt Lt MP Anil Kumar, who was paralyzed from neck downwards. MP Anil Kumar had crashed against a barrier whilst riding his bike and had been rendered in a vegetable state since then. Sharing their experiences, MP Anil Kumar wished the Cadet all the luck and stated that he was fortunate as his half body was still performing as per his brain’s diktat. Do not go for the surgery and fight with your will power was the mantra from the fighter pilot MP Anil Kumar. Jogi, Joe and soothing words from MP Anil Kumar became the fuel for the warring mind and the fight began for getting up, walking and running.

Visits by course-mates and friends brought solace and the pains started disappearing inside the mind’s cranium crevices. There is no gain without pain, announced Major Pandey who had been wheeled in with a mutilated leg from the conflict. His larger than life persona and will to drive the car in spite of a shattered right leg was indomitable. Shall we go to MG Road tonight was his constant challenge. Jogi had started teaching Bridge to the Cadet lying straight on his back. The challenge of understanding the terms of Bridge and joining the “Wounded Warriors Gang” to MG Road renewed the challenge of survival. The will to get up, walk and run had now started churning the Cadet’s mind and Jogi-Joe combination was sensing it to the hilt.

03 months had passed and Jogi got a soft ball from his out-pass visit. He handed the ball to the limp right hand of the Cadet and told him to continue to hold it. The feeling of holding the ball in the hand gave a kick to the brain which was busy wiring up into a new role. The fingers curled up to the ball and the ball stayed in the hand. Each day Jogi and Joe would now start experimenting with the Cadet’s hand and he was smiling yet again. The Doctors had by now stopped talking about the surgery and worked on a possible discharge from the military training procedure. The God gifted body would remain intact, Jogi chuckled as the Doctor left after the morning rounds. The subsequent checks revealed that the broken bones had started showing calcium growths and the sensations on the right part of the body were returning. The slow march to partial recovery had started.

The ward would turn into celebration as any one member showed signs of recovery. Now it was the time of the Cadet to show the recovery. 05 months had gone by and the life without a proper bath and shave was not bothering the Cadet as it was now the ritual. The young Doctor treating the Cadet was also watching the excitement building up in the Ward as the wounded warriors waited for the celebration. He ordered the Cadet’s bed to be raised so that he could be elevated to see what lay ahead of him. After 05 months of lying on his back, it was a welcome change and the first sight of a small garden outside raised his spirits for a get up, walk and run phase of life. Each day a new movement began as the things started moving and one fine day, the Cadet stood up with his Minerva Cast. Small steps of that day cleared two stages of the Get Up and Walk part of the rehabilitation programme.

The Doctors on round applauded as the young Doctor made the Cadet walk and the ‘Wounded Warriors Gang” celebrated the day with a Cake cutting ceremony. The laughter had returned back to the life. A bout of food poisoning in the Ward led to the hastening of the Minerva Cast removal but not before the only Camera with 02 shots left was utilized to click a momentous picture. Finally, the full body bath procedure was followed after 06 months. The hair were trimmed short, beard shaved and the new face emerged. Jogi and Joe were the happiest and the evening was well spent in the MH Open Movie Theater. Life started galloping and soon the body got back into the Run mode to complete the GET UP, WALK & RUN circuit.

The Run phase has its beautiful charms. Each run on the life’s roads brings forth new challenges and the milestones achieved provide satisfaction at the end. No human life can be considered complete unless the stages of Get Up, Walk and Run are not completed. Each one of us goes through these phases during the span of our lives and it is up to us if we abort any stage in between or just do not complete the span. A life well lived involves all these phases and there can be no escape from their vagaries. The toughest part of the game lies in getting up. Walking comes naturally to humans and so is running. If we convert all our life’s challenges into these 3 phases and ensure that we get up, the rest would be sweet history. A bit of struggle here or there is a part of the game and no one wins unless an attempt is made.

So, whatever you are onto, whatever be the game, however hard maybe the struggle, just GET UP, WALK & RUN. Meet the challenge head on and fight to live for the next challenge.