By Joonho Jo
The day began with a visit to a new patient, who was suffering from muscle dystrophy and not cancer, unlike the majority of CanSupport's patients. It was fascinating to visit a new household, as initially, the sister, mother, and father were skeptical of us. They were hesitant to completely let us into their home, saying that their patient was eating breakfast and could not see anyone currently. As our counselor talked to them, letting the in on the impact CanSupport can have, they invited us in and offered us refreshments. Our nurse spoke to him, as he sat on his bed. His body was extremely frail, with his skin outlining just bone. He breathed fast and hard. The effort it took to do so was evident. His neck was strained, as he worked to get words out to describe his pain. Our nurse and counselor listened to him and his family, hoping only to reassure him and provide him with the medication required to live as comfortably as possible. There wasn't much that could be done physically. But there was much that could be done emotionally. He had bore this burden since childhood, and as an adult, he was aware of his circumstances. After speaking to him for around thirty minutes, our team said our goodbyes and moved to the next patient.
Our van pulled into the Dharamshalas at AIIMS. These "dormitories" were for patients who had moved from out of town in order to receive treatment. For one room, three beds, the family paid four hundred rupees. This was excluding the food, treatment, and medication. This family had to find a way to supply these needs in the midst of being away from home. When we entered the room, it was apparent that there was an uncomfortable smell exuding from the beds. Luckily, my sense of smell was terrible, and I did not have a difficult time coping with the scent. Our team, despite this hindrance, comforted the daughter and the son-in-law who had accompanied their mother to Delhi as caretakers. Their mother had uterus cancer and had received chemotherapy very recently. In a ninety degree Fahrenheit room, she was covered in three winter blankets. It was clear she was suffering. While everyone else was sweating, she was curled up, unable to move or speak. Since this was the case, our counselor stuck by her caretakers and consoled them. Meanwhile, our nurse wrote down medications that would best work and supplied them to her. I could not imagine the suffering that they were all going through, and brainstormed ways we could help further. Maybe they could attend the Adult Day Cares. Maybe we could bring them extra food. With my inability to speak Hindi and the little time we had with each patient, we again left our contact info and left.
After eating my lunch in the van, we moved to several more patients. Unlike the last two, these were not our first visits to these patients. Moreover, their treatment was completed. For these reasons, the counselor was more at work than the nurse. We listened to their issues, which ranged from concerns about children to the afterlife. Whatever it was, I could see the impact we were making through these conversations. For one of the families, as soon as we knocked on the door, they greeted us with wide smiles and drinks. They were expressing their care as CanSupport had done during their times of need.