My biking nearly ended PART V

Life went on smoothly till August 2006...
In July 2006 I was told I would be going to Malaysia to cover the APRC (Asia Pacific Rally Championship) for the magazine ( I work for CAR INDIA as well as BIKE INDIA magazines)
I was delighted: the joys of being an automobile journo! I really looked forward to the trip and had even planned stuff which I intended to get. It was 15th August, 2 days before I was to leave. The last 3-4 days were spent driving the Mahindra Bolero TD a lot thru Pune's broken roads and around the city too plus some days back I had been to Lonavala and back on the bike too. I believe these two things brought back the Fistula once again. Yes, this was the fourth time.

The morning of 15th Aug: When I got up, I could feel the swelling. "Fuck", was the word which came out of my mouth. I immediately called up my boss and requested to meet him at his place asap. In the next one hour, ie, by around noon, I had booked myself an evening flight to Delhi. No Malaysia trip, I betta rush back and look after the damm Fistula. I didnt tell my parents, didnt want to shake them up again.

The next day, I was recommended to a "desi" doctor by a close uncle of mine. This doctor specialised in this and an AIIMS doctor had been successfully treated by him too. Off I went to see him and hopefully he seemed positive. It would be a good 15 day treatment, but would be successful for sure. At last, there was a ray of hope for me as other doctors were not ready to guarantee a successful operation!

From 16th onwards I went daily for my "desi" painful treatment. Sometimes I took as many as 3 pain killers per day. On top of that my brothers marriage was coming near and we shifted our house too and all this meant my wound took a hit. Everyday used to be a cry for me... Due to the exertion on the marriage, 15days turned to 20 and then 25 and finally 30! I finally recovered fully from my ordeal by the second week of September. In the meantime, my job scene didnt look good. Afterall I had been away for close to a month. But the happiness I had after the treatment subsided cannot be put down here in words. I looked forward to my life (literally). I looked forward to riding around Pune's hills (my job city), i even got my Karizma (which had been lying unused in Delhi for the last 3 months) transported to KRP ( a company specialising in bike modifications etc in Delhi) to bring it back to life. And the other big thing - I started looking forward to the leg 2 of the Great Indian Roadtrip (www.thegreatindianroadtrip.com) of which I m a part of...

The pain I went thru everytime the Fistula hit me has been tremendous. And other than pain, riding a bike for more than 30mins used to be uncomfortable for me. Even sitting in the office for long durations would cause probs. But all this has gone now. Its 16th sep today and I m sitting in my office for the last one hour w/o a trace of my medical past. I even went biking today for an hour (which would be possible in the past with a lot of discomfort!). In the noon I had even chalked out a plan for the coming week to ride to a beach :)

Fistula is history now. But those who face similar probs (discomfort/pain during riding), please consult a good surgeon. I am happy I m outta the mess. This problem really hit my mentally and physically in the last two years. Today, looking back at the times it happened, I really wish to help out others who may have it.
Precautions for those who sit a lot (like office, riding, driving etc) : Try walking in between, try putting a cushion under the seat. Ditto for bikers, those who drive. Make sure the seat is a good padded one.