At 45, P. Haridas feels reborn. He now commutes confidently within the city. He recently got promoted in his documentation job and wrote an article for a newspaper. And this year, he made a three-day pilgrimage visiting six temples in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Nothing extraordinary, one might say. But, for Haridas, this has been an extraordinary reversal in life, following a brain surgery to cure epilepsy.
Haridas’ ambition in life is to create awareness on epilepsy, and to counsel those who fear surgery, as neurosurgery could be a cure for many. As a first step, Haridas shares his experiences with epilepsy and his road to recovery in his book My Experience With Epilepsy . The anecdotes in this book seek to give insight into the condition and inspire people with epilepsy and their families, care givers and physicians, and society at large for a better life.
Epilepsy had traumatised him all his life, and before the surgery, Haridas often lost consciousness, and even found himself in different places when he regained consciousness. He had seizures and acute panic attacks almost every day. It was the third neurologist he consulted, Prithika Chary, who cured Haridas of epilepsy within a year through neurosurgery two years ago.
A better understanding
Ever since he was a five-month-old, Haridas was frequently hospitalised. His mother struggled to ensure that he continued with his schooling, despite fallouts such as difficulties in grasping and recalling concepts such as math. “I took Arts group and secured second class in Class XII CBSE exams,” he shares. When he was rejected from marketing and sales jobs, because epilepsy prevented him from driving, he took up a secretarial course.
Very often, however, he was humiliated by his employers and colleagues, he says. He was fired from jobs because his employers did not understand his difficulties and misunderstood his behaviour. “Some of my superiors were kind and explained things to me whenever I failed to understand. But a few were downright abusive, forcing me to quit in despair,” he adds.
Society does not understand the trauma caused by epilepsy, and the different kinds of seizures and panic attacks that can occur in some — at anytime, anywhere, any place. “Sometimes, I have had panic attacks and uneasiness while crossing main roads choked with traffic. On some occasions, I have spoken without understanding the circumstance,” he says. Epilepsy poses a huge economic challenge too for the family — the cost of treatment, arrangements for commuting etc.
“Society stigmatises us. But with minor adjustments, we can be excellent professionals,” says Haridas. “I want to see smiles on the faces of people with epilepsy who have been completely lost. And I want to show everyone that life is made by how we choose to live — despite our circumstances, not because of them.”
(Haridas can be contacted at hariwelcome@yahoo.com or 99412-37131)
