Fight till your last breath
Life is like a song. When you are happy, you enjoy the vibe but when you are sad, you understand it’s meaning.
I lost my elder brother 7 days back. I and my family went through different phases during this challenging phase. From Fear, panic, stress, uncertainty to pain,loss and emptiness.
I asked myself three fundamental questions before writing this blog.
Why I am writing this blog?
Should it be written by me?
Should it be written by me, now?
Coming to the first question. Why I am writing this blog?
I am writing this blog to share my experience. I will try to be precise and objective. This will help in wider application of the leanings from this experience for the reader. At the same time don’t accept everything I tell on it’s face value. Take it with a pinch of salt and apply it to your situation accordingly. I am not a medical science student.
Should it be written by me?
I have set aside all my pain and sorrow for a while. I want to help everyone going through this time of crisis. At the same time I wish to pay tribute to my elder brother.
Should it be written by me, now?
I spent sleepless nights trying to think clearly. What went wrong? Why couldn’t we save him? Everything appeared to be hazy and doubtful. I put up a strong front during the day to support my parents but the sleepless nights haunted me with unanswered questions.
I answered most of the calls and replied back to all of the messages on his phone. It was hard to type a single line over and over again, ‘My brother is no more.’ I felt emotionally and physically drained to do anything.
Slowly I gained control. I realised that there are many who are going to similar situation right now. The fight for life is on. I needed to gather my courage and strength. I needed to share my experience and It had to be done NOW !
Avoid Indecision
If nothing the only learning I would want to give is that do not hesitate to help anyone. Act now, because if you loose your brother, sister, friend, relative, neighbour or any fellow human being who reached out to you for help and you failed to act on time due to indecision, you will regret it for your entire life. The guilt will be heavy on your heart.
Now, the question arises, How to avoid indecision?
During crisis, time is of essence. The decision making process should neither be hasty nor at a snail’s pace. It should be driven by knowledge of facts and experience. In short, you should be aware about everything that is happening around you.
Along with awareness one also needs a clear conscience. You should be ready to help the person in need. At the same time you should be frank and straightforward to tell the other person when you can’t help. Precious time is lost in false hopes and promises.
Helping, the right way
Helping does not mean sharing a screenshot, a contact number or an address without verifying it. Helping means exhausting all the leads and then sharing the information. Mindless sharing of information does more damage than good. It causes loss of precious time which might even lead to someone’s death.
There are videos and screenshots floating on all social media platforms. They advise ‘home-made’ remedies for COVID-19. Do not fall into these traps. The only thing remotely associated with ‘home’, that works is ‘home quarantine’. I have read about cases of people suffering from Zinc toxicity, liver infections, heart burns, stomach aches, throat infections etc. from these ‘remedies’. Similarly people are mindlessly consuming Aloepathic, Homeopathic and Ayurvedic medicines without consulting doctors.
What can be the steps to be followed if anyone is ill?
Do not press the panic button
Observe the symptoms by making a detailed list with date and time. Visit a doctor as soon as possible. Understand that the doctors and medical staff are overworked these days. Be vigilant enough to convey all your symptoms and at the same time be very attentive to his/her advice.
Ask the doctor as many questions as possible. Why and How a particular infection might have occurred? What should be the precautions you should take? How to avoid the infection in future? How to boost your immunity against that particular infection?
Do not be hesitant to reach out to the doctor if your symptoms do not decrease or are aggravated. Do not shy away from clearing all your doubts regarding the prescribed medicine and it’s intake. People generally do not do this out of their ignorance and negligence. Do not fall into the trap of self-medication tendency.
Fighting till your last breadth
If in case someone’s situation aggravates. Act fast to arrange the required medicines, oxygen cylinders, oxygen beds or I.C.U beds. It’s easier said than done.
Being mindful in the situation is the most important thing. Focus on your breadth, block out all the chaos. In a few minutes you will be able to choose between available options rather than panicking over the possible results of the situation you are in.
Remember that the virus is a non-living thing. It does not have a heart and a mind. As a human being use your heart and mind to the best of their abilities. Humanity will win and Humanity always wins!
I chose the title ‘Fight till your last breath’ because that is what my brother did. He fought to breath and gave everything he had, in the fight.
He would always be ready to help everyone. Thus, through this blog I express my gratitude to all those who helped me and my family. At the same time I extend my help by sharing my experience to everyone in a similar situation.
Shrey Kumar Saxena (25 August 1995 - 27 April 2021)
Rest in peace, dada.
The lines of late Atal Bihari Vajpayee remind me of my brother. Don’t ask me how my brother died, ask me how he lived.
मौत से ठन गई!
जूझने का मेरा इरादा न था,
मोड़ पर मिलेंगे इसका वादा न था,
रास्ता रोक कर वह खड़ी हो गई,
यूं लगा जिंदगी से बड़ी हो गई।
मौत की उमर क्या है? दो पल भी नहीं,
जिंदगी सिलसिला, आज कल की नहीं।
मैं जी भर जिया, मैं मन से मरूं,
लौटकर आऊंगा, कूच से क्यों डरूं?
-अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी
