The Diagnosis : Lives Changed Forever

I still vividly remember the Oct of 2018. Life was going smoothly. Everything was perfect in life. I would not change anything, then maybe something here and there, but nothing that prepared us for what GOD has planned for us. It all started with a little bit of fever back in Oct 2018. We had to go to a friend's house for a weekend get-together, but my husband said he is not feeling well. He had a slight fever, but I pushed him to come with us since it was across the street.

Later in the month, he was having a severe cough asked him to get checked with his physician. He shrugged, finally, he went to see the doctor. He thought it was pneumonia and started taking the anti-biotics. Somehow he was still not feeling any difference. One sat evening, his throat started closing and it was hard for him to swallow. We went to the ER and they predicted that it was an allergic reaction. They suggested stopping the current medication and starting another one. I didn't feel any difference. Kept pestering him to email the doctor, Rakesh kept saying it takes time for the medicine to work. It was Nov 20th, 2018 Rakesh was told to go for a CT Scan immediately and I called him should I come, but he said he is already there. Even then I left work and by the time I reached home he was back from the hospital.
I remember Rakesh's face and I could see it was pale. He said it's scarring in the lungs and he explained something about what's happening to his lungs. My mind was numb. I was dumb-founded. I knew he is very sick but also thought he will get better.

He was started on prednisone, Cellcept, and Plaquenil immediately. It was as if someone has pushed me from a cliff and I was trying to get a grip. I cried that night. I was driving my son to drop for his Taekwondo class and I remember tears rolling down my cheeks and I'm saying to myself how I need to be strong and everything is gonna be back to normal soon. How naive was I. Somehow in few hours our lives have changed forever? The name of the disease I never heard was now imprinted on my mind and heart. ILD.

He started with a whole lot of medicines, the doctors suggested for him to start supplementing the oxygen. It was Dec and I still hoped that in the next few months, the disease progression would slow down and Rakesh will be able to get back to his normal life and so we.

But who I was kidding. That Christmas break we stayed home since we cannot risk him get sick with flu or any other virus. This was the beginning our new way of life. Adapting to take life more slowly.