Pune:
Dr Maya Gatve's clinic was full of patients.
The nameplate of doctor read:
"Pediatric neurologist and Mental health specialist."
Though Dipesh and Dipika with Mittu had come with an appointment, they had to wait for 30 minutes. Dipesh had given an idea to his and Deepika's mother about their today's Doctor's visit. He had taken a leave for the day.
Both were very worried after reading the words like a neurologist and mental health and by looking at bizarrely behaving little patients who had come there.
Dipika had become more vulnerable in the past few days. She started crying putting her head on Dipesh's chest.
Mittu, who was in the stroller, was looking at both smiling aimlessly.
Dipesh moved his hand lovingly over Dipika's back. After a while, she felt better and stopped crying.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. That's why we came to the doctor, right? They will have a cure for this. Let them first diagnose and then things will be clear!", Dipesh assured her, however, he also was apprehensive and worrying about Mitali's future from a corner of his mind, but he didn't show it on his face openly.
Later, Dipesh searched more about this clinic and the doctor. He looked for the ratings and comments from various patients and other doctors.
Finally, a photo of Doctor Maya flashed on the screen for a moment. That face seemed familiar to him.
While he was straining his mind to recall and recognize that face, their name was called and all three went inside…
Dr Shruti Tyagi welcomed them and asked them to sit.
"Hi, I am Dr Shruti, assistant to Dr Maya. Dr Maya had to go to another hospital for some emergency and hence today I will attend you."
"But Doctor?", Akshay said.
"Don't worry. We will do some tests today based on your experience with your child. Then in your next visit, Dr Maya will also attend you!"
Both felt a sigh of relief.
"So, tell me since when and what have you both been observing about Mitali and who suggested you come to us?"
Akshay told all the events in brief. Then she called a nurse and both led Dipesh, Dipika, and Mitali to a bigger room.
The room was full of other toddlers, kids, infants, and their parents. Colourful toys, slides, books, soft toys, and building blocks were kept everywhere, just like we see in any nursery, LKG, UKG school. Cartoons, birds, rainbows, and monkeys were painted on walls. The room was named aptly "Toy and Enjoy Room."
The same thought after entering the room came into Dipesh and Dipika's minds which both understood even without telling each other verbally. And the thought was: "How much better it would have been if we had visited such a place after putting Mitali in school as a student and not a patient."
Their eyes met and Dipesh noticed that Dipika's eyes had become moist.
Both Dipesh and Dipika were fond of children since their childhood. Here in this room also, both felt like playing with them. But later the fact kept piercing their mind that, no these are not the "normal" children.
Then Dr Shruti and the nurse did various tests on Mitali. They asked Mittu to crawl, checked how she handles the toys, responds to moving objects, etc. She asked her to walk.
The nurse took her in hand and made some movements of her body parts like arms, hands, fingers, legs, neck, etc.
Then further Doctor suggested doing MRI and CT scan.
Every time Mittu was taken for the scan, Dipika started crying.
Later, when they were back in the consulting room, Dr Shruti started explaining.
"The results of these two scans usually take 24 hours. You may take the next appointment next Tuesday as all appointments are full till then. Reports will also be available by then and we can discuss them with Dr Maya in more detail!"
"So, anything serious about Mitali?"
"See, I don't want to keep you in dark unnecessarily!"
Dipesh and Dipika looked at each other and Dipesh gestured to Dipika to keep calm and Listen to Dr Shruti.
"With all the tests we did with Mitali in the 'Toy and Enjoy' room, we could confirm that it is cerebral palsy. However, it will eventually be confirmed once MRI and CT scan report comes."
"So could you please let us know exactly what cerebral palsy is?"
"Well, symptoms of cerebral palsy include problems with muscle tone, movement, balance, and coordination. Stiff limbs or low muscle tone, inability to use one side of the body, asymmetrical movement that is, one side of the body moves differently than the other side! We saw almost all the symptoms in Mitali."
Dipika started sobbing and wiped her eyes with her saree.
Dr Shruti continued, "We know as a mother how it is difficult to accept this and.."
Before Dr Shruti could say more, Dipika rose and moved out of the cabin sobbing. Another nurse accompanied her outside while Akshay sat with Dr Shruti.
She continued, "In some infants, problems are evident soon after birth. In others, the diagnosis comes in later infancy or toddlerhood. In normal children, we see symmetrical use of hands and legs. If a child is not able to walk even after 18 months, then we must do the tests. Though I would say, you came at the right time, but you should have come even earlier!"
Now it was Dipesh's turn. Tears rolled down his eyes.
Dr Shruti gave him a tissue. He wiped them out and stayed alert to listen to what comes next. It was a trauma for both Dipesh and Dipika.
Dr Shruti said, "Now I would suggest you take care of yourself and your wife. Stay positive. Give your wife emotional support and when you come back during the next appointment, Dr Maya will give you more details based on CT and MRI scan results. Also, she will suggest treatments for it. Till then do some muscle exercises for the baby. Here are the instructions."
And she handed over an instruction manual to both of them.
Akshay thanked Dr Shruti and took Mitali outside the room.
Then he booked a cab and all three came home. Dipesh informed them on the phone, in brief, about their visit to Doctor his mother and mother-in-law.
