{mosimage} I too am so glad that I was able to make it to the meet. After some of the others dropped out, I was not keen on coming. But since Bangalore is quite close by, I did not want to miss it also. Somehow, after much thought I decided to come (last year we hadn't been on any holiday also). I was also not sure about whether or not to bring along Aradhana for the meeting. She (and my son also) is not completely aware about my disease and its implications.
She just knows that I have a medical condition called CML (not the full form or that it is a cancer) for which I am on medication and have to go for hospital visits, and she is also aware of my CML friends on the internet. We are so lucky that Glivec allows us to lead an almost normal life, so that the children do not know much. So I was apprehensive about what she may come to know from the meeting and how she would take it and stuff, or whether she might get bored during the 3 days….
However, To my relief, When I asked her whether she liked the visit to Bangalore, she said that she thoroughly enjoyed it. Actually she likes meeting people, making new friends (making friends with Dr.Jude and Param's daughters was an added bonus), voluntary work, partying, all the 'hulla-gulla', the food… all that she got there. And looks like she also didn't make out much about the panel discussions also as she told me that she was busy reading her book (famous five).
Anyways I was also prepared that if she comes to know of something and if she asked me about it I would explain to her. I am quite sure that she will be able to take it well, as she is intelligent. Anyways, all went well for both of us and we enjoyed being there in Bangalore. Of course, the highlight of it all was that her art-work was selected for this year's calendar 🙂 which really made her day (or should I say year!).
As for the presentation, I was so nervous as I had never done anything like it before such a huge audience. I thought at the last moment I would just hand it over to Dr.Raghu, but he turned up with a sore throat and I knew I didn't have a choice! I dont know what the audience made of it, but I thought I was pretty bad just reading it out from the notes! Tomorrow I am leaving for my cousin's wedding and will be back next week.
Chalo yaar, it was nice meeting you, Ayeshah, Beena, Sharon and so many of our friends of Max whom we only know by names on the GIPAP group.