It is just a shoe Bite !

Another excerpt from my Life…

As told to me since I was just 2 years + when this incident happened. We had a family wedding post 2 days celebration when everyone went back to their daily routines, most of them complaint of body ache, fever and diarrhea. I had developed high fever, just could not stand on my feet.

Was taken to the Pediatric and I believe he refused to check on me and asked my parents to take me another Doctor and rush to bigger hospital.

Since Dad knew other Doctor’s in the locality, he immediately rushed me to a well-known General Physician and he said symptoms look like Poliomyelitis. Gave the immediate medical care and asked my Dad to consult a specialist at other hospitals.

After 2 days when my fever subsided, I still could not stand or balance myself. Several Doctors were consulted and they all told my Dad that I’m affected with Poliomyelitis. This means I might never be able to stand by myself; that I am disabled for life. I would need special aid and use clutches or iron shoes as support to walk.

MyDad did not buy any of those and was determined to find other options. He succeeded and found out that physical therapy, electrical stimulation, stretching exercises or static magnetic field for trigger points would be one way of getting me to somewhere being normal. As these were post-treatments available to help strengthen the stiffed muscles based on the impact caused due to Poliomyelitis. It had affected my right leg from knee to foot.

He decided to go ahead with the treatment, choose whatever is best for me. All he wanted was to see his girl back on her feet. So my treatment started and because Dad had to report to work and could not come in for all the sessions.

Mom used to take me along with my younger sister who was about a year +. It was very difficult for Mom because I could not walk and my younger sister was young too. However, my younger sister walked while Mom carried me into those session rooms. Love to my sister for helping me during those times.

After almost 4 months of regular treatment, I was gaining my self-back. Still my right leg was week and my foot was a slightly tilted.

All efforts were made to remind me to put my foot flat on the ground and walk, which I believe was difficult and I could not do it how normally one would do.

Years passed by and Dad was still trying to find how could I be 100% normal. He found out that a surgery could be done and get my slightly tilted foot bone straight. He went ahead and got me hospitalized for the surgery I was 4 years by then. Dad was not too convinced and withdrew from that surgery and got me home saying that you are normal and just perfect.

There was a fear in him that if the surgery was to put metals within and disturb my natural system he might want to skip that. He was just not confident about the surgery and kind of understood that it is good to accept the way things are.

Lot of people including my Paternal Grandma told him to get me those iron shoes, which were for children effected with Polio. He refused to do that told that she will wear the regular shoes and grow up like a normal child. I remember my Grandma always telling me this.

From there on, he did not differentiate between my sisters and me. No special treatments was given; I was the eldest daughter and responsible for my two younger sisters. He made me take part in all sorts of sports activity. Never filled up those columns in the any application form, one had to mention if they had any deformity/ disability/ physical challenged he would always write none for me.

As part of growing up and meeting lot of new people, very few people had noticed that I do limp a bit when I walk,apart from that I just look like any normal person. But I did not know how to answer when I was questioned why I walk like that, I had no answer but would cry because that’s when I would know that I’m physically challenged. When people got to know my condition they would take pity or sympathize. It just did not end there; people would treat me different and keep me away from being a normal kid that I was used to being at home.

One day he found me just watch kids playing catch me if you can. He asked me what happened why I am not playing. I told him that, they feel that I cannot run fast and they will lose the game because of me.

Who told you could not run fast, do you believe them or believe in yourself. He reminded me of winning a running race competition at his Companies annual sports day where I secured 2nd place and my younger sister 3rd place.

Do not believe what others tell about you. You know yourself better than anyone, so do not doubt your ability. He knew what was going on my mind and he told me these magical words — Next time if someone asks you what happened to you, why do you limp when you walk, please tell them “ITS JUST A SHOE BITE”.

If you believe that, it is a shoe bite and it is no big a deal or problem it will remain like that. If you give it all the importance then you will be feeling sad like the way you are.

After that day until now whenever someone questions me, why do I limp when I walk I simply say Oh, it is just a shoe bite. At first instance, that is my response to most of them. I had to learn my ways to deal with it but never let it deter my confidence. They were times, when few people made fun about the way I walk or mocked at me. Nevertheless, those things did not affect me but made me even more stronger from within.

Those who know about this are people who have accepted me for the way I am and never once made me feel awkward or different. Grateful to my friends, colleagues and my family members.

However, I sometimes wonder what if my parents took sympathy on me and my upbringing would have been in a much-protected way. I am sure I would not been the way I am today. I have grown up as a strong, confident and independent person. Grateful to my parents for they never gave up and gave me the right treatments at the right time.

It is so important that we give our children the right beliefs, confidence and morale, which would shape their overall personality and prepare them to face the world with right attitude.

The best wealth or gift parents can give to their children is self- believe, confidence and gratitude towards everything and everyone around.

Children born with special abilities are definitely special and we just need to use the magical words, which would make them strong enough so that nothing can deter their mind and keep them positive and resilient at all times…