Dermatological (Skin) and Opthalmology (Eyes) conditions

In 2015, Ketaki Jani, was absolutely shattered when she developed alopecia and lost her hair. Being ill at ease with wigs and caps, she decided to get her bald scalp fully tattooed. Read her bold, unconventional battle. *Trigger warning Could you tell us a little about your condition? Well, I am survivor of an autoimmune disorder called Alopecia. Here the person loses hair as per different degree and types. What were the early symptoms? What made you see a doctor? One day, while moving my hand…

Having hope for a cure for an incurable disease is essential as it gives a purpose to be alive but making it the centre of your world is where the problem lies, writes Vineet Saraiwala.  My brother and I have retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye condition in which vision deteriorates as age progresses. There is currently no scientific cure for my condition but I am optimistic of a cure with the rapid advancements in research happening across the world. Some medical conditions are…

Archita Bhalotia, 27 from Mumbai has had Albinism since birth. She shares how she navigated difficult phases during her school life, dealing with vision impairment and learning to become confident and regain self-esteem.  Please tell us a bit about your condition I am a person with Albinism which means the absence of melanin (the chemical responsible for the producing skin color). It also entails weak vision. Albinism is a lifelong condition. What were the early symptoms? What made you go…

Akash Tiwari, 23, who has Vitiligo, had to fight severe depression and discrimination, to embrace his white patches. Today, through his Foundation, Aarus, he empowers people with Vitiligo accept themselves and come to terms with their body image. Trigger Warning My story is like many other success stories of vitiligo. I am no longer afraid to tell the world about my white skin patches. I have accepted them as part of my life and they no longer hold sway over my choices and my decisions. But…

Sanjeev Agrawal, 60, a Professor of Mathematics has been battling invisible illnesses all his life.  He reflects on how his responses to his daughter's challenges due to her invisible illnesses have been shaped by his experiences. #FathersDay series. Asked to write something for Father’s day for PatientsEngage, I go to the site and start wondering – do I write as a caregiver or as a patient? Rather than work out a theme, I decide to write about whatever comes, at this time, to my mind.…

Vineet Saraiwala, Inclusion Lead, Future Retail Limited, pays an emotional tribute to his mother, a mother of two sons with Retinitis Pigmentosa. A Mother's Day Special. It was my mother’s destiny to have two sons, both with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative disease in which vision deteriorates as age progresses. We, my brother and I, are glad that we are not alone in this journey as our mother is equally there in our struggles for the past 25 years. But we never noticed it. My mother’s…

Vineet Saraiwala, Inclusion Lead, Future Retail Limited, who has fearlessly embraced his retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease, writes a poignant account of his reducing vision and how he derives immense pleasure from tandem bicycle tours, trekking and running marathons. Living with the realisation that your eyesight is deteriorating is not easy and accepting the reality is challenging. Life is an illusion and you trick your optimistic mind in not believing the reality. The…

This week is World Glaucoma Awareness Week. Lalitha Ramakrishnan and Viji Venkatesh, a mother - daughter duo share their experience with Glaucoma, the silent thief of sight and highlight the importance of regular eye checkups and adherence to medication. I had not heard of Glaucoma till 1991. I was in Singapore, staying with my son, a sport journalist. I had lost my husband four years earlier and was a total wreck. Raja, my son, was the one who helped me regain my sanity – infusing so much…

Srishti Rai, 24, was born with Epidermolysis Bullosa, a rare genetic skin disease. Here, she talks about how she fights for her health every day and her passion for animation. And why she thinks jeans are over-rated. I was born seeming like a “normal” child late one February night, except for a couple of small red bruises on my chin and my ankle from the delivery. This was a little unusual, so I was taken to have the bruises treated. That’s when it was discovered that things were not as simple…

Bhanu Ramchandran talks to Sunena Gupta, a young girl whose journey to overcome self-image and mental issues caused by her chronic medical condition, is an inspiration to youngsters. 20 year old Sunena is a role model, an all-round achiever. An ace student, she is doing her Bachelors in a leading US university. She has been a basketball player in school. She plays the drums and is a Kathak dancer with several stage performances under her belt. Her next Kathak show – titled ‘Umeed’ (meaning ‘…