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Submitted by PatientsEngage on 3 June 2020

Kavita Chaddha has multiple issues which she handles in the course of a day wth proper medication, a healthy diet and the right exercises. She talks about how she juggles her life, home and work in the course of a day

Hi! I am Kavita Chaddha, diagnosed with Scleroderma (an autoimmune disease) in 2009 by a rheumatologist.   I am bipolar too.

I am also a working professional (Librarian), a wife and a mother of a 9-year-old girl. I am a doctoral student too. My life is four-dimensional – health, home, studies and office. Depending on conditions, sometimes the order changes.

My Diseases:

I had severe pneumonia at the age of 18 months. The only medicine to save my life was Penicillin. After every four hours, round the clock, the doctors gave me the Penicillin injection. As a side effect, my immune system collapsed at the tender age of 18 months. I had Hoofing cough(better known as whooping cough) at six years, chickenpox at eleven years, rheumatic heart disease at around 21 years (my mitral valve started leaking and because of that later on at the time of my open-heart surgery, my right atrial became dilated (and still is), and palpitations started). Bipolar was diagnosed before open-heart surgery. Scleroderma was diagnosed at 40 years, hypothyroidism at 42 years. I have now PAH (Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension) also. I am in pain all the time, especially in my hands and feet. Winters are my enemy. I get vaccinated every year for influenza.

My Weekday Schedule:

Morning: A get up at 6.00 to 7.00 A.M. most of the days and help my daughter get ready for school. My first medicine is for hypothyroidism, which I take after getting up. The cook prepares breakfast and lunch for 3 of us. (Earlier I used to cook myself, but because of Raynauds’ disease (a condition in which some areas of the body feel numb and cool at certain times) working in the kitchen has become difficult for me.) Before eating breakfast, I take one tablet for Diabetes. The breakfast generally is oats cooked in milk, with seeds and nuts. I leave my home at 8.30 to reach my office at 9.00 A.M. I use a cab now instead of public transport to reduce the chances of catching infections.

After reaching office, I take my medicines (5 for the heart; 1 for scleroderma; 1 for bi-polar) and start my work. In the morning, I check e-mails, take actions and instruct my subordinate what has to be done today. Around 11.00 A.M. I go for 30-40 minutes’ walk. This keeps my sugar & cholesterol levels in control and helps in increasing my stamina and lungs capacity. As a mid-morning snack, an apple keeps me full and satiated. Sometimes I take Papaya or some seasonal fruit. I continue my work till lunchtime.

Noon:

Half an hour before lunch, I take an antacid for acid reflux. The lunch mostly consists of dal, roti, sabzi and salad with buttermilk. I listen to music with headphones and relax for 10-15 minutes. I continue my work until 3.30 P.M. Then comes the tea-time. Its summertime now so I prefer lime water instead of tea. It also provides required vitamin C for increasing the body’s immunity. At 4.00 P.M. I take two medicines – one for heart and one for scleroderma. Then I make some rounds in the library to fix the wrong shelving and greet the students and ask whether they require any help. At 5.30 P.M. I shut down my PC; book a cab for home and leave.

Evening:

After reaching home at around 6.00 P.M., I take two medicines for bipolar. The cook prepares some snacks for us, and we have it together. Evening snacks are light – a glass of milk, boiled eggs for my husband and daughter; for me, it is mostly milk and cornflakes. The evenings are family time for us, we play, watch TV or just chat.

Night:

We eat dinner at around 7.30 – 8.00 P.M. Roti, sabzi and salad for husband and daughter, and Sauteed vegetables with roasted peanuts, flax seeds and sesame seeds for me. I take my last dosage of medication at 10.00 P.M. – three medicines for heart, one for bipolar and one for scleroderma. My daughter generally sleeps at 10.00 P.M., and I sit for study after that, which goes until 12.00 - 1.00 in the night.

My Weekends:

I am lucky to have two days’ weekend. I make most of it by relaxing, getting a full body massage, meditating, watching TV, listening to music, reading books, spending quality time with family. Sometimes we go to malls for shopping and sometimes for window shopping.

Dealing with Covid-19 Pandemic

My daughter and I have not stepped out of my door since 13th March. I am working from home. I have my stock of medications and other necessary things at home. My husband who works in a bank, has to go to the office regularly. He ensures that he is properly disinfected after returning home.

The main challenge during the lockdown has been not having help for household work. I feel exhausted after sweeping, dusting, mopping, washing utensils, cooking meals. My husband helps when is at home. I don't know how I will manage all fronts once the Institute opens in full and I need to go to work.    

A message for everyone:

A robust immune system is a must for everyone. Those who have it take it for granted. Creating awareness about increasing immunity against diseases is my only motto.

I take 19 tablets per day; get monthly, quarterly, bi-annual, yearly blood tests; bi-annual PFT and get annual Comprehensive Cardiac Check-ups done.

I keep myself busy that’s why I started doing a PhD. Since reading is my passion, I keep on reading most of the time. I love singing and dancing, and I used to sing during school & college time but gradually due to heart and lung disorders, I have reduced both. Sketching and painting were my two hobbies which I can’t do now because of time scarcity. Travelling to new places is also my hobby.

We get life only once, live it to the fullest.