Talking and writing about health related experiences is still not common in Asia. This International Women’s Day, we reach out to three dynamic women who share their experience as patient or caregiver to understand their motivations. We kick off the first in a three-part series with Sangeeta Murthi Sahgal.
1) Your father had Parkinson's Disease. Why did you choose to talk and share about your father's condition?
When I took over my father's care-giving, I researched the net to understand what I was signing up for. There was a lot of medical material on PD (Parkinson's disease), Dementia, and Diplopia. However, most of the articles mostly ended, asking me to consult the doctor. As a caregiver, this would have meant that I was at the doctor's almost every other day. There was very little in terms of tips for caregivers themselves. Also, as I had experienced the devastating effects of these diseases on the vibrant man my father was, I wanted to share what it meant to be afflicted by these diseases. So I decided to write a blog that combined stories of my father as a vibrant person, how that changed with his illness, and care giving tips all rolled into one.
2) Did you focus on any particular aspect of the condition or did you take a particular angle?
I decided to tell authentic stories. Just as authentic stories are critical for building organization culture and leadership, I believe that storytelling is critical to paint the picture of the diseases and its impact on the patient and caregivers.
3) How did you benefit from writing/ sharing?
It was cathartic. It was fun to relive old memories. It gave my father and me something to talk about. It was a way to explore his past (one that he remembered vividly). And I realized that I could write.
#SharingHelps
4) Examples of others who benefited from reading your blog and reached out to you.
Other caregivers reached out to me for help. Some appreciated that there were others in the same boat - just knowing that we are not alone. #YouAreNotAlone
5) Any negative comments, criticisms you faced for talking about your condition
None really. Though I did worry about sharing intensely personal stuff online.
Read about the other women who shared:
Kirtida Oza: I talked to encourage other women to stop feeling guilty and ashamed about their illness
Mariyam Raza Haider: It Brought Perspective to My Father's Illness and its Impact on My Life
Read Sangeeta Murthi Sahgal’s posts about her father @ http://parablesofparkinsons.blogspot.com. The blog also has a resource base of caregiver tips that may help other caregivers of Parkinson's and/or Dementia patients.
Sangeeta is Co-Founder, Diversity Dialogs and has over 32 years of experience in HR, Training, Operations and P&L Management.
