LAUNCH OF INDIAN LIVER FOUNDATION

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH ON BEING AWARDED "DISTINGUISHED SERVICES AWARD FROM AMC "

1 July 2012

Thank you Dr Kapoor for your kind words.

Honored Guests and invitees, President Dr. Kishore Adyanthaya,  Immediate Past Presidents Dr Ajay Hariani & Dr Niranjan Agrawal,Team AMC ,  dear AMC members, Ladies & Gentlemen

I am overwhelmed and deeply touched by the elaborate acknowledgement of my humble contribution to the growth and development of the Association of Medical Consultants, Mumbai. I accept this award with a great sense of pride and humility since it is being given to me, by an Association which I served for nearly 3 decades.

My thoughts today, as I stand before you, are of deep gratitude and thankfulness, that I had the opportunity to serve patients and various Medical organizations in whatever capacity I could. Being a doctorhas been  a process of self realization for me, seeing human suffering closely  and when you are able to help someone's pain, it feels you are chosen by God to do some of his work.  

Ladies and Gentlemen, Receiving this award means a great deal to me and I will forever treasure the beautiful sentiments behind it. I am grateful to  AMC for honoring me  and I thank them from the bottom of my heart. I also  thank each and every one of you present here, for being part of this occasion, which is memorable for me and my family.

This Association is Unique, as it is all-inclusive in composition –viz. Consultants from across the entire spectrum of Medical Specialties –all coming under a single umbrella, on a single platform dealing with the problems, faced by consultants in their medical practice day in and day out.

I have lived my life with the  belief that nothing is impossible - I somehow never see difficulties, I only see how best we can get something done. To quote Dr Deepak Chopra  -  " You must find the place inside yourself, where nothing is impossible."

Awards may hold different significance for different people.  For me, If I am able to inspire young Doctors,  to give of themselves selflessly, sometimes even against all odds, such as personal, health  and social issues as most Doctors do, I can safely say I have achieved something in life.  To live such a life is a reward in itself, for the immense satisfaction you experience is difficult to explain in words.

An important component of the Law of Dharma is service to humanity- to serve your fellow human beings and to ask yourself the questions, "How can I help?  How can I help all those that I come into contact with ?"  When you combine the ability to express your unique talent with service to humanity, then you make full use of the Law of Dharma.”

I must confess that this award does not belong to me alone. My share of the award is a small one and there  are several others, to whom this award belongs legitimately. It is impossible to name and thank each one of them . But I wish to acknowledge a few.

I thank God for having given me a role model in my father DR N V SUCHAK, from whose extraordinary, multifaceted life, I learnt leadership, organisational skills, sincerity, hard work, generosity, service to humanity and  compassion. He was a great visionary. He was a noble doctor, who never refused a call from a patient or anybody in need.

A good part of this Award belongs to my wife Abha,  without whose contribution I would not be standing here before you today.  Over the long years , she partnered me in my belief and work, supported me with her tremendous inner strength, and stood by me with great patience and understanding. I cannot thank her enough except to say that I owe this award to you, Thank you Abha.

I must also recognize the contributions of my son Dr Suraj Suchak &  daughter Tui Sigman, who unconditionally worked with me in any and every endeavor I undertake for the public cause. I am sure they will continue this legacy. I would also like to thank my brother late Dr Ashok Suchak, my sister in law Dr Amita Suchak and niece Tina Suchak for their love and support.

The next person I would like to thank is the person who introduced me to this Assn, Dr Lalit Kapoor. He is the man who nurtured, guided and brought up this Assn to this height. Thank you Dr Kapoor.

I want to thank everyone, who stood by me. We are at the end, what we are, because of the people in our lives - family, friends, colleagues, staff who help us run our establishments, patients  and even acquaintances. All have something to teach us and  enhance us.

I cannot  forget  the invaluable contribution of our Past Presidents Dr. Surabhai Sheth, Dr. C. L. Jhaveri , Dr Ajay Kothari, Dr Lalit Kapoor and the others. Each one of following Presidents in their individual capacities  successfully took the Assn. to the next higher level. I also recognize the contribution of the several members of the various committees, who worked sincerely  with  sole aim of carrying AMC forward.

Every life has a purpose and GOD has a vision for each one of us, let us use that - to dream it, desire it  and achieve it.

I thank you again for this award because it encourages me to run on and see what I can do next.

Thank you one and all for sharing my special moment tonight.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICES AWARD

DISTINGUISHED SERVICES AWARD

  I feel honoured and humbled to be selected by the Association of Medical Consultants ( of over 8000 consultants ) for conferring the "Distinguished Services Award". The Award will be presented to me on Sunday 1st July 2012 at 8 pm - Rangasharda Auditorium, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra West, Mumbai. I take this opportunity to thank all my friends, colleagues and family to have supported me through the 30 years of my contribution and work in AMC.

Youtube link for viewing LIVER TRANSPLANT SPEECH-DR ANIL SUCHAK

Youtube link above for viewing LIVER TRANSPLANT - MY JOURNEY - Speech for LIVER TRANSPLANT SYMPOSIUM AT IMA WITH APOLLO HOSPITAL WITH IAP at Conference on 3rd
April 2011 at Mumbai


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2dgOXJjahw

LIVER TRANSPLANT - MY JOURNEY - Speech for LIVER TRANSPLANT SYMPOSIUM AT IMA WITH APOLLO HOSPITAL WITH IAP at Conference on 3rd April 2011 at Mumbai

A traveller asked a shepherd: "How do you think the weather will be today?" "Oh, it will be weather that I like." "How do you know, how can you say that?" The shepherd answered: “Long ago I decided that whatever weather comes I will like it. Now I am always sure that I will get weather that is to my liking 365 days of the year. Instead of always trying to get only that thing I like, I decided that it is wiser to like whatever thing I get. Therefore, I always like the weather I get."
He had the key to happiness.

My Journey of Life goes like this -
During my internship in 1978, while coming back from my rural posting I met with an accident with a truck while driving back on my motorbike. I was brought  to our Suchak hospital in a critical state with multiple fractures in the spine and profuse intra-abdominal bleed resulting into hypotension. Immediately i was taken up for Laparotomy and was found to have a ruptured Spleen.On the operation table, I had a cardiac arrest and was revived.  I was given 10 units of blood.  Spleenectomy was done and  after that I was completely fine for  next 10 years.
I got married to Abha and was blessed with two children and was working full-fledged in the hospital. After 9 years in 1987, for the first time I was discovered to have Jaundice, which was Acute Viral Hepatitis. On being tested I was diagnosed Australia Antigen + and all the liver enzymes were elevated. I was advised rest for a couple of months. Australia Antigen became Negative and the anti bodies to the Hepatitis B surface antigen became positive, so I was very happy that I cleared the B virus. But, we kept checking my liver functions every month and to my surprise the liver enzymes were persistently high.
I consulted Dr. Roger William and Dr. Sheila Sherlock who were the best in the field. At London I had my Liver biopsy done. During that time I was told that  I have Chronic Non-A, Non-B Hepatitis - very early Cirrhosis. Later on it was labelled as Hepatitis C.

In the 1990's clinical trials were being conducted for Interferon. I was  put on this trial. From 1990 to 2005, I took 4 courses of Interferon. Each time I took interferon, I responded temporarily  and everything looked good. After  completion  of the Interferon therapy, the Virus reappeared each time.
My activity was absolutely normal till 2006, when my general condition started worsening. I had multiple episodes of fever with rigors and I started developing Ascites and swelling in the feet. I knew I was heading for trouble and my liver was decompensating. At that time I was told I did not have many options. I could go for a liver transplant as it was the end stage of my disease and nothing else could be done. At that time I went through a whole gamut of emotions and feelings -- what would my family do without me, Would the hospital function smoothly ? I had reflected upon my life and realised there was much for me to do. And giving up was not an option.

After surveying couple of centres in India and abroad in January 2007,  I finally decided to get live donor liver transplant  done at Apollo Hospital, Delhi. I remember my friends and family that came to Delhi - Dr. Amita Suchak, Dr. Deepak Parikh, Dr Lalit Kapoor, Dr Ketan Mehta, Dr Umesh & Molina Khanna, Dr Agam Vora, Dr Jayesh Shah, Dr Ashish Purohit, Dr Sharad Oza, Dr Murari Nanavati, Dr K S Aithal, Dimple Mishra, Poonam & Amresh Prasad, Nithya Rao, Tina Suchak, Dr Mustafa Nadiadwala, Rajendra Temani, Urvashi Thakkar, Jagdish Khakhar, Dr M G Agrawal, Kishora Vasa, Madhu & Shailesh Nathwani, Swami Pranavswarupananda, Anushri and Jyoti Mainthai  and many other friends were there for my surgery. I asked Dr. Subash Gupta about the prognosis and he gave me quite an optimistic picture and then I said 'Let's Go for it'. The divine blessings of Swami Chidananda and gracious and generous gesture of donating part of his liver by Swami Yatidharmanada is responsible for my rebirth.

I was taken for Liver Transplant surgery on February 19th of 2007. This surgery normally have taken 10-12 hours but I had lots of complications, because of my previous surgery. There were lots of adhesions and my surgery took almost 23 hours. I was given 60 units of blood and blood components. I was taken in at 6am and brought out at 5am the next day. The explanted Liver Biopsy showed two tumours of Hepatoma besides the Cirrhosis of Liver. During my post op recovery, I had decided, I will surely walk out of this place hale and hearty.  With that spirit and strong will, I started mobilising myself. Unfortunately on the 6th or 7th day there was a biliary leak because of the transplant. Almost 1.5-2 litres of bile collected in the abdomen, doctors had to put a drain and remove it every day. Then on the 9th day I was told they would  have to re-operate. That was the only day I felt low, I felt that God was testing me. I talked to my wife and she said 'We have to do it, we have total faith that everything will be fine as the finest doctors are with us'. That surgery lasted for 6-7 hours and I was in the hospital for 40 days. There was an excellent team of doctors headed by Dr Subash Gupta. Their expertise and caring attitude is something I owe my life to. Added to this My strong will to survive and my zest for life were also factors which helped pull me through. I had decided not to give up.

I had all the support from my wife Abha, who was standing by me like a rock, along with  my son Dr Suraj Suchak and my daughter Tui Sigman. I had tremendous support from my friends and family members and above all my donor. On the day of the surgery there were 80-100 people including 40 doctors from Mumbai at Apollo Hospital. Not only that, there were prayers being conducted at different places, like Sivananda Ashram,  Buddhist groups and temples and mosques. At  Nutan School, 4000 children joined in offering prayers for me. The entire staff of Suchak Hospital walked barefoot to Siddhi Vinayak temple to pray for my health and recovery.
Several studies have proved the power of prayer when it comes to healing of the sick, in my case this  clearly helped me. I am indebted to everyone because they love me so much I never realised. I am grateful for all the positivity, love and energy they sent out toward me. I had strong faith that I will go through this and come out of this. A strong will and prayers helped me through this crisis. Being a man of science I have tremendous respect for doctors and the progress of modern day medicine. Although, I also depend heavily on my faith in the higher power that gave me the courage, strength and endurance to go through this ordeal. I have come out of this ordeal a better person with a sense of gratitude towards the miracle of life and my loved ones.

After the transplant I resumed my normal duties and was fully active in three months. Once again I was put on Pegylated Interferon with Ribavarine for one year and the good news is that I am free of Hepatitis C virus. I have to take precautions because I am on immunosuppressants for  life. I am advised to stay away from infective patients, but  I still go for all the CPR, intubations and other critical procedures. I participate every year in the Standard Chartered marathon dream runs with a cause to promote the awareness of Organ donation & Cadaver transplantations. I have been exercising and walking regularly. I have also been involved in social and other activities at the Indian Medical Association, Association of Medical Consultants & Malad Medical Association. In spite of my liver transplant I have lead as the president of the most active branch of IMA Mumbai West. I am closely associated with the Divine Life Society, a spiritual organisation. We conduct Yoga shibirs amongst other activities. This evening I am taking over as the Managing trustee of this branch.
I have been counselling patients FREE, who have been advised liver transplants, along with their families from all over the country and abroad. In the past 4 years I have counselled over 90 patients. Friends, I would take this opportunity to extend my services to counsel affected patients since I have firsthand experience. 
I was lucky to get a live donor for my transplant but more than 90 % have no recourse but death. However we all can help and give patients a second life if we understand the concept of Cadaver Transplantations which is now termed as Deceased Donor Program.
The message I would like to convey is that End stage liver disease seems like THE END OF THE ROAD but it is really not. AND I AM A LIVING EXAMPLE OF THIS.

To Remember Me - I will live forever
The day will come when my body will lie upon a white sheet neatly tucked under four corners of a mattress located in a hospital; busily occupied with the living and the dying. At a certain moment a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped. 
When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into my body by the use of a machine. And don't call this my deathbed. Let it be called the bed of life, and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives. 
Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face or love in the eyes of a woman. 
Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain. 
Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play. 
Give my kidneys to the one who depends on a machine to exist from week to week. 
Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk. 
Explore every corner of my brain. 
Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that, someday a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain agianst her window. 
Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow. 
If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weakness and all prejudice against my fellow man. 
Give my sins to the devil. 
Give my soul to God.
If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you. If you do all I have asked, I will live forever. 
Robert N. Test