Tracey

Well done! It ould be good, but it on't happen, for the officials that made the overturned decision to be asked to look at what they did to you, and ask why they did that.

I wold bet that their performance assessment puts much more weight on budget cuts, and much less on actually meeting the needs of the individual.

Good on you for having the strength, the patience, the determination and the courage to stand up to this kind of bureacratic bullying.

You are a real star.

Philip

Tracy I am so pleased you won the case.

Hi all,
Not wit any intentions to offend anyone here - I find this all a bit strange. I have lived most of my life in Europe and gave up my Spanish citizenship to revert to my Indian. I am married to a woman of Irish- Indian origin and have two teenage sons and a widowed mother and a aunt who is a spinster. You can read my story on the main page in "Ananth's Story". In India we have nothing like incapacity benefits, work less hours, medical benefits, medicines provided etc. etc. Being the eldest of three brothers and one sister - all who are far away from India and home have their own responsibilities in the Countries that they live. They are not expected to contribute anything towards the upkeep of the family and the entire onus falls on me. A lot of people ask me as how I mantain my outlook towards life when five other lives besides mine are dependent on me. I have never ever thought that I could not do what was expected of me and even through all my problems with fighting cancer - with bills mounting up and a bit of income coming in - I have clawed myself to being what I was. Even though I have a stoma and feed through a peg - I work 14/16 hours a day, I work out at my office gym, run four km every morning and have a great diet. On the other hand - I have never backed off on giving the very best to my sons, wife or my mother and Aunt. My sons go to the best of schools;my elder son now drives his own car - which I bought for him as a gift for having done well, both use the latest cellular phones as does my wife and I. I really cannot think of anything that anyone in our family lacks in terms of material things or love for each other.

Here the entire issue is to do or die. I think I have been lucky enough that I had such support that I was able to fight the cancer and live a few more years to see my sons grow up into fine men and ensure that my wife and mother/ aunt are totally secure - when I am not there. As you would have read at the start of my story - I have been informed by the doctors that I will have to live the rest of my life breathing through the stoma and feeding through the peg. I have accepted the same as a part of life and began to improve my quality of life. I had to find a way to talk without having to close my stoma each time I needed to do so and went crazy looking for affordable means that could not just benefit me bu all others who have our problem. After months of doodling and thinking, as I was walking down the asile of a supermarket, I saw some baby bottle nipples made of silicon. I do not know why but I bought about ten of them and then began working on them- cutting them in a way one could breathe in and out and finally hit the nail on the head. I approached the medical fraternity for approval and they were amazed at the product and especially the price factor. A stoma button in India costs nothing short of about 150/200 US$ and I was going to mass produce and retail at a price of 2 US$. I decided to better it and went in for designing a stoma button with an " orator" and today I am using the prototypes and they work like a dream. I go into mass production in partnership with the manafacturers of the makers of the baby bottle nipple- much to their delight as they find this an opportuntiy to help out the common man to at least afford an opportunity to talk. I have also decided to distribute 100 pcs. (every month ) to each of the two hospitals where I was treated. The doctors are really overjoyed and anyone can well imagine that. I too am so as I have managed to do something that will help so many people to express themselves once again.

I truly love life and live it king size. I have a fantastic family, some great freinds, a great job and a new life. I have a lot of people to thank for this and its not just all those I know but also those who have read my story here, heard me out at various seminars and heard me out on TV. Thank you - each one of you and may God and "the force' be with you all.

Ananth

Ananth...

That was a very interesting perspective you present (with apparent conviction). I don't exactly know what to make of it all... but find it intriguing just the same.

Your cancer survival story and how you have coped with the after-effects of treatment, maintaining your work affairs and responsibilities associated with being head of your family... plus the "invention" you described... It is all most admirable indeed. When you write: "I truly love life and live it king size"... I believe you! We should all take a lesson.

Best regards and continued success,

Melanie