A big hi to all my extened family members.

I really dont have words to thank you all for the massive support you all have given me. I needed an awakening and I got it. I decided last evening after splurging the whole day on how I wanted my home renovated, to go out to one of the most exclusive nightclubs in Delhi (India??) called "The Elevate" where entry is only through invite or membership. So, I dressed to kill in a pair of black jeans, a black sleeveless body hugging round neck T. Black Mardi Gras boots and Belt. A blue stole and blue powered contacts made it complete. My pony tail ( which is the only part of my hair - normally light brown - totally blonde!) looked good and the new diamond stud my wife got for me stood out can vouch for myself that I did get a few looks from the fairer sex .

I drove the car alone for my evening out for the first time in six years and I enjoyed it so much that I really cannot express my emotions and I drove pretty well.The night was great - with the DJ asking me play a few tracks - which I did (all outdated ones) and gave up when I began getting strange looks from people! As the owners are really good friends of mine - I was given a VVIP cabin to sit in and it was really after ages I caught up with so many friends.My "Orator" worked like a dream and my speech was crystal clear.I reached home one content guy.

I have always been a car freak and I have driven almost all over India as I had a major incentive to do so - My Mercedes Benz cars! and even getting behind the wheels of a small car was a great feeling. My wife purposely did not come along with me ( but was constantly in touch with the people at the club!!) but sent along the two stupid cops who have been assigned to follow me whenever I go out!! - They have been put on duty to ensure I do not exceed the line. The two coots would atnd at the entrance and check everyone possesions before letting them in. Luckily the owners understood it but I found it the most stupid thing that can happen and wanted to hide under the table with the dirty looks I was getting from people who were coming in.

Today is another day - I am looking forward to as my wife and I have decided to go car shopping. She has decided on a Honda and I on a Pajero. We have decided not to think and confuse ourselves but just make the deposit and ensure I get the cars in the next two days with all the changes we have requested in the cars or intend to change. Sonya, my wife has decided to pamper my elder son a little more and give him her compact car and he is more then just kicked about it. The younger one is not too much into cars but loves my bikes. He rides the 250 pretty well but I get worried when he asks me for the Hayabusa!
You know Deborah - you are totally on target when you talk about a mother and son. I have seen the pain in her eyes everyday for the last seven years. The only way, I manage to change things a bit is by cracking old stale jokes or talking about all the girls I have been around with before and the nightmares she would have with them!! She still cannot get over a lot of things that happened before I was married - like having a live in relationship in Barcelona ( It was quite a shock when She and Dad decided to spend some days with us - but they did accept her ).
But now all said I think I am getting more or less into my old mould and will be my normal nutty self in a couple of days. Now its time to visit the showrooms and pay up for the cars so I shall take leave of you all but.....
not before telling you'll I love you all and am sending you a big bear hug each as though I would like to be there in person I cannot.

Trev: I have never heard of an Aussie who does not like cricket!!!!! I am glad you are going to pick up a few things about the game as India will be there in another two months time to blow Australia away!!!. Michelle, my sweetheart, Hagg, Deborah and Trev and all the others - I really cannot find the words to say how much all of you mean to me and you all will always be be so. We may be continents apart but that hardly counts.
Love you all,
.. and the big bear hug,
Ananth

Happy day, Ananth
I see the bubbles rising ~ already you are on your back to the top and that's great.
In relation to my son who had cancer ~ the other children all think that he is my favorite and can do no wrong in my eyes. I don't have any favorites with the kids however there is no denying that my relationship with Aaron is very different to those of the others. How could it not be when I saw what he went through at such a young age (he was 17 when diagnosed)? His life was looking very, very rosy and he was right on track for a great adventure when he was diagnosed and his world for the next 5 years was turned upside down (as was the whole family's!). I am sad that his life ended up taking a different turn and that he really found himself struggling as his peers' lives all moved on without him. BUT I am sooooooo happy that he is alive and well and I know that our relationship is as it is because of what we went through together. If we hadn't had all of that time (a lot of it just the two of us as his treatment was all in Sydney, on the east coast) together to share experiences and silences and thoughts, he would have sailed off into the wide blue yonder (he was in the navy) and his life would have become separate from ours. As the saying goes "It's an ill wind that blows no man no good".
Good luck to you Ananth. Keep smiling.
Deborah

Hey Ananth!
I told you so!
I'm so relieved to read your mood has lifted! *phew* you had us all concerned for a minute there!
Sounds like you had a top night out - if i was there we could have had a bit of a boogie!
I bet all your friends were thrilled to see you out and about?
Keep up the good work and enjoy the new cars!
Love Michelle x

Hi Deborah and Michelle,
It was a great night out. I never even realised so many people would recognise me as when the last saw me I was heavier, well toned and always formally dressed and now the see a skinner guy with long streaked hair in a pony tail and wearing a diamond stud! It was really touching when each of them would come up and remind me about those days when I used to be there almost always and though I do not remember what I had done for them - they kept thanking me! I asked them as to how on earth had they recognised me and got some real crazy replies - one because he had even named his son after me!! and others who could figure out it was I and the rest who read newspapers and watch TV.

Anyway - night over, outing over! Both Sonya and I went to see the cars and I chose mine as a Blue one and Sonya a black. She hates my color choice!!. I am getting both the cars sent to the Mercedes Benz workshop to get the interiors all redone and new gadgets retrofitted. Sonya too insisted she wanted it done as I had got her car done earlier and everyone would just freak out seeing it. W will hopefully have both the vehicles standing here at home in about two weeks. Meanwhile the one who is getting most excited is my elder son!

Deborah - my younger brother lives in Sydney and has been there now for the past five years or so. He holds Aussie citizenship and is there with his wife and two daughters. By the way his name is Tamman - which means a desire in hindi.

My in laws home is in Melbourne and has been so for the last twenty odd years. Again all Aussie citizenship. ( my sons have accepted to become Spaniards!! and I have applied for thei passports ). So its pretty crazy as My in lawas and my brother hold an Aussie citizenship, My mother in law and Sonya a British, my brother also Aussie, my sister American and I spanish! This is what I guess is going global!!! I really guess the only reason for my living here in India is my mum who refuses to leave the home that my Dad built for her and besides she hates travelling. She finds life abroad more taxing then here - and thats a fact as we have a whole army of help who do everything to keep the house neat tnd tidy and are very very honest. We have one ladt who comes to scrub and sweep the floors, another for the cooking, one for cleaning the Car, one to go to the market to do the shopping etc.!! My brother in law is there to look after things - something he hates doing. My father in law owns ( he passed away ten years ago)his own shipping lines and deep sea fishing trawlers. He found the red tape a bit too much in India and hence moved the entire business down under. My brother in law, is a guy who,like I said hates this job as he is quite content sitting and playing around with finances being a chartered accountant. So - my father in law - on his death bed ( Pretty dramatic!) asked me to take over the complete thing and made me promise I would look after the entire family and provide them the same way he had. That too created problems as the will gave to full rights to th entire property and I was also working for Mercedes Benz- which just was not a job but something I loved doing. I still do not know what salary I was getting there!! I had to club both together and hence "quickies" to Melbourne and back to India. It was becoming too much as the journey itself is killing and then I would be expected to travel to Mexico and Argentina on Company business - two places which were equally far.
I finally decided to sell a part of the business and got two great partners who hold 49% of the shares and I 51. They are two very proactive guys and are running the business very well. I am glad I did what I did ( and made my brother in law take over the finances). Now of course its a different story and I have been sitting with my wife Sonya, getting every aspect of the business into her head so that she may take over should I be of no help.

If I make it to Australia - I will call you and meet Aaron though I wont stay for a drink or dinner ( I am a very accomodating guest!!). Lets see as the the doctors have said I can go where I want - their argument is that if I can go around driving and riding super bikes there is no reason I should be allowed to fly. One condition that Sonya or my mum travels with me.

Had another chat with doctor again and they are all discussing the possibility of creating a new esophegus. I mad it very clear that I dont want my head of face to have any scars and they have promised whatever they do they will adhere to my request. I hope to get a reply by the end of this month, and have been asked to come in from day after for a short while for some quick check ups before the final verdict is given.

Trev, Hagg and everyone else here - you are a great family and I really enjoy being here as I can say what I want, pour out all my problems and I get that shoulder to lean on. You all are the best and I will always treasure each one of you even though as I said we may be continents apart.

Ananth,

This is much more like it.

But I know you, just take a day at a time with the esophegus option, because this would the the answer to all your dream and complete your total rehabilitation. If they are speaking about it the chances are they can do it, but maybe not tomorrow. So be prepared for a small disappointment and be as patient as you have always been and do not let any delay spoil the journey you have already made thus far.

Praise God for his answers to many prayers, I am so very, very happy for you and your family well done my friend, WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alan

Hi Ananth,
Well what an amazing person you are I sit here and read your life and think all those fabulous things and then the disapointment of your illness and yet you can still make me and others happy about you,the chance of improving your life style is and would be an important step in your life and I say "Go For It". I think of what an amazing thing would be to be able to meet with you, even in my life style and to be able to sit and throw stories back and forth. Deb amazes me how she puts up with me and I Love her dearly for it. I am rambling on here and will try to get my head around my cricket knowledge as with the up and coming series it will be fun to see you Indies squirm.
Have a good life and Be Strong
Trev with love

Dear Alan and Trev,
What can I say about the two of you'll! The kind of support you give is so much that it may become a habit with me to keep asking for more.I actually had my inhibitions anout having the surgery as I am already 49 and did not want to take a chance with another disapointment. However, the doctors seem to be quite confident and positive about it. They keep joking with me that even if I am about to die during surgery, I will get and walk out - this is because each time they gave back to me, I would be back. Then when I told them about riding the bike etc. they decided to give up saying anything to me. Luckily I am VIP at the hospital as I have become a study case as to how did I firstly survive the double dosage of radiation one can recieve in ones total life time. I then had the fungul infection that was moving up to my brain which my doctot operated and I had to wear a neck brace for almost 6 months and was told that it could lead to my being totally paralysed. The right in the begining when the cancer was discovered - they had told me that removal of my voice box was the only alternative as the cancer was in last stage. I refused the same and got on with the radiation (getting radiated like I loved it!!) and then the chemo - where I was told I would loose my hair etc. and in fact my hair became better (thats a bit far fetched but not loosing any hair is a fact!) Then came along my fistulas,tracheostomy and peg tube and of course the depression along. It was horrible at the begining as the do and donts I was told made me feel like a freak ( I had to wear a bath bib to have a shower- I really had a laugh at that one) My doctor would just try and show his disgust ( but I always saw through him) and would tell me to go do what I want and not to come back if I was drowning. He still does not give me full attention as he owes me money from all the cricketing bets I would lay just before going under GA in the surgery. I can say one thing for him - Dr. Sharma who now heads the biggest hospital in India - AIIMS was a my crutch that refused to let me fall. He would alsways rush at whatever time he was required and would remain by my bedside till I was out of any kind of danger - like the last time something really bad happened - I started bleeding from all parts of my face- my mouth, nose, stoma and the blood was all fresh. I was admitted into emergency and dropped into a semi coma. When I came around and seeing all my family standing around, I remember asking the time and as to why the entire crowd was there. I was told that this time there wa no escape as the bleeding refused to stop and believe it or not - it just stopped. The doctor asked me toget an MRI done as he wanted to see the source of the bleeding and on getting the MRI - the doctor who did it asked me very nicel " Ananth, what did you need an MRI for? - there is nothing that shows any problem". I took the MRIs to the doctor and he decided thatMRI could be wrong at times and decided to do a larynxscopy under GA the next morning and when I came around my doctor was standing beside my bed with a puzzled look. He told me that he had done a detailed check up and nothing showed up and he had never seen anything like this. I requested him to let me out of post RT but the crazy nurses refused and so my doctor called my wife with my clothes to the rooom at the back, where I strolled across to and changed and went home.
You know Alan , Trev and everyone here without who I would find life really tough - guess how much each surgery cost? I am going to leave this one guess to you all and this was including my private room, food for my wife/mum and 99% of my medicines!. But as of now all the doctors who took care of me have become such great friends and its not a patient- doctor relationship but one where we are good friends and drop into each others places.
Trev - Deb is crazy about you and you know that.... and Alan too knows he is on a good wicket, keeping all the problesm in view.

Now I come to Trev's last remark which really has set me off. I dont think the Indian cricket side has a more staunch fan then I. I never and I mean NEVER miss any match India plays. All my schedules are changed and are made in such a way that they do not clash with the matches. I am more then elated when India wins but also feel bad when they loose but understand that we have to give a cance to the others once in a while!! Tomorrow is the second ODI against England where they lead 1-0. I think India has now decided that one win for them was enough and will now blow them away! As regards to the Aussie tour - which I will try and see live there India is going to just shrug off any kind of Aussie attack. I believe the Indians are getting special classes in sledging so that they can give the same as good as they get. Australia has really lost two of its key players and I feel they had a lot more to be with the side - McGarth and Warnie- but then Warne would have nightmares whenever he dreamt of Sachin Tendulkar hammering him all over the park! If all dreams came alive we would have nothing but nothing to worry about - and India is not even going to feel sorry for the guys down under.
Its strange how things go - a spaniard living in India, a British wife and in laws -Aussies and I rooting for India!!! But then its a strange strange world!!.
You'll have really giveme so much that I wcan never repay all that you have done for me. It has given me courage to do everything I used to pre cancer - drive, ride,travel and look after the business and of course never miss my cricket matches ( even Sonya is barred from our room when the matches are on!!).
I guess thats all for now ( though it can never be totally enoughas long as I breathe - but then my name suggests that I will be around for a long time to come - Ananth( Eternity in Hindi).
Tons and tons of love with big bear hugs to all the lovely ladies and my best of friends all over the world. I assure you I will never ever find such friends and never ever let go of this friendship.

Ananth

Hello Ananth
Well, you cetainly have got a spurt on in the last week, haven't you! Just compare the difference in your posts of a week ago, to this last one. It's great so see. It's like unblocking a drain, once cleared, everything can run through freely. It sounds as though you're never going to be home soon. You'll be jet setting all over the world. Great stuff!
You have quite a strong Aussie connection, with all the family stuff happening down here. Where in Sydney does your brother live? I actually come from Newcastle which is an absolutely beautiful city about 2 hours north of Sydney, on the coast ~ you may know of it. I have lived in South Australia for many, many years now ~ don't quite know why, however my life is here now and it is very pretty but nothing at all like the east coast.
I have also lived in Melbourne, which I consider to be the capital of Australia! I love it. I guess because I lived there when I first left home (young and full of fun) and it was a great time in my life. I lived in New Guinea after that and then back to Australia ~ Darwin and then back to Victoria before moving to South Australia.
About the cricket Ananth ~ I'm a bit concerned about the Indians developing their sledging techniques. What with McGrath and Warne now history ~ sledging might be all we can win! You have to leave us something!!!!
What's the latest on your op?
Cheers
Deborah

Dear Deborah,
I am not too sure about his address but have his telephone number(my brothers). We were not what you would call two brothers who would do anything for each other and these feelings came around when I left for Spain at such an early age. His major grouse is that I never really had to work vey hard to achieve all that I have wheres he has had to slave to have even got to Australia. I do talk to him and call him from here as well as when I am in Melbourne. My in laws have a lovels place off St. Kilda and I still recall my first vieit when I was told not to walk barfeet as one could find a lot of these needles lying around which could lead to aids etc. You will be surprised I used to enjoy roller blading up and down and also having a daily morning run. I stayed away from the casinos and till date have refused to enter one. You also got some crazy women there who just hook on to you. I recall one who was really pretty and she came on hard and invited me across to her house for a meal. She was from a very decent family and I found her parents to be very nice people. Well, cutting it short everything stopped as though a metorite had fallen when I said I was married! (I do not wear a wedding band), All in all I found the Aussies really very nice people and they make great friends. As regards to your business one of my partners if from Adelaide and the other from Melbourne and I really enjoy it when he comes to pick me up and we drive across the Yarra Bridge.
I think South Australia is where most Indians have settled down but I really have not ventured to that area. Its surprising though I find I have an idienty crises as most people find it difficult to accept me as and Indian!! It is one place I would love to settle down in but things in life do not permit me that lyxury. I hope my sons do take an interest in the business and take on or else I will have to seel everything off.
I honestly loved jet setting all over the world however taxing it was on my body and you would have guessed my pet detinations were Spain (Barcelona) and Mexico either in Veracruz or the hot hot Cancun! Though not much of a drinker, I could never ever get away from our people there from Mercedes Benz who would make me have whiskey shots one after another. I think I used to walk around like a zombie over the weekend!! All in all - I loved partying and partying hard and my wife would aske me a million questions when my credit card statements would come in!! I know I sound like a heel when I say I never took her on any of my trips even though I could have but am planning to make that up with a 21 day cruise all over the far east for starters. Lets see how that goes before hitting Mexico. Spain is out of the question as my wife does not just hate Spain but has made a vow that she will never set or even think of Barcelona ( the ratio of women to men is 7women to 1 man!!).
Coming back to down under, I really enjoy taking off in one of the cars and going out for long drives and sitting somewhere with a beer and pizza ( Pizza topped with everything and CAPERS!!). Trust me get a bottle full of capers and get the guy to make a fresh pizza with capers spread gererously all over and one will never ever have another pizza without it!!
However amid all the fun and dance - my work to used to sap me of a lot of energy as the trips were not official and so it was getting there finish my work and get back and sitting almost 17 hours without a cigarette was the worst torture one could go through and you should have seen the glee on the lady at the check in counter when she would NO smoking!!
I have to meet my doc on tuesday coming week regarding the opertion and have decided I will go ahead with what chances are given to me. Nothing could have hit ground zero as I did. This out to be a cake walk!!!
Cricket is my love and all activities halt when India plays irrespective of India loosing or winning and I am really keen on seeing the Indians give back a dose of the Aussie players their famous "pack of wolves" family. I am really keen on India taming them .
Well, this is your mate( with the aussie way of saying it (myte) ) signing off an will be on the net again very soon. Take care and tons of love, Ananth