Symptoms by the book

Warm saltwater gargling is a tried-and-tested home remedy for sore throats that had troubled me once, at times causing my voice to drop to a scratchy whisper. For all my effort to be free from it, the ailment continued to plague me like the barnacles that remain doggedly encrusted on a boat’s hull. The treatment prescribed by the family physician was also ineffective, providing only brief relief. Recalling the words of Robert Burton, "What cannot be cured should be endured," I stopped thinking all about it until one day, when I was glancing through the newspaper, a report that caught my eye robbed me of my peace of mind. It said a persistent wound or sore throat could be a symptom of cancer and should not be ignored.

Until my retirement from work, I frequently visited the British Council Library. The library was close to my office, and during lunch break, after a quick meal, I would rush there. I would visit the place with the same regularity that a believer would visit a place of worship.

One day, as I entered it, I noticed that a portion of the library was shared out for a book exhibition. The library often hosted book exhibitions on its premises. Books on various subjects—literature, history, philosophy, and science—found their way to the exhibitions. They were medical books this time. There were several books on cancer, which affected different parts of the body. Yes, there was a tome on throat cancer with myriad illustrations. This would explain my sore throat, I told myself as I opened it expectantly. I poured over the book. As I turned the pages, each one seemed to suggest, to my disquiet, that I had all the symptoms of throat cancer. I returned to my office with gloom writ large on my face.

On my way back home, I made for the doctor. Rather desolately, I told him about my library visit and the medical book exhibition. He smiled and said, "Look, don’t be a fool. You don’t know anything about cancer. Those books are meant for medical students and doctors, not for laymen. And don't get worked up over newspaper reports."

From the look of despondency on my face, the doctor must have inferred that I was not convinced. So he asked me to go to the cancer detection centre on Pedder Road in South Mumbai to clear my doubts, and he also gave me a referral letter.

At the cancer centre, the oncologist, after thoroughly examining my throat, said, "No cancer. This is an acute case of tonsillitis. The tonsils have become sore and swollen. Take them out."

I breathed a great sigh of relief. I thanked the friendly doctor profusely for dispelling the fear I had harboured for years.