Rheumatoid Arthritis Killed Madhumita’s Dream of Becoming a Doctor but Not of Helping Others

Madhumita’s dream had always been to become a doctor. She had always wanted to help people lead better lives. But the health problems she faced when she was in though her life made it hard for her to pursue her dream. 

“The doctors discovered a structural defect in my lungs when I was young, my lungs weren’t working as they should be.”

In college, Madhumita developed rheumatoid arthritis in her hand. As a young girl just about to write her board exams, Madhumita found her arthritis almost crippling.

“My rheumatoid arthritis was at its peak which was very painful, making it difficult for me to write my exams”

“This was when I really wanted to become a doctor, you know, and I had taken all these heavy science subjects to study. But because of all these problems, I was facing, and the pain I was experiencing every day, I found it very difficult to study.”

It was at this pivotal moment that Madhumita realized that she may have to give up on her dream of pursuing medicine. It was probably the toughest decision she ever had to make in her life. But she found another career course to tackle.

“This was when I decided to pursue Psychology. I must admit that I was very disappointed, and I did not like Psychology at all in the beginning.”

While she struggled to come to terms with her new academic path, it was one of the beloved psychology professors that turned things around for her.

“My professor taught us in a way that my understanding of the concepts expanded and deepened. From this point onwards, I began loving the subject of Psychology and there was no going back.”

Madhumita then began to find joy in her chosen field. Not only this, but she heartily agrees that working in the mental health field has allowed her not only to help others but to help herself as well.

When things became hard, the field (of psychology) saved me. As a psychologist, you know all the techniques required to reduce stress, anxiety, etc. and applying them in your own life can be beneficial.

Madhumita’s learnings from her career came to the rescue time and time again. This was the case two years ago when the symptoms of her structural lung defect worsened. Madhumita was hospitalised again, and after a series of tests, she was diagnosed with Scimitar Syndrome, a rare congenital heart defect.  She was shocked, to say the least, but now she at least knew the reason she had been facing so many problems.

“It was a very stubborn infection, which just refused to go away.  I experienced a lot of chest pain, breathlessness, etc, and any form of exertion would lead to a lot of phlegm and blood in my cough. That’s a very scary thing. It turns out that there is a structural defect in my heart”

This news was a big blow to Madhumita. But Madhumita was a fighter. She ploughed her way through it all. Then… 2020 rolled out and brought with it the pandemic.

“Because I am at high-risk, going out is difficult, even going to work. But fortunately for me, my boss at YourDOST was very supportive. In fact, even before the lockdown was announced, she allowed me to take leave from work.”

Madhumita notes that the opportunity for working at YourDOST came at the right time for her. She was met with a surprising amount of flexibility when it came to working around her health issues. But the most important aspect of all was the support she received from the people she was working with.

At any point of time, I could just pick up the phone and say “I’m sick” to my boss… and that is truly a comforting thought

Behind their smiles, everyone is fighting a million battles, whether big or small. Fortunately for Madhumita, she has been receiving support and care from people all around her, whether it’s from her parents and her sister in her personal life, or whether it’s from her colleagues at YourDOST. She has been able to fight through everything with a smile on her face.