Germ Flash
It happened again today. It isn’t the first time, but this time I just wanted to explore this phenomenon – it’s something I haven’t shared with anyone as yet. So here I am trying to explain this weird little occurrence, which happens once in a blue moon to everyone. On second thoughts I am not very sure if it happens with others or it’s just something which only I can see. It’s quite spooky, because of the fact that it strikes you either when you are alone, or even in the presence of others – but its something as negligible and surprising that the only reaction one can afford is to rub their eyes and wait for it to get over. It’s sort of funny too because of its unexplored and undisclosed status. Mysterious and short lived this occurrence leaves you with a weird feeling of curiosity and a realization of your ignorance. I m speaking on the behalf of the common folks here, so if there is a Doctor or a specialist on this subject who is reading this, please don’t refute my claim for feeling ignorant by giving the “gyaan”.
I tried searching for this phenomenon on the internet, but it turned out to be futile because I have no clue what keywords to type for it – I tried with “GERM FLASH” and it turned out to be a new computer game - Germ war on Flash. I again tried it with “SEEING MICRO ORGANISMS WITH NAKED EYES” and all I got was the definition of Micro organisms i.e. “Anything which cannot be seen with naked eyes is classified as micro organisms”. So I guess it’s a pointless activity searching for the answer for why this happens. Rather I would explain how it happens – Firstly it can happen anywhere, anytime and to anyone irrespective of your caste, creed, religion, region, country, race or anything (Praise the lord that at last all my human brothers and sisters have something in common and this incident treats everyone equally and does not discriminate on any basis). It happens for about a minute or two, or maybe lesser than that – it’s like a germ flash – a moment when you can see tiny little specks of silver light around you. More like for some time you have attained supernatural powers and abilities which can make you see the micro organisms around you without any glasses or equipment. To be very honest I am not even sure if it is actually micro organisms.
As a kid when this would happen I would be so perplexed, I thought maybe it’s the End – as I was very scared of death back then. Imagine a little girl of 6 waking up in the middle of the night, because her grandmother died at the age of 90. She is worried about her future and starts crying , because she thought in no time she will be 10, and then 20 and then 30 and then 40 and finally in a few more days 90 – and will have to die. That was me back then, never realized that 10 to 90 is a long time, and the experience that one gains over the years is life and not the years. And over the years, there come some point in your life when you want to end it all voluntarily.
Coming back to my Germ flashes, I am still searching for my answers. One of my wise friends who is incidentally the son of a Doctor couple – and hence claims that he knows what this is all about – even though he has never read biology – but since he is a Doctor’s son – he would know this because of some inherited logic. He claims that this is caused because of teary eyes – or when your eyes are a little watery - the resolution of the lens of the eye gets increased manifold, and hence we are able to see micro organisms with naked eyes. Well – seems like a good logical explanation to my dilemma. And pretty convincing too. But I still can’t verify this from anywhere. This seems like a puzzle – m thinking of going to some doctor – but it would be just too funny to explain and considering the fact that doctors are so busy and have no time for such things, and of course why the hell should I pay the Doctors fees for something which after all might be a normal phenomenon. So I give up trying to see a doctor for this.
Come to think of it, if I was a doctor and some people like this would come to me – I would burst out with laughter. Hats off to the Doctor Community who can actually fake it as a serious affair. Guess they have seen so much of serious things that even some query like this, will be serious for them. I remember once a patient came to my sister -who is a Speech therapist and Audiologist, this elderly person must be in his forties and was suffering from a rare condition. He thought that there was some insect inside his head. That was enough for me to get excused from there – because I couldn’t have controlled my girlish laughter. That elderly fellow tried explaining to my sister that once he was sleeping normally –and when he woke up the next morning he could hear the buzzing sound in his head – and it wouldn’t stop. It was met with a cold, blank expression from my sister. So he elaborated – that this sound is not always there, but becomes prominent when he wakes up or is trying to sleep. And that it was more like a battery cell, from a clock, and he emphasized that it wasn’t the clock outside – he was sure it came from inside his head. He could feel it –he said and offered my sister to examine his head if she wanted. My sister rocks at faking it, so she must have offered some good enough cure and treatment. Anyhow for me it’s simply a funny affair.
I had a rare condition called Neurocysticercosis some time back, a very long and stylish term for a worm in my head. Translated to Hindi (literally “Dimaag mein kida” – means I was definitely a little crack or was going crazy) My sister thought the Doctor was joking with her when he told us this. She gave that no nonsense cold stare of hers to the doc and he of course got more serious then. He explained that this happens sometimes when people have food outside; more chances if you are a non vegetarian, a parasite attaches itself to the intestine and sometimes the eggs reach the brain, it’s a common occurrence these days with people having food outside quite regularly. I was prescribed some medicines for this – which I was supposed to take for 3 years, and get the CT scan done every year.
And hence began my weird journey against this condition. The medicines which were prescribed were to be had twice daily and all I could do after that was sleep and sleep and sleep. I was sleeping for 12 – 14 hours a day, and believe me the rest of the hours were spent trying to get rid of my drowsiness. It was a very difficult thing, especially when you have to show your face in the class. So there I was bunking classes, getting up by 12 everyday, having lunch, taking medicines again and dozing off to wake up for dinner and maybe take a walk and then doze off. All this during the Delhi winters, when normally people don’t do much but sleep. It’s difficult to leave the blanket in those days – and given my condition – I didn’t even want to. The worst was that because of this condition I would appear normal to everyone, so occasionally when I would be seen having tea with my friends and taking a walk in the evening – and would bump into my professors, I was given the look fit for the backbenchers who are into drugs and dope. My “Good Evening” was met with a cold response, and they were so sure that I bunk classes because I was into some drugs that they didn’t even bother to ask why I don’t come for classes. And with my weird pride, I wouldn’t tell them either. So at the times of our Conversation exam – the only time we would interact with my teachers, I couldn’t do much to impress them as the language for conversation was strictly Japanese – and we hadn’t developed skills good enough to describe my rare condition. So I would come up with reasons for not attending classes as “Byouki na no de” (I wasn’t well) I would want to tell them that though you had seen me the other day with some friends and I looked fine but I m not. I couldn’t even say “Nou ni wa mushi ga aru” ( There is a worm in my brain) So life dragged on and I had to just take what they had to offer me for grades. And of course Grading being an Internal Evaluation, every thing depended on the Impression.
Just as the “Germ Flash” is a weird situation, so was my Neurocysticercosis before it was diagnosed. I would get a weird numbness on my right side. When it happened for the first time, I was in class taking down notes and suddenly my right hand becomes numb, no sensation, no feeling and of course my hand wouldn’t move. I was looking at the teacher and then at my hand. It was funny, I wanted to scream out but of course I had this image of a sophisticated lady I had to maintain and I hate making scenes in public. So I just waited for it to subside and it did in a few minutes and I ignored it. Next it happened, when I was having tea with some friends, and I ended up spilling it on that friend. Of course he was furious; all I did was giggle because I couldn’t explain what happened. But I did tell him and he gave me a look as if to say – You are going bananas girl!!!
After that I got a little concerned, but not very serious. It happened again one day while I was changing my clothes. I was stark naked about to change into something when this happened, and I couldn’t put on my clothes as my entire right side was numb. I was scared to death then, and just wished it would end because I didn’t want to be found like this in case I lose my consciousness or die. And in a few seconds it was gone. I was so relieved and that was the time I told one of my seniors about it. She was one of the serious kinds, and she actually heard me with a straight face. The next time went is happened I just couldn’t speak – it affected my vocal chords I guess. And I rushed to the doctor.
So now when I see these Germ flashes I am really concerned and want to know if this happens with everyone or is it another beginning for some other rare ailment for me. But my Neurocysticercosis gave me enough wisdom to hear out people when they say they are having this problem, somehow the ailment of that elderly man didn’t appear that unusual. Maybe there is a condition like that too – just that we don’t know. And just maybe I will get the explanation for this Germ Flash some day. Ignorance is definitely not a bliss and it pays to be observant about your own body and take the signs seriously. I learnt later that one guy, a bright young chap from IIT had died because of Neurocysticercosis as it wasn’t diagnosed correctly and when it was- it was too late. I feel grateful to my friends and family who helped me out with the scans and the treatment and of course to the doctors at AIIMS who did a timely diagnosis.
