“Meri wali Maggi”

Talking about food in my previous post, reminded me of this cool moment captured by my uncle. It’s from my initial days of the injury, when I was learning how to use my hands to eat food.

Look ma, no fingers!

Because of a cervical spinal cord injury, I am not able to move my fingers. Bringing fingers together to pick up a morsel of dal-rice, peeling an orange, feeling the texture of food or touching a paratha fresh-off-the-tava and feeling the heat with fingers is passé.

My style now is lifting food with a spoon to let my lips and tongue take care of the rest.

Meri wali Maggi

Coming back to eating food. I cribbed and cribbed about not being able to do things by myself. Somehow the awesome Anshu Bhalla, my rehabilitation consultant from ISIC, always had a smart solution to all my problems. She gave me a splint which I could tie on my palm and fix a fork or a spoon.

Here is a video of one of my early achievements. “Meri pehli baar khud se khaane wali Maggi” – one minute of pure Maggi bliss.

Giving up is easy, but never satisfying. I have learned that if you keep trying any skill can be mastered – even as it is something as basic as eating food. I’ve still not reached eating Tandoori Chicken by myself, but I manage pasta, rice, chapati & subji etc. My food hack is anything that can be eaten with a spoon can be eaten by self. At a restaurant, I don’t mind asking the waiter to chop up my favorite grilled fish into small pieces before serving, and they gladly oblige.