Warangal-born Anjan Kumar Chidurala met with an accident in 2001. It caused a severe and permanent damage to his right leg, which had him, struggling to save his leg. “There was no chance of saving my leg. Walking became a dream for me,” Anjan recalls. But almost 20 years later, the IT professional has completed eight full marathons (42 km) and is preparing extensively for his next.
Back in 2001 when he had the accident, Anjan was transferred to NIMS hospital in Hyderabad, after doctors had lost all hope in Warangal. The gangrene in his injured toe began spreading to the rest of his leg. Doctors at NIMS suggested amputation, and Anjan went through several sessions of counselling, as he got mentally prepared for a prosthetic leg. As a last attempt, however, Anjan and his parents requested the doctors to come up with a different alternative, one that didn’t involve amputation.
After several surgeries and multiple skin grafts, the doctors did decide to go for an alternative that would save Anjan’s leg. They managed to get the gangrene under control; however, the successive operations caused a major life alteration for Anjan. To cut a long story short, Anjan’s leg has no calf muscle today. It has crooked/bent toes with partial loss of muscle under his foot and partial movement of the ankle. Additionally, the extensive skin grafts and muscle transplants have resulted in a loss of sensation in some areas of his leg. The lack of muscles in his legs also makes it difficult for Anjan to walk on hard surfaces bare foot.
Running into positivism
Despite all these restrictions in movement, Anjan takes on life with utmost positivity. “Though my leg hadn’t recovered completely, I was just happy that I was able to walk, even with support,” Anjan remembers.
Post his operation, Anjan had to move to Singapore for work there he suffered a severe infection in his right leg. “I was admitted immediately because of a bacterial infection that badly affected my body and the injured leg. My leg became extremely swollen and was red with fluid coming out in some places,” he recounts.
And as if what he was going through was not enough, there were more dark times in store for him. “During the same time, my wife was going through chemotherapy for breast cancer,” says Anjan, recalling that as one of the toughest periods in his life as both he and his wife were unable to take care of their kids.
Crafting a new story
Finally, after the extensive treatment and with the help of strong antibiotics, some light showed at the end of the tunnel. Anjan was eventually discharged from the hospital in Singapore. But this second chance at life came with lifelong lessons.
Anjan decided to make some major lifestyle changes. He improved his diet and focused on a healthier lifestyle there on. In his seeking of an exercise, Anjan began running and slowly realised that it was the best suited for him.
Despite the severe damage to his leg, Anjan decided to then take on some running challenges. “I started running around mid-2015 and participated in a 5-km event. After finishing the run, I thought of achieving something I had never imagined before. I straightaway went from running 5 km to 42 km, with no professional training or a coach to guide me,” he recollects.
The road ahead
There is still enough to push him back from his attempt to rise about his life’s circumstances. “Post every marathon, the pain in my legs lasts for few days and all of my injured leg’s toe nails became black and affected,” he said.
In spite of that, the motivation seems to have remained. Currently preparing for his 9th marathon in the city that gave him his injured leg back, Hyderabad, Anjan hopes to complete 10 full marathons. “I am planning to run my 9th full marathon at AHM Hyderabad in August. It takes a few months for my legs to recover from the pain, and hence I have to limit my trainings,” says a matter-of-fact Anjan, who despite all drawbacks, continues to inspire people around him.
