Walking tall Octogenarian Latika Banerjee bounced back from a terrible fall to reclaim her gait — and her life — writes Runa Chakravorty Self-reliance has always been a way of life for 82 year-old Latika Banerjee. This determination to be independent ensures she meets every challenge head on. Consider the fact that this spirited resident of Bhopal who walks so tall couldn’t take a single step four years ago. That’s when a freak accident one summer afternoon left her immobile. “While going towards the kitchen I suddenly slipped and the next thing I remember is a stabbing pain in my right knee,” recalls Banerjee, a keen athlete in her student days and an active homemaker. Her younger son Ashim was at work then and her daughter-in-law had just stepped out for some grocery shopping. Not wishing to scare her grandchildren who were playing upstairs, she mustered all her strength to drag herself towards her room. “While lying on the floor, I suddenly remembered someone saying long ago that if you don’t move after a fall, paralysis may set in. I didn’t know how true that was but I didn’t want to take a chance.” So she dragged herself slowly on all her fours and managed to get up on her bed. She had considerable swelling in her right leg, which she could not move at all. Her doctor diagnosed no fracture but advised complete bed rest while suggesting physiotherapy and medicines. “The pain was aggravated by the fact that the fluid in my knee had dried up because of age and the bones were rubbing against each other,” she adds. “I suddenly became very scared that I would become an invalid for the rest of my life.” Unable to bear the thought of becoming dependent on others, after a month Banerjee became impatient to get back on her feet. But physiotherapy was just not her cup of tea. “I have never been good at doing mundane exercises,” she says with passion. “I prefer doing my daily chores on my own to get my daily dose of exercise.” So she willed herself to start walking once again. It was very difficult and painful at first — she clutched walls, tables for support. “Though the pain was immense, it paled in comparison to my will to conquer it and start walking again,” she says. Her mantra was succinct: stay active. So she started washing her clothes again to exercise her arms. She started climbing stairs slowly by dragging her body up. And at nights, she applied homemade unguents and potions to her limbs, secrets learned from her mother — “I don’t know if they really helped but they certainly gave me a psychological boost!” she exclaims with a chuckle. She also went to Pune for a while to stay with her elder son Arun. There she took Ayurvedic and allopathic treatment to ease the pain. He also gave her a walking stick but she got rid of it within days! “I worked hard to regain my ability to walk freely again and after a year I achieved my goal,” she says with justified pride. Today, Banerjee walks steadily with absolutely no support or medication. “If you have the will to succeed or achieve anything in life, age becomes an insignificant factor.” She’s walking proof.