It was around 01:30 hrs. in the early hours of September 24, 2014, when I had just finished a chapter of the Sustainable Development Course, I was doing via Coursera that I called it a day and went to bed. Around 03:00 hrs., I had this urgent need to pee and tried to get myself up to go to the loo, but I just couldn’t. I wondered why! Gave it another go but no. It felt like some heavy weight was on my back as I had fallen asleep on my belly. Tried a few more times but to no avail. I even contemplated just peeing in bed and worrying about cleaning up later. But years of conditioning just does not allow you to do so.
That is when I woke up my wife, Kavitha. Poor girl!! Probably had the scare of her life when she saw me struggling. She got up and called in the kids. Our son, Sanjeev was 17 then and in his 12th grade, while our daughter, Keerthi, was 14 and in her 9th grade came in all panic stricken. All the time, I am still yelling that I wanted to pee. But no one could help me there. The kids, after a few attempts, got me up, with my legs dangling from the side of the bed. They thought it might be a dip in sugar levels (not that I had /have any sugar issues) that caused ‘a weakness ‘. So, they got some lemonade with honey to try their first aid. But my wife thought different. She started noticing my speech slurring.
Now, I, trying to be a hero attempted to stand up for myself and came down with a massive thud on the floor. The kids tried to get me up, but I was too heavy for them. Finally, I told them how to go about it and with Keerthi taking the lead they lifted me up like a sack of potatoes and got me lying in bed again.
By now, Kavitha was freaking out and instructed Sanjeev to call in an ambulance. I vaguely remember telling them to instruct the ambulance to come in without their sirens as I did not want to disturb the neighbourhood! Sanjeev told me to shut up and that they would take care of things. I just relented as I was in no condition to do otherwise. The ambulance finally arrived (with or without sirens, I am not sure). While they were getting me onto the stretcher cum wheelchair, I was asking them to help me pee. The lead in that team hold me to hold for little longer till we reach the hospital which was just about 2 Kms away. Reached the hospital and the emergency formalities all completed, I was rushed into ICU. All relevant doctors were called in.
The neuro-surgeon came in around 05:30 hrs and conducted his initial diagnosis and based on the information given to him by us, he concluded that I had suffered a stroke about 3 hours ago, meaning around 02:00-02:30 hrs in my sleep. I remember him telling someone that I was brought in late and the chances of survival were slim. When I heard that and it was like a switch was activated in me saying, “Heck No! I still got a lot to achieve”. I screamed saying I had to pee else they were going to have a fountain right there. Immediately a catheter was inserted through my willy. YEOWWW!!! Now that was Painful!! Ahh! What relief to have one’s bladder cleared.
On with the battery of tests. Rest in the ICU. I remember telling the doctor in charge, the neuro-surgeon and the hospital administrator that all the monitors in the ICU had developed a rhythm of sorts and was getting a bit irritating as they were ‘playing the same tune’. They told me they couldn’t do anything about it as it was support systems for all the patients there.
Now, I was hoping to be shifted to a separate room a.s.a.p. I remember waking up to seeing faces of my mom, younger brother with his wife and my youngest sister-in-law from my wife’s side. Surprised, I asked if I was dreaming. I felt a sharp pinch on my right arm. I knew I wasn’t dreaming. My brother had pinched me.
Apparently, it seems Keerthi was left at home as she wouldn’t be allowed near me in the hospital, given her age, so she was entrusted with the task of informing all near and dear ones. It was then I was told that I had suffered a stroke on the left side of my body from head to toe (Hemiplegia). I just couldn’t feel a damn thing on the left side. Having gained consciousness and rested, I started conversing with whoever was close to my bed. More tests. The time now was about 10:30 hrs and I was hungry as hell.
