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In comes the neurosurgeon with a battalion of doctors along with their trainees (I think they are called residents, not sure). Q and A session again!! Man! I was getting tired of this.
But, c’est la vie (this is life), we move on. When questioned by the Alpha Lioness (Mom), the neurosurgeon told her that I was out of danger and that about 60% of my right brain was clotted when I got to the hospital. He also told her, and everyone else present, that he had to perform a thrombolysis to get me out of danger. Sounded alien to me. The neurosurgeon asked me to make faces at him and I gladly obliged, not realizing that he was actually checking the movement of my facial muscles and my speech.
Speech had improved in the past 72 hours or so. That is when he told everyone that the stroke being on the right brain had affected only the movement of the limbs of the left side of the body and not the speech. Had it been on the left brain, then the speech also would have been affected. He instructed the physiotherapy team to get to work on me. Tata, bye-bye to all.
Phew, peace and quiet. More time with family. Ahh, bliss… Mom decided to stay a while, while all others went home to attend to household chores. Told Mom not to worry and everything would be just fine. As with all moms, my mom too went on her filmi ways asking “Why did this happen to you? Must be some previous birth’s karma or something. While she consoled herself with that statement, the brat in me told her to be thankful that I was alive. More filmi stuff – you should not talk like that, etc., etc. I told her, “Mom! cut it out. I am alive and here with you. Relax.” She finally got it and changed the topic to something else. Lunch time and more of the infamous bland hospital grub. Yuck! They should do something about it. When can I get some ‘real food?’ Siesta time. YES!!
Wakey, wakey – medicine time. The nurses on their rounds. Buzz off. I want to sleep. They wake you up so rudely, screw up your sleep, shove medicines down your throat and then expect you to get back to sleep like nothing ever happened!! Sheesh!!! Funnily, I did doze a bit and finally drifted off to sleep. Mom woke me up with a hot cup of tea. Man! Felt like a king being pampered by mom. Visiting hours – Kavitha came in with an ex-colleague and a very dear friend – a retired – Indian Airforce officer. Delighted to see them. Chit chat. It was then that I was informed that this guy had spent 2 days in the ICU whenever permitted by the hospital. I thanked him profusely. He told me to “FO’ and zip it. He told Mom and Kavitha not to worry about a thing and to call him anytime of the day or night for any help. Thank God for good friends.
More family friends visited in the evening hours. Was getting a bit tired of all this. Same questions from everyone. Visiting hours over and I could now rest a bit before being barraged by nurses for medicines. Ouch! Dinner, more hospital grub. My brother decided to take the night shift at the hospital with me.
All this time, well wishes pouring in from all quarters. My older brother had informed some of his colleagues in the US and apparently, they too held prayer meetings for me. Total strangers!! It confirmed that humanity still exists. Race, creed, etc. were secondary. This was informed via an e-mail to my younger brother as our older brother was not and is not on any social media platform. Lives like a hermit….
With daylight, nurses and doctors started pouring in conducting more tests, sample collections, etc. My first South Indian breakfast in hospital in 5 days. Bland, but heaven (as it was a pleasant change) (comfort food-to an extent). 5 days gone by. Yikes! When am I going to get out of here? Physiotherapy sessions along with what seemed to me like psychiatric tests. No matter. I was getting accustomed to this routine. Family alternating among themselves to give me company in the hospital. Physically, I was there, but mentally, I was drifting all over the universe.
Thinking about various things. I guess, I got a ‘calling’ of sorts at that time as thoughts were becoming more focused towards spiritual matters and prayers. Me! The quintessential rebel was being transformed!!!, Yikes for me!! But whooppee! for some others. Seriously??!!
