It is not easy for someone to spend time in hospital...not at-least for me. Even I find many people avoiding visiting hospital unless and un-till they get bit critical. I feel suffocated inside the hospital. Whenever I make a visit, I make sure to comes out of the building as soon as possible. It is a completely different world , with people wearing white courts, patients screaming, shouting and above that the strange smell everywhere. No it's not that Indian hospital are so worst in condition but there is a different ambience that make me doze off. I prefer to put up a scented mask rather.
(edited random images from phone gallery)
But the more you avoid something the more it follows you. And it happened to me when I took my dad to the hospital. It was one of the longest sleepless night I could ever spent. It was a weekend evening that for sure, as my elder cousin visited to see my dad. (he always comes home on weekend) . My dad had a seizure attacks in the morning. By the time my cousin was about to leave my dad had the second attack of the day it was close to 8 PM. Seeing the detriorated condition, we quickly took him to nearest village hospital which is 15 km away.
The Only set back of living on village..
.. is that we do not have proper medical facilities neither doctors were available round the clock. Seeing my Dad in such condition, I already shaken a bit, but somehow put him in my cousins car, and moved to the hospital. No stretcher, no ward boy, the condition could not be worst. Me and my cousion pulled my Dad of the car and put into the hospital bed. Late at night, we cannor expect a doctor in hospital, the only emergency attendee present there referred it as an emergency case asked us to take him to a city hospital with good facilities. He made sure to give some medicine for instant relief. His few words did scared me.
A seizure is a burst of uncontrolled electrical activity between brain cells (also called neurons or nerve cells) that causes temporary abnormalities in muscle tone or movements (stiffness, twitching or limpness), behaviors, sensations or states of awareness.
My sister called me check his condition. She insisted me to take him to her place which is well beyond 300km. It was already 9PM getting there means another 6-7 hrs of travelling. The way the hospital staff was reacting made me to do anythkng to save my Dad. He handed me the emergency slip to carry along.
We came back home, made some arrangement as my brother could not drive for so long at night, we checked in for rented vehicle. At night it was next to impossinle. but thanks to a local boy we managed a SUV and the driver was ready to drive. He is youth and ready to help people in need. It was me, my Dad and the driver who were travelling. I was sure it was going to be a he'll of a night, as travelling at night through the jungle and maoist region are bit risky. But the driver was well aware of the local people. I made up my mind to let things unfold as it going to happen. I have my Dad with me which is enough to give me strength. I shifted his body in the middle seat, sat beside him, holding him tightly. There was few night patrol checks in between, but seeing the medical emergency cases all checkpoint let us go easily. In between, my dad always call out my name, checking if I am there or not or god knows if he was worried about me. Even at that moment of emergency, he was caring about me.
It took me to flashback incident, when I was in hospital for entire 10 days in 2008. I had typhoid, and my Dad was with me every night, sitting beside my head. He always put his hand on my head and murmur some vedic mantras I think it was Hanuman chalisa or Gayatri mantra. I was not in my sense to remember due to heavy medication.
Seems this time it was other way round, he was in dire state while, I am holding him. At 3AM, we found ourself stuck in heavy traffic jam. Heavy transportation vehicles who trying to enter the main city, they created a chaos at the city toll gate. It was more frustrating as the words of village doctors keep echoing my head creating frustration. I was loosing my patience and temper. I kept on checking on my Dad and he seems to be in sense. It was 5 AM when we made it to the hospital. Thanks to brother in law and my sister they already complete the hospital formalities. The doctor examined him, gave some medication and immediately took under their observation. They did confirmed it was very critical condition and a little more delay would be the end. In few hours they confirm that the situation was under control. It was then only I learned about seizure and how high BP and Sugar could affect the health. Till afternoon I didn't slept.
the only photo i took that time
He was saved that time. He was hospitalised for few days and that weekend the hospital was my home. I was there throughout the time. Only time I leave him was when I need to take shower or to eat. But made sure to keep someone close to him.
It was tough time, that days I never regretted of being in hospital. My focus was only his recovery. And he did, well in time but remain 4 days confined to the 4X4 hospital room.
.....Now as the soul gone, they will never comes back but the time spent with them and their memory always stay with us.....
It was longest night I have ever been to and always gave me goosebumps and little shock thinking about it...even while writing this piece, I felt scaredness, and have teary eye.