A week in November

A week in November

-Sleepless nights with my Dad

Disclaimer:

1. . I am bad at literature, pardon me for all the mistakes I do here.

2. This is not an advertisement for anything or anybody (even me ;))

3. I am not writing this to make you believe in anything

Here I go..

It was Second Saturday of November 2009 in Trivandrum. Being new to the place I loved roaming around and I stayed with my friend that Friday night. I rushed to office as its already past 11.30 AM. That was a holiday so only few folks I looked around working, peaceful time to work for me as I use to say this most time I start my Saturday in office and end up saying boring hours sitting in office at Saturday’s. My new Vodafone number has been activated @1.30PM, which I took previous evening. I thought I should call my home first to give them the number and dialed my dad’s number, after a long ring I heard my mother “raji”; “that’s my pet name “ I say to people who comes to know that for the first time.

“Where is Appa” I said. “He is alright” she replied.

“Alright, where are you?” I said with fear in my voice

“Vijaya Hospitals” I heard. Yes, she is in Vijaya Heart Care Hospital pretending everything is alright. It’s always when I hear “Everything is alright” there comes a doubt for me “Is Everything Alright?” That’s for everyone too I guess.

My dad had got pain in his chest and that’s why she is there. I called my grandpa to know what‘s happing there. I heard that my dad is in ICU but he is alright, another damn alright. Screamed at him like hell, putting my phone in mute and that was not the first time I do at my grandpa, I do it quite often making sure my phone is in mute.

“Do you want me to come” I said though I know I have to go, just to make sure the seriousness of the situation there.

“It ok if you are not coming, but will you get a flight now!” I heard. I thought I should shout “what the Hell” forgetting to put my phone in mute.

I got an auto to Airport to get the evening flight to Chennai. I had a bad experience in Trivandrum Airport the last time I booked a flight in ParaXXXXX which is suppose to start at 7.30pm and announced delay by two hours, finally left the run way only by 12.30am reached 2.30am Chennai and home by 6.30 early morning. Still I believed this time I could make it somehow and went to KingXXXX and heard “its 10000/- only to Chennai tonight”. That was ok for me as I had a credit card with me but I am not sure on “will they fly tonight?”. I left the Airport to reach Trivandrum railway station in another 30mins and out of so many questions in mind I stood in a long Q’ to get my rail ticket to Chennai and its only when I reached the counter I knew that not the place to get unreserved tickets.

“OMG! I have only 20 min for my train to leave the station” I shouted at myself.

I ran to the other side of the station to inquiry tickets for Chennai train which will leave the station in another 15 min. I heard that I cannot get a birth from inquiry.

“Get an unreserved ticket and come to me as early as possible” I heard a voice from the same enquiry counter. I ran to the ticket counter again in a long Q got a ticket with 5 more min left for the train to leave the station. Gave my unreserved ticket to the “Guardian Angel”, who wrote S5, 71 on my ticket and smiled at me. I cannot really remember the number of Thanks I told her; I know I will remember her for the rest of my life. “God Exist” I said myself

“Only 2 min left” I said myself. Ran to S5 and got it to the train as I heard the horn from the driver. That was the tough journey I had in my life time. I do not know what had happened? How I got my Ticket and a birth? But I knew I had to Thank GOD.

The count starts, sleepless night 1. Next Day morning I reached Chennai Central and hired a taxi Vijay Heart Care by 11.00am. I RAN to ICU, saw my dad sitting but with lots of wires around him and some normal number of heart beats, pulse and pressure in a monitor over him. There was an old patient, who holds some pipe in his mouth and some smoke coming out of the parallel pipe which he holds.

“I should think of stopping Flakes” I said myself

Monday of that week went in medicines and we decided for an angiogram Tuesday.

Tuesday, 11.00am my dad was called for angiogram and I, my Mom and grandpa was sitting out of the operation theater praying hard for the good result. Three blocks in the vein 80%, 90% and 100% doctor confirmed and suggested for a by-pass. Everybody was out of control and I know I should control myself to make next decision. Discussed all possible questions with doctor and finally decided of Angioplasty which should be a better option for him as he is not too old to get the blocks dissolved with medicine and exercise. That was another tough night; I sat next to dad’s bed and feared for every breath of his. Quite a few times I heard from nurse Pradeepa asking me to sleep.

Very next day his Angioplasty is scheduled and we waited for the Operation Theater door to open when I was standing next to my dad in a stretcher. As soon as the door open

“Sai Ram”

That’s what I heard, I don’t even know who said that from inside but God bless.

2 hard hours passed. 3 to 4 patients with blocks when inside for the Angioplasty or Angiogram.

“Doctor is calling Mr. Subramanian” lady stood opening the door shouted. Yes, the doctor called my grandpa.

After 2 hours of prayers, tears and fear we went inside and saw doctor coming towards my grandpa with a big smile in face

“Your Son-in-law is alright” Doctor Said.

This “alright” sounded good for me. Thanked God and the owner of the voice “Sai Ram”. A team of doctors showed us before and after angioplasty in computer, blood flow in vein which was 100% blocked. Thanks to the technology.

Doctors shifted my dad to ICU it was another sleepless night. I left my Mom with my dad in ICU to take care and came back to our general ward to sleep as I was not able to control my sleep. I open the room and 4am Thursday day morning. Laid in a small sofa in the room to have a nap in another 40 min I felt somebody shaking my hands, I open my eyes and it was my dad’s friend or colleague whatever the crap he is, woke me up to frighten me. Then I took him to my dad, bought coffee etc, etc.

Friday, many visited my dad whom I don’t care and some whom I ever saw, but still served them coffee’s, Tea’s some with lunch too. I don’t mind, Dad is Alright. I was half sleepy that night still made me awake to make sure everything goes fine with dad.

Saturday 11.30am, I remembered the previous Saturday when I started this drill. Thank God the drill is over. We discharged him paying 3+ Lakhs which was my CTC that time. Slept well that night and left Chennai Sunday and went back to work Monday.

When I write this I remember two peoples Gerald my friend, my guide, my role model etc, etc, Oops I forgot to mention he is my Manager. When I called him first time during the drill he said ok for my leave and take care and the second time to extend my leave he said “We will take care of the work here, you take care of your Dad” also When I returned back to work the first person to come over my seat to ask who is there to take care I will remember the moment for my life time.

The second person who called me after 7 hard months on the Angiogram Tuesday to ask me the route of DPI (donno what is DPI stands for, but its district education office. I remembered telling about place to the person who called me) . I told her I am in crucial moments of my life, Dad had attack”

“It’s ok, where is DPI” I heard from the phone’s speaker. I promised myself never to make a call or see her in my life time.

- Sathish