.... I asked Sandhya 'Isn't she cute?'... 'When did I see her? they just told me it's a girl, I was unconscious so couldn't see'....
.... I had to explain her the baby's features, weight, complexion (she was worried the baby would have my complexion! Dark!!:))... The most difficult part was to lie to her on the baby's health....
That was the start to hectic days and weeks for us.... Sandhya in one building Sihi in the other.... the doctors and nurses calling me to get the medications.... Convincing the security guards that we ought to see the patients.... I hate when someone referred to either of them as 'Patient'..... I got used to it finally....
Sandhya was in the PITU... (Pediatric Intensive Treatment Unit)... surrounded by lot of kids... irony was they were all bound by wires, tubes, prods and what not.... The grit with which they were fighting to be back on their heels running around was applaudable..... Applause also goes out to the attending nurses who gave them a home away from home.... In all of these Sandhya was an exception.... she was both a patient and care taker for the neighbour, a 8 year old kid from West Bengal... Smile was the only mode of communication between us... I used to talk(can we call that talk...?? no communicate is a better word) more with that kid than Sandhya..
Sihi was soooo small.... connected with so many pipes.. I desperately wanted to take a picture... to show it to Sandhya... but no.. not with all these pipes... Sihi fought back quite well.. within a few hours she was breathing like us.... When she opened her eyes or cried (feebly)... I felt she is calling out for her mother.. I kept telling her... "Momma will see you in a day or two.... She is as brave as you... she too is fighting to get better fast to come and see you...."...When the nurse was handling the baby for feeding or for cleaning.. I used to say.... 'careful, careful'.. though not loud... They used to handle her sooo easily even though She was so tiny.. my mom and mom-in-law were worried about taking care of her once she is back home... they had taken care of lot of babies... none were as small as Sihi...
After 3 days.... that day came.. when Sandhya was getting shifted to a ward two floors below Sihi's ward...and would get to see Sihi.... When we went to see her.... the security guards did not stop us at all... by now I knew each of them and they recognised my face... too... Sandhya held my hand tightly when she was gazing at the baby... and wanted to know why each of the pipes were connected......The following day our tough days started again... Mother's milk was to be expressed and fed in a spoon/tube to the baby.... every two hours... I used to run up and down with empty and filled beakers...
Everyone who saw Sihi kept saying she looks like Sandhya.. I wanted her to be a replica of Sandhya... still I felt if only some one said one part in her resembles me... :)...
After two weeks of these hectic shuttles.... and after Sandhya became confident of feeding the baby on her own...we were given a go ahead for discharge...
Fifteen weeks have passed since Sihi is born... and 4 weeks since we stopped the weekly visit's to the doctors....
A fighter Sihi is..... is trying very hard to turn and lie on her Tummy.. at Yelajith, my in-laws place... I am here sitting in office typing this blog..
Chao!!
November 05, 2009
August 31, 2009
Confusion.......contd....
Four hectic weeks have passed of my life's toughest and roughest roller coaster ride..... currently on a plain... don't know till when...
The electric vehicle's quick ride came to an end in the building behind around 4-500 meters from where my baby was delivered..... as soon as we reached there the doctor rushed to the lift and asked the lift operator to put the lift in non-stop mode..... 'Not available' came the reply..... the lift had to stop at every floor and as soon as the door opens... we had to stop the people from coming inside.... Somehow we made it to the 4th floor PITU..... and a bed was ready with the incubator and O2.... thats when I had the first glimpse of my daughter.... reddd is the word that came to my mind.... somehow the first look of the just born....if I say I didn't like it, I would not be incorrect.... however, a part of me was lying there and trying hard to breathe... emotions came out in the form of tears.... told her 'dear fight hard and stay put'..... I would go get your Amma....Nurse attending the baby said.... 'we need someone here'.... I called up my Sis-In-Law to the PITU handed over the charge and left from there....
Then I realised, I had carried the foot/shoe cover (made of cloth used in CCU's in the hospital) all the way to this building..... Taking them off I came back to the OT... and continued my wait in there..... I just felt sooooo very good that I was alone there... My parents and in-laws or even brother, if around would have made me break into tears..... Solitude made me stronger....
Then came the moment I have been waiting for.... the doctor came out and asked 'who is with Mrs Sandhya Pramod'.... I stood up and he took me inside.... two promoted to parenthood few minutes ago were to meet... As soon as Sandhya saw me.... 'Sihi bandiddaalalwa... neenu helida haage' (In English : 'Sihi (Sweet) has come as you had wished').... Through her pregnancy I wanted a daughter... and most people who saw Sandhya during her pregnancy told she would deliver a son..... Even we had to decide on my Son's name towards the end of her pregnancy....
..............to be continued.....
The electric vehicle's quick ride came to an end in the building behind around 4-500 meters from where my baby was delivered..... as soon as we reached there the doctor rushed to the lift and asked the lift operator to put the lift in non-stop mode..... 'Not available' came the reply..... the lift had to stop at every floor and as soon as the door opens... we had to stop the people from coming inside.... Somehow we made it to the 4th floor PITU..... and a bed was ready with the incubator and O2.... thats when I had the first glimpse of my daughter.... reddd is the word that came to my mind.... somehow the first look of the just born....if I say I didn't like it, I would not be incorrect.... however, a part of me was lying there and trying hard to breathe... emotions came out in the form of tears.... told her 'dear fight hard and stay put'..... I would go get your Amma....Nurse attending the baby said.... 'we need someone here'.... I called up my Sis-In-Law to the PITU handed over the charge and left from there....
Then I realised, I had carried the foot/shoe cover (made of cloth used in CCU's in the hospital) all the way to this building..... Taking them off I came back to the OT... and continued my wait in there..... I just felt sooooo very good that I was alone there... My parents and in-laws or even brother, if around would have made me break into tears..... Solitude made me stronger....
Then came the moment I have been waiting for.... the doctor came out and asked 'who is with Mrs Sandhya Pramod'.... I stood up and he took me inside.... two promoted to parenthood few minutes ago were to meet... As soon as Sandhya saw me.... 'Sihi bandiddaalalwa... neenu helida haage' (In English : 'Sihi (Sweet) has come as you had wished').... Through her pregnancy I wanted a daughter... and most people who saw Sandhya during her pregnancy told she would deliver a son..... Even we had to decide on my Son's name towards the end of her pregnancy....
..............to be continued.....
July 28, 2009
The feeling and...... confusion...
On Friday.... post noon my pregnant wife was taken inside the operation theater for a C-Section..... The transition from the relaxed waiting to saying good luck was just a few seconds... I had never been in that situation before.... though had seen so many of our actors seeing off their better halves in the movies.... However, that didn't help me in my situation.... :(
Fifteen minutes later, a doctor came out giving me the news that the baby is born.... I wanted to ask 'How is my wife doing?'.... and 'Is that a boy or a girl?' came out from my mouth.... :( again caught completely off-guard being the first timer in that situation.....did not help at all...
five minutes later..... the two doctors came rushing out one holding a crumbled green coloured cloth... and both were in a huge hurry... one I recognised was the doctor who had broken the news to me earlier...... Rushingly he said 'Baby is quite small as expected, has some breathing difficulties as expected in a premature baby, Ambulance is waiting outside.... Let's Go! and shift he baby to Pediatric ITU....' all these commands were shot at me at once.... and I heard only bits of it and followed him rather sheepishly.....
Got the lift to a non-stop mode and zipped to the ground floor..... Ambulance driver is not to be seen.... huh..... Doctor asked me where have I parked my car..... I said far behind the hospital..... it was atleast one kilometer from where we were at that moment... He quickly looked around and saw an approaching electric commute..... used in this health city as out patients transport.... stopped it... hopped on.. and ordered...lets go at the fastest speed.... do a U turn...... the driver lady said... 'Sir that's wrong way can't do that'.... helplessly we had to go around the main building.... Suddenly I thought lets inform my parents and in-laws waiting in the reception.... we are passing by... if you want to catch a glimpse of the baby..... Foooolish me...... However, they could not make it to the entrance before we passed it...
On that ride... I again asked 'Have I got a daughter or a Son'..... as though that was the utmost important thing...... 'Daughter' told the doctor.... 'Thank God' I said to myself..... I wanted a daughter who is as sweet as my wifee...
..... like the comic strips say in right hand bottom corner.... to be continued...
Fifteen minutes later, a doctor came out giving me the news that the baby is born.... I wanted to ask 'How is my wife doing?'.... and 'Is that a boy or a girl?' came out from my mouth.... :( again caught completely off-guard being the first timer in that situation.....did not help at all...
five minutes later..... the two doctors came rushing out one holding a crumbled green coloured cloth... and both were in a huge hurry... one I recognised was the doctor who had broken the news to me earlier...... Rushingly he said 'Baby is quite small as expected, has some breathing difficulties as expected in a premature baby, Ambulance is waiting outside.... Let's Go! and shift he baby to Pediatric ITU....' all these commands were shot at me at once.... and I heard only bits of it and followed him rather sheepishly.....
Got the lift to a non-stop mode and zipped to the ground floor..... Ambulance driver is not to be seen.... huh..... Doctor asked me where have I parked my car..... I said far behind the hospital..... it was atleast one kilometer from where we were at that moment... He quickly looked around and saw an approaching electric commute..... used in this health city as out patients transport.... stopped it... hopped on.. and ordered...lets go at the fastest speed.... do a U turn...... the driver lady said... 'Sir that's wrong way can't do that'.... helplessly we had to go around the main building.... Suddenly I thought lets inform my parents and in-laws waiting in the reception.... we are passing by... if you want to catch a glimpse of the baby..... Foooolish me...... However, they could not make it to the entrance before we passed it...
On that ride... I again asked 'Have I got a daughter or a Son'..... as though that was the utmost important thing...... 'Daughter' told the doctor.... 'Thank God' I said to myself..... I wanted a daughter who is as sweet as my wifee...
..... like the comic strips say in right hand bottom corner.... to be continued...
May 18, 2009
......Learn to speak Local....
"Don't you know what Tur Dal is how old are you and how long have you been a shopkeeper?"... heard my friend.... A customer was screaming at the shopkeeper.... Seeing my friend he turned around and started speaking to her... "These guys can't even learn Hindi... 'Tur Dal' to be the least... Hindi, our national language...everyone should know......" blah....blah....blah........
My friend listened patiently and asked that gentleman "How long have you been living in Bangalore?"...."11 Years" he said...."You have been living here for 11 long years and haven't bothered to learn what is Tur Dal called in Kannada?"..... The gentleman walked off taking his Tur Dal... without uttering a word...
--------------
I was talking to this friend after a couple of years... and got reminded of this incident narrated by her....
I was in Tirupathi last week.... I was trying to converse in Telugu (with as little as I know of that language).... "Be a Roman in Rome".. they say.... Should attitude be a deterrent to learning a new language?.... My answer is a 100% 'NO'... This percentage creeps steeply when the new language is the Local language.... Doesn't it?
My friend listened patiently and asked that gentleman "How long have you been living in Bangalore?"...."11 Years" he said...."You have been living here for 11 long years and haven't bothered to learn what is Tur Dal called in Kannada?"..... The gentleman walked off taking his Tur Dal... without uttering a word...
--------------
I was talking to this friend after a couple of years... and got reminded of this incident narrated by her....
I was in Tirupathi last week.... I was trying to converse in Telugu (with as little as I know of that language).... "Be a Roman in Rome".. they say.... Should attitude be a deterrent to learning a new language?.... My answer is a 100% 'NO'... This percentage creeps steeply when the new language is the Local language.... Doesn't it?
February 18, 2009
Hunger : Taste :: Stomach : Tongue
My Grandfather and my Maanthu (Uncle, Elder to my father) used to take lunch boxes to the fields. These used to be packed for them by my Grandmother. Both my Grandfather and my Maanthu used to be really hungry by afternoon and then they would open their lunch boxes and start eating.
After a little while, Maanthu told my Grandfather 'Father, the food seems to be slightly spoilt, don't you think so?'.
My Grandfather looked up, saw at Maanthu's three fourths empty lunch box and said 'Son, Just because your tummy is almost full now, you are getting the taste of the food. When we started eating, you were too hungry to notice the food was spoilt. With just one forth food left don't complain just eat and finish it'
-------
I just remind myself of this little incident Maanthu told me whenever I have to eat some food I dislike or which does not taste edible. This helped me to develop a taste for every kind of food including the ones I used to dislike.
People who know me would instantly ask, Pramod you don't eat meat, with umpteen exclamations at the end of that sentence.... I am Eggitarian by practice.. In the event where I cannot get vegetarian food or Egg, I have eaten meat... and would do so in future too... :).... now don't start making plans to starve me and offer me meat.. !
Cheers
Pammi... :)
After a little while, Maanthu told my Grandfather 'Father, the food seems to be slightly spoilt, don't you think so?'.
My Grandfather looked up, saw at Maanthu's three fourths empty lunch box and said 'Son, Just because your tummy is almost full now, you are getting the taste of the food. When we started eating, you were too hungry to notice the food was spoilt. With just one forth food left don't complain just eat and finish it'
-------
I just remind myself of this little incident Maanthu told me whenever I have to eat some food I dislike or which does not taste edible. This helped me to develop a taste for every kind of food including the ones I used to dislike.
People who know me would instantly ask, Pramod you don't eat meat, with umpteen exclamations at the end of that sentence.... I am Eggitarian by practice.. In the event where I cannot get vegetarian food or Egg, I have eaten meat... and would do so in future too... :).... now don't start making plans to starve me and offer me meat.. !
Cheers
Pammi... :)
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