"Fracture" Diaries - Entry 4

Created on the hospital bed from my mobile Jan 5th, 6 pm

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The instructions were clear - eat nothing after mid-night, and drink not even water after 6am. I was to be taken for the operation between 9-10.

I was ready before 8, having stripped myself of every thread on my body and having worn the 'Green' dress.

"Green" Dress

But it wasn't until 11.30am that I was put on a stretcher and taken to the OT. Having nowhere to look but upwards along the way, I noticed how the lights were placed farther and ceiling became progressively darker with each passing door. We finally entered a large wooden door with dark glass panes, into which my dad and brother weren't allowed, and this was the darkest room of all.

OT

Then I was pushed into the next room, which was much brighter. In the center, lay a bed, to which were attached two huge hemispheres with a dozen bulbs on each. Lot of activity was going on in this room.

I was sedated and a junior doctor tried to give me anesthesia (for hips and below) and caused me much pain, after which the senior doctor took over. I slept and was woken when I was being taken back to my room, which was around 5pm. The doctor returned for a check-up and told me, "The surgery went well. We have put wires for extra support and put PoP on the leg. But you shouldn't walk for next 6 weeks."

I don't believe in God, he is the one doing bad things to me.

"Fracture" Diaries - Entry 3

Created on the hospital bed from my mobile Jan 4th, 9 pm

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Just when my cousin, who had heard of my accident and come to see me, was leaving, a barber entered. He said he needed to give me a shave. Granted, I wasn't looking in the best of shape, but did I need to look handsome for a surgery or was I expected to kiss the nurse?

I asked him the name of the patient, just to confirm that he had come to the correct patient, and he had. He took me to a closed room and gave me the strangest shave ever - naval downwards. I hadn't, till then, ever imagined that I would leave my private parts in the hands of someone I had never met before, especially a guy.

Just as I was preparing to sleep, I got a call from a family friend, who had just returned from the States. Although he is about 60 yrs elder to me, we are comfortable in talking to each other. It took about 15 min for our discussion to turn towards bike accidents and hospitals, and I revealed to him the condition and location of my self.

To cheer me up, the old man then told me a joke, not quite a joke but something that served the purpose -

One day a doctor was walking down the corridor of a hospital when he recognized the man being taken into the ICU to be his old friend. So he went up to him and asked, "Hello David, how are you?" and David replied, "Am fine, thank you."

If you ask me now how I'm, as already have a long list of people, that would be my answer too, "Am fine, thank you."

A frame I found in the hospital (truly cute, ain't it?)

My lunch. Idly? No. Two balls of rice (and it tastes better than it looks)

"Fracture" Diaries - Entry 2

Created on the hospital bed from my mobile Jan 4th, 4 pm

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It's past noon now... and I'm waiting in my room.

The appointment with the doctor went well. A Digital X-ray was taken and the analysis was "3 fractures and 1 dislocated toe in the right foot".

X-Ray (Can you spot the damage?)

While dressing up my foot, the junior doctor pulled my little-toe hard, to, as he called it, "relocate" it. I shrieked in pain.

Surgery was inevitable for the remaining 3 toes, and has been scheduled for tomorrow morning. Unable to even touch the ground with my right foot, I sat confined to a wheel chair in the Waiting Lounge, while, dad and brother-in-law completed the formalities to get me admitted. You wouldn’t believe, but going to the restroom seems an ordeal too.

Have to survive like this till tomorrow morning, it's only 4 hrs past noon still.

Learning to use the Walker (seen speaking to my cousin)

"Fracture" Diaries - Entry 1

Created on my bed from my mobile Jan 3rd, 11.30 pm

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I'm crying now... Not because my leg is hurting but with the thought that how could I have been so irresponsible, so casual and take-it-for-granted about everything. And that I also risked the life of a close friend.

About 7 hrs before, shivering as if I was standing naked in Antarctica, I looked on as my friends tried to lift my bike lying some 8-9 ft below road level. We both had just been pulled up from where we were lying - about 6-7 ft below the road level. Just 30 sec earlier we were happily chatting on the bike and the trip seemed a very memorable one. I was driving very slow, on the extreme left and had both my hands on the handle. Yet the trip became memorable, for regrettable actions on my part and we ended up visiting the local Mission Hospital (which obviously wasn't part of the plan).

I still remember those 10 sec when I felt close to death. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But luckily, the other one wasn't hurt badly. Infact, as per my friend even I wasn't hurt much, "tu bach gaya bey, just 3 fractures" (you are saved, just 3 fractures).

Not willing to be operated in Vikarabad I told my dad everything and he came to pick me up. In the meantime lots of calls were made. Someone from my uncle's paper working in Vikarabad arrived within minutes. The best orthopadecians and contacts were listed and my brother-in-law's far-relative in Kamineni Hospirtal was finalized.

I'm now at home waiting (in pain) for tomorrow's appointment. Have taken two Paracetamol tablets - would doze off soon.

My Hand

The (Fractured) Leg

This is how I spent the entire night

Advaith II

Advaith's younger brother was born today (Dec 31st) at 8.26pm. Below is the new born's pic taken when he was just 2 hrs old and below that is a video of Advaith (obviously very excited to meet his little brother).

And this is how we celebrated New Year (in the hospital).