Keeping Russel's Day in Hinduja Hospital Engaging

Saturday, June 15, 2019
Bombay

Keeping Russel's Day in Hinduja Hospital Engaging

     Namaste from Bombay!
     Russel is still in Hinduja Hospital at Khar and I am still playing administering angel by his bedside--a job that no longer seems strange to me: it has now become second nature.
      I was up at 6.30 am (without setting an alarm) after falling asleep at 12 midnight. But I slept right through and felt fully refreshed when I awoke. A quick shower and breakfast (muesli and coffee) later, I was out of the house and getting into a rickshaw. There was a slight drizzle when I left (which made getting a vehicle seem like a good idea).
     I was at the hospital by 7.45 this morning. Russel had spent a good night--and so had Dad as they were alone in the ward (the other bed had remained unoccupied). This meant that Dad could crank up the temperature (he hates air-conditioning and so does Russel) and because Russel's catheter was still on, there was no need for bathroom wake-ups.
     When Russel's breakfast arrived, I helped him with it: a bowl of poha (puffed rice made delicious with lemon juice, flavored with turmeric and garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds) and two slices of brown bread with butter and jam. And a hot flask of tea. He enjoyed it and was just about finished when his orthopedist Dr. Bhende walked in with his assistant, Dr Devendra. They did a thorough examination of Russel's leg and general condition and told us that he was doing fine. Dr. Devendra will come in tomorrow to change the dressing. They will keep that on for the next 2-3 days--so it doesn't look at if Russel will be discharged until next Wednesday--not the best of news for Dad who was hoping he would get back home by Monday.
     The specialist also said that they are still awaiting the results of the tissue culture from his wound that they sent out for analysis. As soon as that comes in, they will know what antibiotics to prescribe for him that will slowly leach out their effects over the next 2-3 months. The hope is that the infection will be killed and the fractured leg will also heal. Russel will go home with a removable (detachable), fiberglass plaster cast that will stay on for the next 3 months before it is ascertained (through X-rays) just how efficacious this operation was.  Needless to say, we need the good Lord to step in now and lay his healing hand on Russel because human hands have done the very best they could. Both Dad and I and a whole army of people are continuing to pray for my brother and I am optimistic that our prayers will not go unheeded.
     The doctor also suggested that Russel should be wheeled around in a wheelchair and should be allowed to take a look at the view of the suburbs of Bandra-Khar from the large picture windows, both in his ward and on the floor.
     After the doctor left, Dad left too. He had his electricity bill to pay at the bank and so he waited until the bank opened to get there. Left with Russel, I told him to relax until the nursing staff came along to carry out their orders for the day. And so as the day wore on, Russel's epidural was detached from his spine. Fortunately, he feels no pain and is in no discomfort. Later in the afternoon, his catheter was detached. He has only one tube attached to his body now and that contains the intensive antibiotics to hasten the healing of his wound, surgical incision and site.       
     When the wheelchair was brought along, they took Russel outside to the Reception area of the floor (8th) on which his ward is located. He spied the newspaper there and asked if he could read The Times of India. He spent the next fifteen minutes reading through the headlines of the various sections of the paper. I also got him to do some sitting exercises that his physiotherapists Lenita and Valerian had taught him and he complied quite readily. I also taught him how to keep wriggling his toes while he is lying down and sitting so that his blood circulation is not affected in his lower extremities.
     When he returned to his ward, it was time for his soup and I supervised as he ate it himself. His movements are a bit awkward--so I need to place a towel around him and ensure that no spillage messes up the bed clothes.
      At 12. 30, before lunch arrived, he asked me to switch on his favorite TV program (CID) and since this went on for about two hours, he ate his lunch while continuing to watch it. I am ever so glad that this program exists--the only one Russel will watch! After lunch, he and I both had a nap--mine was just 25 minutes today (I honestly wish I could have slept longer). When he was up, he asked me to switch the cricket on for him--Australia was playing Sri Lanka in the World Cup and Russel became deeply engaged in the match as the Aussie openers hit out splendidly and made more than two centuries between them! It was very exiting cricket and I got involved in the game as well.
     While Russel watched the cricket, I finished uploading the Documents that I had backed up on to my external hard drive at home in Connecticut--and which Llew had handed over to me. I finished transferring everything I wanted and had a deep sense of satisfaction. In-between, when I got bored doing this repetitive and time-consuming task, I read The Times of London on my Ipad and read my novel Origins by Dan Brown which is pretty intriguing. Although Russel has his own personal TV in his ward, I do not feel like watching any TV at all during the day as I am both unfamiliar with the channels and the programs here in India.
     An elderly patient was brought into the adjoining bed but he was there for no more than half an hour before the doctor on duty decided that he should go into the ICU as he had difficulty breathing. I noticed myself that he was air-hungry (I could hear his loud deep breaths and I became pretty alarmed myself)--so I was glad they moved him out.
      By the time, Australia was all out, it was about 5.30 pm and Russel enjoyed his cup of tea which came with two large vegetable cutlets with mint sauce. As I said, the food is so scrumptious that a patient actually looks forward to the meals here! This reminds me of what Dad told me about a time in his childhood: when he was about 11 years old, he had a pretty bad attack of typhoid. He was a boarder at St. Stanislaus School in Bandra and the Jesuit priests moved him into King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in Bombay. Dad told me that he had the sweetest Anglo-Indian nurses taking care of him for a whole week and that, after all these years, he cannot forget their kindness. He also told me that after being accustomed to the most wretched food in the boarding school, he was stunned by the quality and quantity of the food he was served as a patient in the hospital. He says that he can still remember the splendid puddings that he ate after every meal. They were so good that he actually began to look forward to his meals and felt almost sorry when he was discharged! I find that the same situation prevails with Russel. He is enjoying the food and is sure to have put on weight by the time he is discharged. As for me, I ate a bowl of rice with some dal from Russel's lunch tray and then went down to the pantry to pick up a bread pakora which I enjoyed partly for lunch and partly for tea.
     In the evening, at about 6.20pm, our friend Jon Ken arrived again (he came yesterday too), this time with his wife, Sonam, at almost the same time that Dad arrived. I gave them the visiting passes and sat down in the Reception area while they visited with Russel.  And guess what? Once again, while reading on my Ipad, my eyelids drooped and I fell fast asleep! So for two days in a row, Jon Ken came and found me sleeping!
     I said Bye to them when they were ready to leave and went back upstairs. Dad ordered Paneer Makhanwala again from Room Service and insisted I have a little bit of it. I helped Russel with his dinner and then ate my own paneer. Llew called while I was in the ward and had a chance to speak to Russel as well. It was about 8.15 pm when I said Bye to the two of them and left to go home.
     Once again, I took a rickshaw home as the roads were wet and a gentle drizzle continued to play. I heated up the last of Valerie's meal and enjoyed it with a mango for dessert. I watched the next episode of Murder City (the last one as only 6 episodes--Season One--are available on You Tube). while eating. Not too long after, I finished blogging, called Llew one more time to say Goodnight and went to bed.
     I was really happy that I managed to keep Russel quite contentedly engaged today and to pass time without it seeming to just hang on his hands. It is my hope that I shall be able to do so tomorrow as well. Once again, I implore you to join us in prayer on Russel's behalf. 
     Until tomorrow...