Back at Holy Family Hospital for Russel's Cast

Thursday, September 27, 2018
Bombay

Back at Holy Family Hospital for Russel's Cast

     Namaste from Bombay!
     Until about 8.00 pm last night, we had no idea whether or not Russel would be back at Holy Family Hospital today to get his fractured leg (currently bandaged) placed in a cast. But when it was discovered that his orthopedist, Dr. Derrick D'Lima would be going away for 20 days, the residents who work under him suggested that we bring Russel in so that the doctor could take a look at his leg and decide on further action before he leaves.
     Accordingly, I awoke at 5.30 am and blogged for a bit before stopping for an early shower and breakfast of muesli and coffee before I left for my Dad's place. I reached there at 8.15 am. Dad was finishing up his own breakfast and about to break the news to Russel that he would be required to go back again to the hospital.  Russel was not told earlier for fear that it would keep him awake all night. Once he was told, he worried that he would be left there. We promised him that he was only going into the Endoscopy Department to have his stitches removed and his leg placed in a cast.

Off to the Hospital:
     And so we went through the drill again: calling for an ambulance, waiting for the arrival of the ambulance staff, rousing the other male help from my Dad's building (the watchmen and the gardener) to give the ambulance staff a hand as Russel was hauled up bodily from his bed and placed on the ambulance bed and into the vehicle.  Dad, the day attendant Nagendra and I accompanied Russel as he made the journey from his home to the hospital at 9.30 am.

In Holy Family Hospital:
     It's funny how one becomes so accustomed to a place that it ceases to be unfamiliar and becomes as comfortable as an old slipper. Well, this time round, knowing the ropes as well as I now do, I did not feel like a misfit once we reached the hospital.  The ambulance staff wheeled Russel into the hospital and up to the Endoscopy Department where the nurses on duty were taken aback by the fact that one of Dr. D'Lima's patients had come in to see him.  They told us that the doctor does not see patients on Thursdays and that he was in the Operating Theater.  We assured them that we had an appointment at 10.00 am and that the doctor wished to see Russel as a special case as he was headed for a break of three weeks.
    They then went into the Operating Theater and spoke to the doctor. About ten minutes later, he walked out of the Theater and into the Endoscopy Department where Russel had been wheeled. He took a look at Russel and at the dressing on his knee from which synovectal fluid was still oozing and collecting through a tube into a plastic pot or bag whose contents were measured daily.
     About ten minutes later, the doctor came out and told us that the knee had settled down well.  He would be placing Russel's leg in a fiberglass cast and sending him home.  He said that the fact that the knee was oozing was a very good thing. It meant that the fluid was still coming out--which was preferable to having it trapped inside and causing possible infection. He wrote down the materials he required for the dressing to be done and requested me to go to the Pharmacy downstairs to pick up the supplies--which I did.
     By the time I returned, the doctor had encased Russel's shin in a firm blue fiberglass cast--this would now allow him to stand under the guidance of a physiotherapist. He called me in, at this point, and told me that the knee would have to stay outside a cast but in a large knee brace that covered the length of Russel's leg. This would provide the support that the knee needed until it could also be placed in a cast. He also told me that if the dressing on the knee wound grew too soggy or bloody, it would need to be changed. He then proceeded to show me how to do the dressing myself at home! Needless to say, this sent me in a tizzy as I am not the sort of person who can look upon blood without feeling squeamish. But when he showed me the wound and it turned out to be no bigger than a pea, I was instantly comforted. With a little ointment and a bit of dressing, he said, the wound will scab over soon. At that point, we can decide how to support it further, he said.  In the meanwhile, he showed me how to place Russel's leg in a leg brace--which was actually a very simple matter that involved Velcro straps and a bit of tugging to make it firm. Russel said that he was not in any pain at all through the entire process--which is a huge blessing.
     When all of that was done (and the doctor gave us generously of his time, attention and his fullest expertise and skill), he told us that Russel could be taken home.  A month from now, he would like me to call him to let him know how Russel is doing; depending on the situation, further actions and decisions will be taken.
      So, the end result is that Russel is now ready to mend--with time, physiotherapy, prayers and positive thinking, he should make a good recovery and have the fractured shin bones set.  Once the cast is removed, attention can be shifted back to the knee and a second surgery might be necessary to brace the arthritic knee bones. Though the prognosis is long, it is not grim and I feel certain that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
     I made a couple more trips, up and down, to get bills paid and to arrange and pay for the ambulance back home.  Poor Dad looked dreadful and was very grateful when I told him to go and sit down as we waited for the ambulance to arrive as he was dog tired. I stood by Russel to keep him company as we waited.
     About a half hour later, the ambulance staff arrived and wheeled Russel to their vehicle--a much larger and far more luxurious one. And then twenty minutes later, we were home and Russel was safely back in his bed again. Needless to say, he was hugely relieved that we had not left him in the hospital. We told him that the physiotherapist Lenita would teach him how to move about again with a walker and that slowly but surely he would be able to walk again. He stayed with the leg brace on for the rest of the day although it really has to be worn only at night and when he is doing the physiotherapy in order to provide extra support for his knee.

Back Home for Lunch and a Nap:
     Needless to say, by the time I got home, it was 12.30 and I was starving and ready for lunch. I ate my chicken curry, snake gourd with lentils and cutlets with half a guava for dessert.  Guavas are my favorite fruit and I am making the most of the season and enjoying them thoroughly.  I had my 20 minute power nap and then began working on my computer--mainly by way of attending to email correspondence and making appointments for work that I would like to start next week. I also did a bit of reading: White Houses by Amy Bloom. It is well written but not absorbing me as much as I had thought it would.  Perhaps the most interesting bits are yet to come.
    I am also happy to have made contact with a Fulbright 'Host" named Monica James (a former Fulbrighter in the US herself) who works with Teach for India  She has been appointed as my mentor and will provide guidance and companionship as I continue with my Fulbright assignment.  Fortunately, she lives in Bandra too--I am, therefore, looking forward to a lot of fun times with her.
     In the evening, I had a pot of tea with a slice of walnut cake and continued working. In the evening, my friend Ian called from New Jersey.  It was a great joy to hear from him especially as he has been through serious surgery himself and is convalescing in rather a painful state. However, I had to cut our call short as I had to leave for the 7.00 am Mass.
   
Church and Dinner:
     I met Dad and Russel at their home and visited with them briefly before Dad and I set out for Mass.  After Mass, we were offered a ride by a man called Joe Cordo who is very active in the Western music scene in Bombay and will prove to be a very valuable resource for me in my field research. I took his phone number, told him about my work assignment and solicited his help in my venture.  He said that he would be more than happy to help me and suggested that I meet him and his wife Celeste at their home so that we could discuss my project at leisure.
     Back home, I had my dinner while watching Tunnel on my iPad through my Hoopla app and the Digital Library services of Fairfield Public Library.  It is getting very interesting as it involves a transnational (British and French) inquiry into a murdered body found in the Euro Tunnel.
     It was about 10.30pm  when I switched off the light and dropped off to sleep.
     Until tomorrow...