Still Waiting--The Day Before Russel's Surgery

Friday, September 14, 2018
Bombay

Still Waiting--The Day Before Russel's Surgery.
   
     Namaste from Bombay!
     With Dad and me deciding to share hospital duty over my brother Russel's fracture, I was able to have a more leisurely morning than I've had for the past couple of days.  As usual, however, I awoke at about 5.00 am and used the time to blog, respond to email, catch up on my computer To-Do List. Then, I washed, breakfasted on the last of my yogurt and almond milk (will need to replenish supplies this morning) to make birschersmuesli and enjoyed a cup of coffee while watching Escape to the Continent on Netflix--the only form of entertainment I currently have in my studio.
     I then spent the next hour drafting a letter to an associate at Yale University about my forthcoming edited volume on Goa and to my publisher in the US about a grant for which I intend to apply. This kept me busy for more than an hour after which I answered a call from my cousin Blossom in Chennai who was calling to inquire about my brother.
     I was left with just enough time to run to the grocery store to pick up almond milk and Coffeemate Creamer (which I think is going to be much more convenient to use than Amul fresh cream provided it does not clump in the damp monsoon air), to the dairy to buy fresh yoghurt (it was excellent quality when I bought it last week) and Bisleri water from the corner store.
     Then I rushed in for a shower and had my lunch. I received a new tiffin today: Goan Shrimp Curry, Batter-Fried Mackerels and Cabbage Fougard. Dad had told me to have my lunch and get to the hospital to relieve him so that he could go home and get his lunch.  Accordingly, I ate my lunch while watching Still Game on Netflix (just heard that this hilarious iconic show set in Glasgow, Scotland, wrapped up yesterday--so terribly sad!). I was out of my house at 12.50 and at the hospital at 1.00 pm after a leisurely walk down the rain-soaked streets--it had poured again at breakfast time. They were adrift with fallen mango leaves and coconut palm fronds. Occasionally one finds a fallen yellow-tinged white champa flower (plumeria) and I am transported to Hawai'i where I found them scattered on the ground in so many vibrant colors. As I walk through Bandra's bylanes, I am often reminded of Goa. The little Portuguese-style bungalows from the colonial era and their names (Christina, Fernliz, etc.) are reminiscent of another world that never fails to charm me.
      Dad left soon after I arrived which kept me alone with Russel all afternoon.  He is very quiet--not his usual chatty self. But it is good to see that he has accepted that he will remain in hospital until Saturday and he also seems reconciled to the fact that the 'procedure' we speak about is, in fact, surgery. He has been sleeping a lot of late and seems to have developed some level of comfort at being in the hospital. I tried to snatch forty winks myself but the patient in the next bed was speaking very loudly on his mobile and I just about managed a couple of nods.
     Dad's return meant some more discussion about pre-op prep.  With surgery set for tomorrow (Saturday) at 11.00 am, Dad is very emotional, very stressed and very sad. Dad keeps focussing on Russel's rehabilitation, post-surgery, and keeps wondering "how he will cope" when he returns home.  Russel is only keen on knowing when they will discharge him. I find myself having to manage Dad's emotions as much as I am dealing with Russel's anxieties.  I, for my part, have left everything in the hands of the Lord. I have been praying consistently but not allowing myself to get worked up. A certain amount of serenity is definitely called for in such circumstances.
     Hence, I was able to talk to Dr. Vijay when he came a-calling without too much emotion. He told me that in addition to setting Russel's fractured shin bones with plates, they would be carrying out a synovectomy which, I understand, is a draining of the fluids accumulated in his knee. I told the doctor that we had made the choice to go with the titanium plates (instead of the stainless steel ones). He made note of it.
     On a slightly humorous note, the daughter of the man in the adjoining bed, Priyanka, told me that she thought Russel was my Dad! She also said that she thought I  was about 35 years old!!! Well, that really was my ray of sunshine on a cloudy day!
     Through most of the afternoon, I responded, on my computer, to the interview questions that were emailed to me by a UK-based journalist named Rudy Otter who wants to interview me about the Fulbright Fellowship for an online magazine called Desh and Diaspora that is published from Dubai by a man named Frank Raj. Fortunately, I was able to focus on the task at hand. My mind is still able to detach itself from our current family crisis to continue with the routine and other work I need to undertake.  Thank goodness for the mobility of laptop computers that allows us to multi-task.
      When Dad returned at 5.00 pm, he had brought his check book as advance payment for the surgery needed to be made. We were shocked to find out that it costs us more than $2,000 which might seem a small amount in the US but is a sizable sum in India. This does not include the cost of the plates which is about $800 more. The hospital bill will also be considerable as Russel has been there already for about 4 days and is likely to be kept there for a few more days after surgery. These expenses have indicated to us that the operation is a complex affair and not the simple setting of  fractured bones. Now it is all in the hands of the Lord.  We hope that he will guide the surgeon Dr. Derrick D'Lima and his team towards successful completion of their task and that Russel will emerge from this ordeal in a better state than he is now. I implore you to join us in prayer.
    At the end of the day, Russel had two visitors: Bernie from our parish church who has been bringing him Communion at home for the past year and Jon Ken who always brings his cheerful presence with him. They offered the morale boosting that we all need through this sad occurrence.
     By the end of the day, Russel was seen by his regular psychiatrist and, once again, by the orthopedist who will be doing the surgery tomorrow. Preliminary pre-op testing has certified him fit for surgery. He is calm, if morose. I have faith...it will see Dad and me through tomorrow.
     By the time Dad and I left the hospital together, it was 9.45 pm and I was dying to get back home for dinner and some relaxation. I ate while watching In The Line of Duty, a British cop drama on Netflix that I am enjoying hugely.
      Until tomorrow....