Fall and Rise - Part II

Thank you. 

For those who liked and were affected by my blog. Some reacted adversely, Some emotionally, and a few, traumatically. Some were concerned about spelling. I think, the hand phone texting, has rendering them redundant. Spellings I meant. Spellings are flying out of the Windows. Oops! Sorry, folks out of Macs and Linux'. I am not brand affiliated. 

As I indicated, this wont be a dialogue. I am not going to arm wrestle those educated geeks and be caught in their web all the time. There were some accusals of me being a perfectionist. I will tell you what all I am not. Jut this , Err! One more time. I am not a perfectionist.

I seek excellence. I try. Only try and am no where close to it. I am not a believer of any religion and don’t intend to be. I do not hate those who are committed to their cause of defending religion . I only pity them and sometimes fear them . I don’t believe in any of the traps or webs spun by various religions. Marriage is only one of them. Have been caught in it multiple times . Damn! I am having a dialogue. Which I didn't want in the first place. What do you expect ? I am an actor and a sucker for dialogues. Any way this is what happens when people try to strike up a conversation while I am telling a story. I digress. I guess actors and directors are prone to that ailment. 

Cut to the chase 

Rewinding a bit here for left over details .( No blood and gore though. Certified UA)

<<<<<<<<<<<< II > I was chasing life in an ambulance not the speediest of vehicles, but should do for now. When the ambulance arrived at my office With my pain, it felt like they took an hour I was about to suggest, may be a tourniquet might help, {But G knows all that} . It seems Apollo ambulance arrived in 15 minutes and took 20 more minutes to maneuver to where I was. Nearly 100 feet. 

Seems I was awake and giving instructions to the ambulance attendants instead of saying "Thank goodness and you sirs" I said   “Careful I might have a spinal fracture too. Please put my leg back on the stretcher in the approximate shape a leg should be and don’t drop any pieces of my bone. “ 

“Damn know all.  He is such an intolerable pain in the ass” The ambulance attendants must have thought. 

I had exactly the same thoughts! “Intolerable pain in the ass” My back was hurting.  I do not remember the above conversation. My production manager Mr.Moorthy, driver Mr.Bharathidasan and office boy Mr.Shanmugam filled in the blanks sporadically, They later told me that I  was conscious and giving instructions. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>> II >Fast forward

To the operation theatre, through the E.R. 

The relief that I had reached the hospital increased the pain. I did not even see the doctor. They put me out like a light. I sank peacefully into unconsciousness. 

When I woke up I heard a moan. Not  I,  someone else was coming to or going. Hopefully back to the ward.

Someone wished me, a good morning. So, the night was behind me.  

On the way out I saw my brother Mr.Chandrahasan first. He was the guy who came to the hospital When I was born. He came with his elder brother who was 24.  Mr.Chandrahasan was 18. He was eager to see his new born baby brother. On the way to their mother’s bed, they saw many  newborns in a room full of wailing little bundles with faces, in cribs. 

ChandraH, later told me ,that child when he could have conversations with it. He told me that he chose a baby of his liking in his mind, and wished aloud “I wish that one is our kid brother”. 

Later he was informed his wish had come true. He must have smiled then I missed that one. That’s the kind of smile he had as I rolled out of the O.T.

“We are taking you to the C.C.U Sir” said a voice rolling, my gurney. 

“Critical care unit? “ Boy! I must be in a really bad shape" 

I showed a “Thumbs up” to my brother and he shook my hand very gently.  I have seen him smile at me a thousand times before. When he came to see new born Shruti, When I told him a new story idea, when the Queen of England agreed to come to the inaugural of Marudanaayagam. This one was different. I saw a lot of painful emotions surging behind. We, as a family, are not prone to showing affection in public. Even in private not too overtly. 

Back in the CCU. G Settled me in and had to leave. CCU does not allow a family congregation. I was alone but the pain had reduced. The doctors told me that I have enough painkillers and sedatives to last the day. They explained that I had a nerve block to block away pain in my Operated leg 

Operated leg? I did not feel my leg at all. That was when with great difficulty I looked down at my leg. I did not show how taken aback I was.

My leg had metal struts and bolts attached to it. Six rods were impaled into my shin and pain. With the stainless steel impalements my bandaged leg resembled, what shall I say, A cross between a bandaged trumpet and a clarinet. 

“This is Dr.Balaji Srinivasan This is your plastic surgeon Dr. Ganpathy Krishnan and that is your anesthetician Dr.Ravi Krishna. He is the one not making you feel the pain of those rods impaled and holding your bones together” DR.J.R.S my G.P., introduced the other doctors and explained the rods introduced into me.

Those impalements would have made Vlad the Impaler proud. Also,  Innocent III  (Of the notorious Spanish inquisition.) For all that, the pain was amazingly and gratefully less. Doctors explained that I had a Femoral nerve block and a Epidural injecting pain meds into my lower body. 

“Like what they give ladies not too keen on labour pain? I asked without much of a slur in my speech.

“Exactly. Now rest" Insisted the doctors, with a smile.   

Wow! Science is amazing. It has extended the facility of painless labour to men. We men must rise to the occasion and also take the labour away from ladies and deliver babies. Actually I personally know many men who have  done that. They were all Gynecologists though.

My mind wandered. Nothing new, but this was heavy wandering like the sages of yore seeking wisdom. Must be the Morphine. I faded out the smiling doctors who nodded among themselves and were leaving the room anyway. I was left alone with smiling Telugu nurse. How did I know she was Telugu ? I was surprised.

The morphine was kicking in. 

Thanks to all these fine opioids and painkillers, My pain was just a faint echo but with sincere promises of return.

To be continued….