Well, there’s an often heard saying that goes like this: You can only plan for what’s in your
control; you can’t plan for the uncertainties. The last 3-4 months have
reaffirmed my faith in this saying. I am one of those guys who’s more organized
than any of your average guys. I like having things planned in advance and I
like being organized. It’s just the way I am. But I always had this saying at
the back of my mind.
Things were fine up until 3 days before Christmas. I had even
planned on a holiday at my aunt’s place in Ahmedabad for the Christmas weekend
and had my tickets booked. Heat boils are common and little did I know then
that a small, seemingly harmless pus formation could ruin all my plans for the
next couple of months and lay me low.
This post is a recollection of my hospital experience - my
hospital diaries.
My Hospital Diaries:
Day 0 (December 21st, 2015): I felt a slight pain
in my seat. Noticed a small heat boil. Have had heat boils before. Felt that I
should drink lots of water and it’ll go away, like usual.
Day 1 (22-12-15): Woke up with a slight fever. “Let me take
the day off from work. Have enough leaves left, anyway.” Took the day off, from work.
Day 2 (23-12-15): At work. “Oh, I am not able to sit straight
continuously. Should go to the doctor in the evening.” I visited a doctor in
the evening. Doctor said that it was the onset of an ano fistula. Said that it was alright and I’ll be fine soon. I read
about it online. Details were scary. But my symptoms were different. Mild in
nature. I consulted my uncle who’s a doctor and took a medicine that he
prescribed.
Day 3 (24-12-15): Pain subsided a little. The boil remained a
small one. I took the bus to Ahmedabad that night. Was supposed to return to
Mumbai in 3 days. Little did I know then that I won’t be returning to Mumbai
for another 2 months.
Day 4 (25-12-15): Christmas in aunt’s place at Ahmedabad.
Slight pain was there, but the boil remained the same. No growth. Felt that there
was no cause for worry, as there was no abnormal growth of the boil.
Day 5 (26-12-15): The pain spiked. The boil had grown a
little – from 4 mm dia to 8 mm dia. Decided that it was best to consult a
doctor. Visited a doctor with aunt and Arjun (my brother) in tow. Doctor
examined the boil. Confirmed that it was a fistula and that it had started
growing. He told me that the boil had to be surgically removed in a couple of
days, if it does not burst on its own. He prescribed some medicines.
Day 6 (27-12-15): The pain shot up even more. The boil had
grown to about 2 cms in dia. “Oh, no. Guess it’s now infected within, like the
doctor had predicted. Should undergo the surgery then. No other go.” I informed
my parents and they arrived in Ahmedabad that night. I decided to have the surgery
the next day, as the boil showed no signs of bursting on its own and the sooner
it was removed, the better.
Day 7 (28-12-15): The boil had grown incredibly to about 10
cms in dia. I got admitted in a hospital that was suggested by the doctor. Even
he was surprised at the rapid growth of the boil infection. He called a senior
surgeon to examine it, before he could operate. The senior surgeon said that
the infection has spread rapidly and the boil had swollen so much because blood
supply has been cut off to that place. He recommended surgery by that night
itself. He informed us that I may lose some skin in that region while the
infection is surgically removed and that I may have to undergo a skin grafting
surgery later on, to replace the lost skin. He also recommended that I be
shifted to a bigger hospital in the city, as he felt that the present hospital
did not have the facility to cater to such a surgery. So what was supposed to
be a minor surgery a few minutes back, had now become a major surgery. Oh, God!
I was shifted to a bigger hospital in the city in an ambulance and was taken
straight to the ICU. I was prepped for the surgery in the ICU. At 9:30 PM, I
was taken to the Operation Theater (OT). I saw a teary-eyed mom wish me luck as
I was being taken in. I was given anesthesia and was sedated. I fell asleep. I
don’t remember anything that happened over the next 2 hours. I was woken up by
the doctor at 11:30 PM. He smiled at me, indicating that the surgery was
successful. I was brought out of the OT. I could see the anxious faces of my
parents, brother, cousin and aunt. They were all smiling at me. Guess the
doctor had informed them of the successful surgery. I smiled at them and then I
was taken to the ICU.
Day 8 (29-12-15) & Day 9 (30-12-15): Post surgical
recovery in the ICU. The ICU is such a unique world. I could see a few other
patients lying in beds like me. Each one was fighting his/her own battle. I was
fighting my own. I was bedridden. I could not get up, but the kind nurses took
care of me and my needs. God bless those souls! To be a nurse (male or female)
is indeed a noble thing. Only a few souls who have the innate quality of
service within them, can be a nurse.
Day 10 (31-12-2015): Was taken to the OT for a dressing. This
dressing was done without anesthesia as recommended by the surgeon. It was the
most excruciating physical pain that I’ve experienced in my life till now. I
wish no one, I mean no one ever experiences such a pain. Horrible, it was!
Thankfully, it lasted just an hour. But that was the longest hour in my life so
far. Was shifted to a shared room in the ward, after the dressing.
Day 11 (01-01-2016): A new year in a hospital bed. Who would
have imagined that? Certainly not me. Wishes came pouring in. I did not have my
phone with me to see who all had wished. I got to see them only a couple of
days later.
Day 12 (02-02-16) & Day 13 (03-02-16): Slow recovery in
ward. Like the ICU, this room too had other patients fighting their own battles,
with their family/friends in tow. I still did not have the strength to stand on
my feet. I could sit with support, but not stand or walk.
Day 14 (04-01-2016): I was able to stand and walk slowly with
support. The doctor heeded to my parents’ request to have me shifted to
Coimbatore. He gave us the go-ahead. Tickets were booked and my doctor uncle
agreed to come to Ahmedabad and accompany me on the trip to Coimbatore, the
next day.
Day 15 (05-01-16): Flight to Coimbatore from Ahmedabad, via
Mumbai. Was the most uncomfortable flight journey that I’ve ever undertaken.
Was completely reliant on the wheelchair to move in the airport. Finally
arrived in Coimbatore that night and was taken straight to Vallalar Hospital in
a cab.
Day 16 (06-01-16): Another painful surgical disinfection
procedure in the OT. “The next few days are going to be painful and
challenging.”
Day 17 (07-01-16) to Day 23 (13-01-16): Painful recovery as
expected. Was put on antibiotics to ensure that there was no further bacterial
growth in the infected area, so that the skin grafting could be performed. Had
many visitors – friends & colleagues of mom and dad and relatives, during
this period. Barring my own office colleagues, roommates and a couple of my
close friends who call me often, none of my other friends knew of my plight.
And I was in no mood to inform anyone, as I did not want to be seen in the
helpless bedridden state that I was in, back then.
Day 24 (14-01-16): The doctor felt that I may need some fresh
air. He discharged me with the promise that I come for dressing twice every
day. He told me that he’ll do the skin grafting surgery only when he’s fully convinced
that the infected area was devoid of any bacterial growth.
Day 25 (15-01-16) to Day 30 (20-01-16): Pongal Celebrations
and recovery at home. This period was somewhat fun for I felt that I was
getting back to being normal again.
Day 31 (21-01-16): Readmitted in hospital for skin grafting
surgery.
Day 32 (22-01-16): Had a sumptuous breakfast with mom’s
delicious home-cooked food. Little did I know that it was going to be my last
solid food intake for the next 10 days.
Day 33 (23-01-16): Skin grafting surgery. A layer of skin was
removed from my right thigh and grafted in the infected region. Surgery went
well. Was brought back to the room. Was asked to lie in the same position for
the next 4 days, so as not to disturb the grafted skin.
Day 34 (24-01-16) to Day 36 (26-01-16): The most challenging
days in this period of hospitalization. Had to lie in the same position for
three days. Was so difficult and painful. Was counting down every hour,
literally.
Day 37 (27-01-16) to Day 39 (29-01-16): The doctor was
satisfied with my progress. He was impressed with my obedience and told me that
the grafted skin had set in well and that the blood flow had started within. He
agreed to have me discharged the next day.
Day 40 (30-01-16): Was discharged at last. Home again. Solid
food at last, after 10 days. I had lost a lot of weight – 10 kgs to be precise,
during this period. It was time for me to rest and recover at home and regain
my strength back.
Day 41 (31-01-16) to Day 54 (13-02-16): Rest and recovery at
home. Regained my strength. Did some office works too. Started walking well.
Day 55 (14-02-16): Went out for the first time in two months
to celebrate parents’ wedding anniversary. Drove the car myself. Oh, yeah! It
was a big relief that I was able to drive without any discomfort. Sign of
returning to normalcy again. Bike, though, has to wait. Not allowed to drive a
bike for another 4 months.
Day 56 (15-02-16) to Day 64 (23-02-16): Complete recovery at
home. Felt normal again. Doctor gave me the go-ahead to return to Mumbai. Was
eager to get back to Mumbai and rejoin work.
Day 65 (24-02-16): Flight back to Mumbai. Returned to
familiar territory again, after two long months.
Day 66 (25-02-16) to Day 69 (28-02-16): Rest at home in Mumbai.
Day 70 (29-02-16): Rejoined work. Was welcomed with open arms
at work. Oh, I missed this place and the people so much. Things are back to
normal again.
Some takeaways:
1. Surround yourself with the right people: I had the good fortune of being
amidst the best of people when the situation warranted. I had my parents,
brother, aunt, cousins, all other relatives, friends and colleagues taking care
of me, praying for me and wishing me well. All this made my recovery much
easier. I can’t imagine what might have happened if I did not have the right
people beside me when the situation warranted.
2. Have a good medical insurance cover: I was fortunate that my company was not only
professional enough to give me sufficient time to recover (2 months, in this
case), but also had an excellent medical cover for its employees. I’d suggest
everyone reading this to go in for the best medical insurance cover available,
if you do not have one. Even if you have a company-provided medical cover,
there is no harm in going for a better cover on your own, if you feel that the
cover limit is insufficient. Medical facilities are expensive these days and
it’ll certainly burn all your savings, if you do not have a good insurance
cover. Even if you’re the healthiest person in the world, I’d still suggest
that you have a good insurance cover, because some things are uncertain and
beyond our control.
3. Have a couple of good credit cards with you: This is something that really helped
me like the medical insurance. In times of emergency, like when I was shifted
from one hospital to another on Dec 28th and operated upon, credit
cards came in handy. In such times, the hospital may not wait for your
insurance agent to come and pay your surgery fees. Though you have facilities
like cashless payment cards provided by the medical insurance cover, it really
helps to have a credit card or two with you, in order to pay.
4. Be healthy, but be prepared: Apart from being a couple of kilos overweight, I was one of the
healthiest persons around. I had a healthy lifestyle with clean habits. Even
the doctors who treated me were puzzled as to how the infection became virulent
and started swelling in my body. It was then that they told me that such
bacterial growth in an infected area due to stoppage of blood supply can happen
to anybody, anywhere. There may not be a particular reason for it, for the
infection was caused by one of the most commonly found bacteria. It so happened
that the initial pus formation managed to stop blood supply to that region and
that helped its growth. So my takeaway from this experience was to be prepared
for such eventualities. This takes me back to the saying that I started this
post with. Some things are beyond our
control.
5. Have a hobby:
By hobby here, I mean something like reading. Let’s face it. Lying in a
hospital bed all day with nothing to do but to stare at the ceiling, can
certainly bog you down. That idleness may not help you in staying positive.
This is where a hobby like reading helps. Even phones were barred. Got access
to my phone only a couple of times, every day. But my doctors were kind enough
to allow me to read for some time every day. And I read some books to keep
myself engaged. Best of all, I got to re-read the Amar Chitra Katha’s version
of the Mahabharata again. Even when I was back home, I could not go out. I had
to miss out on a lot of things. Even my close friend’s wedding. But reading
certainly helped me keep up my spirits during this period.
6.
Be positive:
One thing that I am really proud of is how positively I was able to
handle the whole situation. Not for a moment did I lose hope or felt dejected.
I really do not know how I was able to do it, but I did. Me staying positive,
even in the toughest of times, helped my parents and those around me. There
were people who kept telling me that everything happens for a reason. I was not
worried about the reason for the thing has already happened. I had needles
inserted in my veins and antibiotics were injected into them, twice a day.
Every time a vial of antibiotic was injected, it was really painful. I’d have
had atleast 50 hypodermic needles inserted into my skin during this period. It
was always painful. But every time it pained, I kept telling myself that this
too shall pass. I was always looking forward to that day when all this would
have passed and I’d be able to sit and write about it in leisure. That day is
finally here. The single most important sentence that kept me positive and kept
me going during this period was this: “This too shall pass.”
I thought long and hard before I decided to write this post.
I thought if it was necessary at all to talk about it. But then, I felt it was
important to record snippets from this experience and preserve it for
posterity, while it was still fresh in my memory. Also, I felt that it may also
help the readers to learn a thing or two from my experience.
I wish you, the reader, that you never have to undergo any
such experience like I underwent. I wish you a hale and a healthy life.
Here’s to a healthy life and good times ahead.
Cheers!
-Ashwin Murali
PS: No surgery is pretty and I decided
to leave out some of the bloody and gory description of things, in order to
respect the discretion of the reader. I just wish that no one ever gets to
experience such things or pain in life.
