Dark days
It is long time since I wrote ie nearly 2 yrs.Not that I got overwhelmed by old memories of those dark days of my total physical incapacity, but due to other logistical reasons preoccpying my thoughts.
I spent 15 days of ordeal both physical & psychological in spite of the best treatment given with care&affection.I lost my muscle power from neck to toe to "O". some movements possible only in the face that too with all different grades of palsy causing grotesque appearance on trying to speak
andspeech unintelligible.The greatest worry was how to communicate if were to be put on ventilater.Cant even make gestures.so I told my wife if I open the eye & stare- I am calling.number of blinkings were given meanings like
one-thirsty,two pain,three-call doctor etc. Fortunately inspite of the severe attack(axon degeneration,they told me later)breathing got spared.the most annoying symptom was pain-pulling pain,dull aching pain,shearing pain &so on at different places of my anatomy;especially around the joints& the
extensor muscle areas.Physicians debated for treatment plasmapheresis vs Immunoglobulins and decided on the latter.After the course I was shifted to perambur rly hosp at chennai for social&logistic reasons.The medicines,air fare& other connected expenses were borne by the railways.I would like to mention here that the Rlys is govt org making profit in transport business and at the same time functions as a welfare organisation.They provide comprehensive health care to its 1.5 million employees,their family,and dependents.spend 800 crores of rupees for the medical dept. I cannot but compare this with very poor health delivery system in one of the most developed countries(USA)when I stayed with my son on tourist visa for long periods on a few trip -ofcourse 5,6 years after this tragic episode.
I spent 15 days of ordeal both physical & psychological in spite of the best treatment given with care&affection.I lost my muscle power from neck to toe to "O". some movements possible only in the face that too with all different grades of palsy causing grotesque appearance on trying to speak
andspeech unintelligible.The greatest worry was how to communicate if were to be put on ventilater.Cant even make gestures.so I told my wife if I open the eye & stare- I am calling.number of blinkings were given meanings like
one-thirsty,two pain,three-call doctor etc. Fortunately inspite of the severe attack(axon degeneration,they told me later)breathing got spared.the most annoying symptom was pain-pulling pain,dull aching pain,shearing pain &so on at different places of my anatomy;especially around the joints& the
extensor muscle areas.Physicians debated for treatment plasmapheresis vs Immunoglobulins and decided on the latter.After the course I was shifted to perambur rly hosp at chennai for social&logistic reasons.The medicines,air fare& other connected expenses were borne by the railways.I would like to mention here that the Rlys is govt org making profit in transport business and at the same time functions as a welfare organisation.They provide comprehensive health care to its 1.5 million employees,their family,and dependents.spend 800 crores of rupees for the medical dept. I cannot but compare this with very poor health delivery system in one of the most developed countries(USA)when I stayed with my son on tourist visa for long periods on a few trip -ofcourse 5,6 years after this tragic episode.
posted by HARIHARAN at 11:00 AM
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