To Hell and Back

I was admitted to El Camino Hopsital in Mountain View, California on the 12th of March for treatment of pneumonia. Prior to admission, I was suffering from severe cough, chest congestion and weakness for the entire week. I thought I would recover in a couple of days, but that did not happen.During this period nasal,sounds emanating

suggested as if I had swallowed a whistle.. On the 12th of March, after taking a short nap, I sat before the computer to check my emails. My wife came around and started asking me some questions. As I was not responding properly, she immediately called my son. My son came home at three, and took me to the clinic for diagnosis, tests and treatment. From the time I reached the clinic to the time I met the doctor at the clinic for his advice, I was totally oblivious to my surroundings. I had blanked out, and did not even know when the chest x-ray was actually done To be not conscious and yet be alive is indeed a passport to Hell.. The Chinese doctor at the clinic met us around nine O'clock with the reports and advised me to get  admitted in El Camino Hospital immediately. He also told me that I was in a state of delirium. 'If you go home, you will kill yourself' were the words of the doctor.

My wife and son decided to take me to the hospital for admission. Initially, I was taken to the Emergency Room. On seeing the x-ray, the chief doctor (a middle-aged American) told me that I was suffering from pneumonia. I was immediately put on glucouse drips and antibiotic intra Venus injections. Pneumonia is a lung infection caused either by  bacteria or a virus. In my case, the diagnosis was that the pneumonia was caused by bacteria. Personally, I am inclined to believe that the very long walk I undertook under severely cold weather on my first day of my visit to Washington D.C may have caused this problem. I remained in the hospital for two days during which I was administered continous fluids and antibiotic injections. The injections had their sidefffects, like always. I suffered from severe diarrheoa in the nights and had to seek assistance of the nurse to go to the toilet, as my hands were connected to the stand where fluid bottles/injections were kept.

On such occassions, there is a tendency to benchmark. I immediately thought of for how long my father had  lived. I also began to think of people of  my age who have died of pneumonia, particularly Newab of Patudi, former cricket captain of India, and father of Saif Ali Khan. Nawab of Pataudi died of pneumonia in a Delhi hopsital, unattended and helples owing to wrong diagnosis initially. But there was a difference between him and I; he was a chain-smoker whilst I have never smoked in my life.

I was discharged from the hospital after two days on the14th of March. The fact that my son was around when the whole thing happened was a source of great relief for me. I am the only member in the family to have the dubious distinction of having stayed in hospitals in UK and USA (in London, the hospital I was admitted to was the Clementine Churchill Hospital and El Camino Hospital in California).

I have begun to realize the wisdom behind an age old saying; 'health is wealth'. Unfortunately, we realise the value of good health only when we don't have it. I earnestly hope and pray that I do not suffer any further hospitalization for the rest of my life.

I shudder to think what would have happened to me had my wife delayed my departure to the hospital by good eight hours.She has been my guardian angel

from the day we got married in Feb 1970

VK Balasubramanian

London, England

25-3-13