Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Homage to New Technology

Sachi loves to check the blog. Your messages get read within a few hours of your sending them. This new age ingenious invention that our grandparents would have found unbeleivable and our kids find indispensable has proved to many of us (the sandwich generation) a marvel. This blog has shrunk our world to a cozy size and hurled us into a new dimension that we can cross instantly with a few finger taps. With this tool in hand world peace suddenly seems possible (I wonder if telephone once raised these same hopes?)
You can see I have too much time on my hands. Jyoti & Jeff left today and Suraj & Ravi are at college. Baisakhi was a family affair made very special by all the food, flowers, prasad and good wishes sent our way. Sachi was a quiet participant but the central focus. All the good will must have helped because today for the first time he skipped one dose of pain medication and another time chose extra strength Tylenol instead of Hydrocodone. He still spends most of the time sleeping. While here Jyoti did the same using the excuse: "I'm keeping Baba company". She was in her mayka (parents home as opposed to in-laws home) after all.
Sachi now sleeps a little bit more comfortably than before and wakes up less often. His tube feeds are going fine and he is tolerating the formula OK. Many times I am busy with the tube feeds and cannot pick up the phone; other times I switch it off so Sachi can sleep undisturbed. We are sorry about this and hope this will not last too long. Many of you want to know when you can come and visit us. We are so looking forward to seeing all of you and hope in 2-3 weeks Sachi's schedule will be more predictable and he will be upto these visits. Untill then this blog is our social lifeline. Some of our family from India and USA plan to come and see us this summer. This thought keeps us looking into the future. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Thankyou for staying with us all this way. . . . . Ambi.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Sometimes it is strange how time slips through your fingers and you are drawn to the conclusion of your act even before you realize it. Though the impulse of accessing this Blog has become second nature whenever I access the net, I held myself back from offering my two cents, not because I wanted to, but maybe because I was trying to experiment on my power to resist the temptation! But then, I was reminded of Oscar Wilde's wise crack: “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it”!! And here I am back on the keyboard tapping away, letting loose the strangely living creatures of my imagination....
The other day when I got to hear both your voices I went through a paradox of emotions. While my mind comprehended the reason for your continuing indisposition due to expected side effects, my heart grieved at the ceaseless pain you were being dragged through. Being two sides of the same coin, the agony seems to have been distributed equally between the two of you – physical torture on Sanabhai and mental trauma on Nuabou. But the courage and serenity both of you have exhibited in the process of this entire ordeal is not for pen to write or paper to record....it is only for body to bear and soul to bleed, for mind to accept and heart to weep, for lips to pray and God to bless....
How we all wish we could share your pain and bear the trauma through this extremely trying journey....
But, like Sudhabhai has so beautifully delineated, the cycle of Life moves on....If you have been thrown into the bottomless chasm of pain, you shall also be delivered by the strong hand of God and blessed with the solace of recovery.... if the darkness inside the hidden chambers of your arid Soul was blinding, the brilliance of daybreak shall fill your being with peace unlimited....if the repeated blows of mortal fear wounded your grit at times, the resilience of coming back to the sanity of normal living shall lighten the burden on your temporarily weak shoulders and light the lamp of hope...
Slow it may appear to be, but victory shall be yours to relish... If it was God's Will that put you through the recent hardships, it shall also be His command that shall resurrect the Hercules in you and restore a power so potent as to embrace the supremacy of physical superiority and spiritual excellence....
The birds are singing in the open skies while the newly born flowers are painting captivating pictures on the bosom of mother earth.....and in the distant horizon the elements beckon you to muster all your strength to weather the last few storms...to pierce through the last patch of darkness and extricate yourself from the tunnel into the vast openness of creation and enjoy the greatest of all gifts: The Gift of Life....
Pranams & Prayers
Babi

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Leema and Achintya said...

Dearest Sati Mamu & Ambi Main,

Pranam.Main..Thanks as always for your beautiful and detailed update on the weekend happenings and Sati Mamu's recovery..The blog has become such an integral part of our lives that the day seems incomplete without me logging in to check your updates or the comments posted by others for you..I suddenly forget all my daily worries and am transported to your home to be a witness of all your celebrations and the gradual recovery of this remarkable man..Sabyasachi Mahapatra.."My strongest and most favorite Mamu"..Main we can't thank you enough for giving us this beautiful medium to express our feelings and thoughts and to be able to share our happiness, joys, sorrows, insecurities, fears and grief with you and the rest of the family..and most importantly letting us be a part of your family during the entire treatment process..making us feel that we were there with you all the way if not in person but definitely in mind and spirit..we went to bed each night with a peaceful mind knowing that Sati Mamu was in capable hands of the Mayo doctors and you, his guardian angel by his side all the way.

We both are glad to know that your Baisakhi celebrations went well and that Sati Mamu though a quiet participant was able to participate in the celebrations..We can't thank God enough for bringing him home in time for Baisakhi celebrations..As for Jyoti sleeping it out while in her Maayka is concerned I can totally identify with that as I do exactly the same when I visit Mamma & Daddy in Delhi..that sleep is so much more carefree, peaceful, sound and restful..miss that so much in Bangalore.. :)

Sati Mamu..We are so happy to know that you skipped one dose of your pain medication yesterday..this is the beginning..in 2-3 weeks time we are sure you will be taking lesser n lesser pain medication..We are glad to know that you are sleeping more comfortably now and that your tube feeds are going fine..with all the rest and your tube feeds you will soon recover and be back on your feet..and back in action playing the perfect gracious host as always.. :)

Take care and Get well soon,

Pranam and Prayers,
Love always,
Leema & Achintya

Robin K. said...

Dr. Mahapatra-Everyone on 6 North ICU at BLGH-East is thinking of you often and including you in our personal prayers. Prayers for strength, comfort, and healing. We miss seeing you around, but know your friends and family are taking the best of care of you. I was glad to see that Dr. A and Dr. C are keeping close tabs on you. I'm sure you have already learned that it's easier to listen to them and do what they say rather than argue with them!! Ha. Thanks for sharing your personal journey with so many people who care for you. Blessings to you and your family.

gavy said...

we glad to know dat u can sleep comfortably nd rid of dat painkiller medicine very sooon u ll rrecoverd frm dat feding tube
tk care
bye
gavy

Asit & Runu said...

Dear Sachi bhai and Ambiji,
Namaskar !!!
Sachi bhai, it was very nice talking to you last week. We were really thrilled to hear your voice. Very glad to know that you had a good Baisakhi celebration at home We pray GOD for your speedy recovery, joy and happiness.
Regards,
Asit & Runu

Sini and Sanju said...

Dearest nuabou,
You r the ANGEL send by GOD from heaven to this earth, only for sanabhai. all these years u lived only for this day...with your MAGIC TOUCH u r curing my

y brother, your dearest hubby...who is everything to you n to whom you r also everything.
Its you n only you, nuabou, who could shoulder such a big n serious matter...for so
long...with what love, care n dedication u r serving my rearest bhaiya...

Sini and Sanju said...

BROTHER MINE,
After going through all the touchy blogs, my heart gets
so heavy n my mind so full of thoughts that i fail to decide what to write n what not to...
Bhaiya mere...i had never thought the days after those dreadful 6 weeks, , will
be so very painful n bothering for you. All of us were looking forward...how these 6weeks will
pass n my dear brother will breathe peacefully...but now when i hear your painful voice, my heart sinks
n tears well in my eyes..u have lost so much of weight..u r feeling so weak...O GOD!CURE MY BROTHER FAST...LET THESE PAINFUL DAYS FLY AWAY
i want to see my dear loving brother again , healthy happy n smiling...
GOD DEAR! YOU CAN DO ANYTHING N EVERYTHING.AS YOU HAVE MADE MY BROTHER SUFFER, SO ALSO YOU WILL GIVE HIM STRENGTH N MAKE HIS DAYS PAINLESS
Sanabhai, you r so brave n mentally strong..spiritually so confident n fearless...nothing can shake you , my dear
...just wait...ye bhi biti jaegi...this will also pass....
all our love, best wishes n prayers with u both...love..sini n sanju

Unknown said...

Welcome back, Sini apa!! We have really missed your inimitable warmth of expression, fervor of prayer and intensity of feeling, all rolled into one beautiful package of open simplicity....When the heart emotes and the soul expresses there is no need for any cosmetic decoration or deliberate adornment....words issue without effort and emotions stream out in an uninterrupted flow of spontaneity....
Each step in the direction of recovery is a giant leap towards normalcy. Whether it involves medication or activity, whether it regulates the hours of sleep or allows a bonus to wander in the silent beauty of your garden.....it is like collecting drops of water to unleash the huge ocean, conserving fibers of muscle to power the imposing body, compiling countless words of inspiration to resume the story of Life...
Your smooth sailing through most of the treatment schedule was looking too much like a fairy tale. The whole world was watching in fascination and awe while you glided through the circuitous route with an ease of tolerance that defied human endurance at its unbelievable highest. Maybe that's why God sent a slight jolt your way to make you realize that the Cross each one of us carries through Life demands a price that we have to cough up sooner or later. In your case, His kindness was felt and seen through your transition from despair to dream and then from dream to reality in one long string of miracles blessed by Divine Grace...... If your current condition threatens to handicap your progress or slow down your march towards health and fitness, do not lose heart, dear one.....from the doldrums of weakness shall take birth the pillars of strength that will uphold not only your mighty frame but will also transform you into a luminary of exemplary courage and perseverance.... That which was hitherto accepted in the hearts and minds of all who knew you, shall now be rolled out on the stage of Life and played out through the blazing test of tolerance....
Sometimes we may encounter situations that confound us totally and seem to crush us with the frustrating taste of defeat, but to hang in there and never to give up till we clinch the crown of triumph is what illustrates our conviction from within and blessings from above.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” - Winston Churchill.

Love, Pranams and God bless you all.
Babi

jeet said...

Ambi,

Nice to know that Sachi is getting better everyday. His skipping the strong pain medicine and switching to Tylenol for some doses is encouraging. Looks like he is regaining strength and recovering quickly.

We all understand your phone explanation. I think this blog is a very good Sachi news source. Sachi's well wishers start worrying only, when blog is not updated for a few days.

I am glad you had nice quite family Baisakhi. Weather is getting nicer everyday. I am sure you guys are already taking or will soon take long walks outside. As Sachi explained to us, when we were in Rochester, walking is the best exercise for physical as well as mental uplift. Sachi has some free time on his hands till July. Normally he is so busy; this should give you two time to catch up.

Will try to catch Sachi on phone sometime this week.

Avtar-Gurjeet