Sachi gets to ring this bell tomorrow after his last radiation. This is a Mayo tradition. For six weeks we have sat and cheered others ring it, now it is Sachi's turn to take the applause. The journey from diagnosis to this Bell was uphill and fraught with dangers. It indeed is a moment to stop and savour life's tenaciousness and man's victory over 'nature gone wrong'. The war is not won yet but the battle is over. Now we just have to help Sachi recover from the ravages of what indeed is a miracle treatment. Last night was the night of all nights. We came back from the clinic around five. Sachi looked quite sick and restless. He would niether lie down nor do anything meaningful. He made some comments that alarmed me. I decided he is too tired so I steared him towards a nap. When he fell asleep the weight of the whole day suddenly descended on me. He had spent the day in a fog and keeping him oriented and making to all the appointments had sapped my energy. Looking at him sleeping I took a sigh of relief amidst feeling of pending doom. I knew something was not right but could not pin point it. Then at ten thirty I decided to wake him up. When I touched him he was burning hot. Knowing that his white blood count was low I realised this spelled danger in capital letters. Taking him to the emergency dept. used up all of my patience and conniving, for he did not want to go. He kept on mumbling something about a car jack. To my knowledge Sachi has never used a car jack (a gadget to elevate car so one can work on it) nor I believe he would be able to recognise it among other tools, but yesterday he was the authority on it. I finally convinced him to accompany me to Macdonald's for a diet coke. When I drove up to the Emergency dept. he quitely got out of the car and sat in one of the wheelchairs. From then on the effecient machinery that is Mayo took over and I knew he was safe. They did many tests that all came back negative except chest X-Ray that showed he had right side, middle lobe pneumonia.
He was stabilised in the ER dept. and then transferred to oncology ward. He was given IV fluids, antibiotics, tylenol and pain medication. I left him about 4:30 AM- sleeping deeply. In the morning when I went back I found him suavely socialising with the nurses. He had taken control of his life again and I was glad to relinquish the lagaam. He is on the mend and looking good. The doctors in their wisdom have decided he should get the feeding tube afterall. They think that right now the effort of swallowing is too much for him and is causing aspiration leading to pneumonia.
Tomorrow, after his last radiation, Sachi will undergo a small surgery to get the peg tube. This portal will be used to provide nutrition and will stay in place for six weeks. By then Sachi should be able to eat and drink without any problem. We can go home Saturday or maybe Sunday.
The remainder of the journey is more like a marathan run that is going to last five years. I know we will all be there to see him cross the finish line. I specially want to thank all of you who wrote back yesterday. It meant a lot to me.
Dhaniavad (that is Thankyou in Hindi). . . . . .from the heart. Ambi.
11 comments:
Though Sanabhai has been stricken by this dreaded ailment, there are only two persons to whom he owes his progress and care, apart from the professional healers at Mayo: God above and you by his side.... I bow down to you in grateful reverence for your tireless toil and relentless perseverance in holding the Hercules by the hand and guiding him through the merciless mire of Cancer. Your healing powers take precedence over the ones at the hospital because it is your bridge of love that has enabled him to take the gigantic leap from the abyss to the “Bell of Hope”.... it is your support that has cushioned his every fall from fitness.....it is your hand that has led him to the hotel as well as the hospital depending on the need of every hour.....it is finally your Self that has given of itself so selflessly that today you stand almost devoid of your essence, having poured all your life into my brother's to equip the impregnable team of two to withstand the unbearable blows of fate and together tide over against all odds and every recorded statistic from the sea of suffering to the ocean of well being....
Your update started with a lot of positivity but as it progressed, the tone changed from the inspired to the insecure and like a well written thriller held me by the scruff of my neck and rushed me through the piece, tripping over words till I reached the end and heaved a sigh of relief to realize : All is well that ends well ! Those hours of battle that you waged in the lonely corridors of the hospital must have required more strength than you ever imagined was possible to muster in your fragile condition. But with His constant companionship what power exists that cannot be overpowered by His Will?
It may be easy to quote your example but impossible to emulate your spirit and strength.
I offer my humble prayers to God to keep that spring of resilience in both of you ever buoyant.
Pranams & Prayers.
Babi
When you go up to the stage and ring the Bell of Hope this morning, it will not be the sound of just one single bell ringing in the halls of Mayo....you shall also hear a million bells ringing, resounding, and rising in a deafening crescendo of divinity throughout the world, some in the temples of God, some in the homes of loved ones and the rest in the hearts of thousands who hold you in esteem and await your return....
And standing in front of the cheering crowd of fellow mates and doctors, you shall see the face of your most loyal friend, bathed in relief and happiness as she prepares to escort you through the remaining sessions of treatment over the years to follow while navigating with you through the unpredictable labyrinth of life. If you see through the eyes of your heart you shall also behold the faces of your family, siblings, friends and well wishers from all over the planet welcoming you back to normalcy and bowing down before the Almighty in devoted gratitude for having rescued you from the treacherous clutches of Cancer.....
Forge ahead, our dearest one....the loving lap of Life welcomes you back to its enchanting gardens of hope and captivating fountains of beauty.
God bless you always....
Love, Pranams & Prayers.
Babi
Dearest Sati Mamu & Ambi Main,
Pranam..Main..Thanks again for your beautiful and informative mail on Sati Mamu's treatment and condition..We all cannot thank you enough for taking such good care of Sati Mamu and being his pillar of strength in this turmoil and his hour of need.
Main..I opened the blog this evening to congratulate both of you on the completion of his six weeks of treatment and was shocked to read about his fever and pneumonia caused due to aspiration while trying to swallow food..though we all hoped and prayed for him to be able to dodge the peg tube..but guess it is for his well being..as with the peg tube we are assured that he will get his desired levels of nutrition that will help him recover and get back on his feet sooner than if he were to try and maintain the same orally..Jo hota hai ache ke liye he hota hai!
We are so glad and relived to know that he is doing better and looking good this morning..So the countdown is over and it's time to celebrate and applaud the both of you for your strength, courage and tenacity..We all back home in India will be applauding loud when Sati Mamu rings "The Bell of hope" after this final radiation today..three cheers to him..HIP HIP HURRAY!
Sati Mamu..U did it! So it's good bye Mr.C and Mr.R and welcome to good times and good life back home in Lincoln with the kids..We are all sure you will soon recover and be back on your feet in no time..though we know that the peg tube for six weeks is gonna cause you some discomfort but the positive part of it is that it will help you recover faster..and in on time you will be eating orally and enjoying all the goodies that you have missed over the past six weeks..keeping Main busy in the kitchen like never before..I am sure she would be only too delighted and will oblige willingly without any complaints.. :)
How I wish I could fly across to Lincoln and be with you all during your recovery period..though not in person but I am always with both of you in mind and spirit..you are always in my thoughts and prayers.
So congratulations again to the both of you..Have a great weekend with Suraj and Jeff and a very happy and pleasant journey back home to Lincoln.
Take care and Get well Soooooooooooooon!
Love always,
Leema & Achintya.
What a great day this is!!! You have survived the bumps and will be home soon. I thank God for your perserverence, strength and patience. I pray that God will keep you safe through these final days and your journey home. Please do not heisitate to call if you need something. God Bless. Janelle
ITS THE BELL!!!! I am so glad you put that up for this week's post. i've been thinking about that bell all week and wishing I could be there to partake in the ringing... how are things? i'm sending all my get-well and high-calorie vibes in bododa's direction and i've reserved the smiles for you :) I figure if you're getting all the smiles then bododa will have to smile in response...
thank you very much for updating us the way you did - i know it must be especially hard to get all those facts down online after such a tiring day and you are an absolute angel for figuring out that something was wrong. most people would've just wanted their significant other to sleep longer thinking that the rest would solve everything. the mother's intuition and i guess in this case the wife's ... ok let's just say women's intuition and leave it at that :) saved the day!!!
missing you guys tons. please let me know what you need and i'll hit the road ;)
lots of love,
pranams,
vivek
Ambi, you are just as strong and determined as Sachi. I can only imagine your pain and anxiety when dealing with Sachi in his confused state. Seeing a loved one suffer is so very difficult. He is so lucky and blessed to have you at his side during this battle. I pray that the feeding tube will help give him needed strength. Hopefully, he has been a good patient and not too much of a doctor. I will be thinking about you ringing the bell and praying for a safe trip back to Lincoln when he is released. "Precious Lord, Take My Hand". Virg
We are so relieved to know that the "Bell of Hope" will toll today for our beloved uncle...to mark (like Main aptly said) the end of this battle. The war is yet to be won and win it you will.
We won't even pretend to know what an uphill and Herculean task this treatment must've been for you both. All we can say is that we are very proud to be part of your family, very lucky to know two such wonderfully brave pillars of strength and extremely happy that you are standing at the threshold of a new life full of hope.
Since we know you'll be really busy for the next couple of days winding up and packing your temporary home away from home we will call you after you get back to Lincoln.
Have a safe journey home.
With love and get well wishes,
From : The Pusalkars
Seema,Sandeep,Anamika & Salas
Ambi,
By this time last radiation session is complete and Sachi is on his way to complete recovery. I am sure he is looking forward to get back to Lincoln ASAP. Please do not rush until doctors at Mayo say that it is safe to go. If doctors recommend then spend couple of more days at Rochester. The hard part is over, from now onwards Sachi is going to see improvement only. He is going to regain his strength, soreness in mouth will start to disappear and soon these hard days will be like a bad dream. I have started sounding like a doctor, which I am not but Sachi is and he knows better than all of us.
We all need to learn a lot from both of you. Sachi’s courage, his nature of taking care of himself instead of bothering others, his unbelievable tolerance capacity for pain and suffering and your unlimited patience and devotion to take care of him should be a lesson to anyone going through hard time. Only you two can go out of way to take care of visitors even during such hard time and be perfect hosts.
Well look at the bright side, soon you guys will be in Lincoln with your kids and friends and happy days will be back again!
Avtar-Gurjeet
Life's suddenly so much more fun! I am so happy that you'll be heading back tomorrow and a bit relieved that you're going in for the PEG tube. Nutrition is going to be key. Getting the titan back to his gargantuan self is of top priority. I want to be able to punch his belly just as I have done times without number in the past. Of course, I wont in the near future anytime. I just feel great. I read Dad's blog and I have to echo the fact that the ringing of the bell is going to signify a momentous occasions all around the world for your near and dear ones. Wow - you guys are so famous, so loved, and so lucky!!! I can't wait to see y'all. I have just 2 weeks left. I'm gonna try to make a trip the first or second weekend I'm back. Just can't wait.
On medical news, now that Dr. Mahapatra is back online, I had two patients who had an uncanny resemblance to two of my attending doctors. Man, when I saw each of them, back-to-back admissions, I broke a sweat each time. I knew they were NOT my attendings. But their resemblance triggered something subconsciously. I instantly began to think and re-think my every question and word. I didn't wanna make any mistakes, for my attendings were "watching" me. In the end, it was a pleasure working in their care. But each morning, when I went to their rooms, I would have to remind myself that they were NOT my attendings. The mind is such an interesting phenomenon.
Regardless, I do hope that I feel the same sense of insecurity with all my patients. Only so that I never take for granted the level of care I can and should give them. Of course there should come a time when I wont need the insecurity to automatically give them my 110%. But right now, I just don't know enough and even my 110% might end up effectively being a 20-30% in their treatment. The extra effort might make up for that.
I can't wait once again to see you. Love you guys. Pranams.
Dear Ambi and Sachi Bhai,
It is indeed great to hear that you are now at the end of the battle. By God’s grace and through your courage and devotion, the war will be won too. Your strength and perseverance is an inspiration to all who are facing adversity. All of us pray that you will get back to normal soon in Lincoln and start enjoying the “Good Life”.
Mala, Maya, Mili, Jeetu and Ashok
Dear Ambi:
Six weeek became six days, six hours,and now it is the time to ring the bell of hope. It will become six minutes, seconds and finally history. However, the echo from the sound of the pendulum from this bell of hope will be heard far away from MAYO and will turn HOPE to HEALTH & HAPINESS. All our prayers and blessings from many more elders will open a new chapter. You deserve the real appluse than any one else.
GOD BLESS US ALL.
Aekha
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