Feb 5: And finally home

Baba discovered a friend, Dr. Sudhakar Vira, the senior medical administrator, yesterday. So today the checkout process was remarkably smooth. Dr Vira helped me with the accounts, billing etc. In return I gave his some customer feedback. Not tongue-in-cheek: people pay millions for incisive Voice of Customer data.

Kaku took Baba home in his swish limo while Dr. V and I hung out with the billing folks (Dheeraj of TPA billing was very helpful). He was home by 10 and I was home in time for lunch.

This afternoon we were chatting on Ammi's balcony and he said sadly, a little like Eeyore when he'd lost his tail, "I don't have a stomach". But hey who needs one when you can eat and drink without it. To a successful return, we're doing a little celebratory drink this evening.

The pictures are of me giving Baba his last hospital breakfast - the mask is to keep my cold germs away from him - and of Baba ensconsced in his bedroom.

This is my last post. Thank you all for the affection,encouragement and wishes for his speedy recovery.

Feb 4 17:10 Almost home

This post is specially for Manjula.

Dr. N arrived this morning and there was much talk about 'the good stuff', Palam Vihar, evenings and such like. Seems like a celebration is in the offing.

A pain management doctor arrived to chat and suggested he continue his walks but go easy on the stairs. Literally one step at a time.

I have to say the experience at Gangaram has been excellent. Dr. N is outstanding as a surgeon and an amazingly nice person. The other doctors too have been kind, soft spoken and helpful. Nurses are largely goofy - but then it can't be perfect. I would certainly recommend the hospital to anyone requiring hospitalization.

All preparations are being made to leave tomorrow morning by 9. While Ammi's planning the lunch, I'm planning the alcohol.

Manjula and friends, see you all soon.

Feb 3 14:11

Tubeless !

And lunch of Chicken Stew, Khicahdi and Dal.

Feb 3 10:35

This is the heart CP gave him - glitzy, shiny thing with 2 paws. The cheesy smile is his photo-smile.

Dr. N arrived this morning to say that he wants to do a case study on recovery speeds among patients who do regular exercise because he's so astonished (TW) with what he's seeing. He said Baba's recovery is not because of the surgery but entirely because of his regular exercise routine.

He has asked for all tubes, bags canulae to be removed today and said Baba can go home tomorrow. We've decided to take him home Saturday morning to give folks at home enough time to get his freshly-painted room cleaned and tidied.

Normal food from now on. Regular exercise to be continued - even walking up and down stairs. Looks like he'll be back in action from next week and won't need to be incarcerated in his room at all. Phew.

Feb 2 13:50

Apologies for the morning silence but no news is really good news. We did the gastrography (I think they make these words up) this morning. He drank large quantities of red liquid and then white liquid and then OJ (after 5 days of not a drop through his mouth, that was a lot!) and was X-Rayed for about 3 hours. There was a lot of leaping off and on different X-Ray tables. At the end of it, Dr N arrived and said " You've done very well. You can have a scotch and soda."

So essentially he's cleared to go back home. He should be home in 2 days - we're guesstimating Saturday morning.

The first few 'meals' are going to be liquid (it's going to be hard to convince him that Scotch and Soda wasn't a prescription), then semi-solids and then back on to solids. And then he can eat anything.

There are some other not-so-nice conversations ahead but a big hurdle's just been crossed. What a relief.

Thanks everyone for being a part of this journey. 2 more days on the blog and then I'm signing off. Come home. He'd love to have you over. For Chitra, Barrie, Rehana and other friends far away, if you do get to India, stop by at D-1947.

And here are some photographs: the youngest (Ruma) with Baba pre X-ray and two pictures post the X-Ray with both sisters appropriately masked.

Feb 1 17:51

I haven't been to the hospital today but hear he's being impossible. He's either running down hospital corridors, easily outpacing his sister and grand daughter, or on the phone and/or laptop. Here are pictures which show him doing both. FYI - he's the blur in the corridor.

Feb 1 10:41

Dr N pronounced he was pleased with all the walking Baba's been doing. He's scheduled an X-Ray to look at his handiwork tomorrow sometime. If the X-Ray pleases him, Shanks could be home by the end of the week. Fingers crossed. Or maybe plaits - those million tiny plaits with beads would be good....