My Musings

1 July 2008 to 9 July 2008 --- at SRMC Prev : Part 4 For what happened on 1 July 2008, read Part 4 first. Wednesday 2 July 2008 SRMC (2nd day) ICU Savithri was in the ICU, 5th Floor, SRMC, Porur. We two were in hotel; took bath and came to SRMC by 7-15 AM. We both saw Savithri in her bed and she started crying on seeing Vijaya. Her condition has been diagonosed as ISCHEMIA ( loss in supply of oxygen in the blood stream) Doctors opine that she would have had this for the past two years but unaware of its existence. It has no symptoms but very dangerous and maybe fatal. Savithri's ECG was erratic. She is being treated for all these, she is responding to medicines, and she could be shifted to the Ward by tomorrow. All these were explained to me and Ramesh by a doctor whose name is also Ramesh. The Chief Cardiologist is Dr JSN MURTHY. Today Savithri was given Keerai saatham, Rasam saatham etc for lunch and dinner. She is normal. Sugavanam came by 12 noon and left by 4-45 PM. We two le...

27 June 2008 to 1 July 2008 Prev: Part 3 ---- Next : Part 5 Friday, June 27, 2008 (Visit No 10) Savithri came on June 25 (Wednesday) by 9-30PM by bus from Hosur. Ramesh received her at Guindy and brought her here. Ramesh left after meals. June 26 was our Amma's Sraththam day. On Friday, June 27, Savithri, Vijaya, and I packed our clothes and other things and left house in a call taxi by 8-30AM. At Saveetha Hospital we met Dr Ashwin; he got Savithri a new Medical OP card and he took us to the Gen Physician Dr Syed Ameen Ahmed . BP reading was taken 130 / 80. Dr Ahmed wanted a ECHOCARDIOGRAM taken. (An echocardiogram (also called an echo) is a type of ultrasound test that uses high-pitched sound waves that are sent through a device called a transducer. The device picks up echoes of the sound waves as they bounce off the different parts of your heart. These echoes are turned into moving pictures of your heart that can be seen on a video screen.) The echo was to be taken at the nea...

9 June 2008 to 16 June 2008 Prev : part 2 Monday, June 9, 2008 (visit No 6) Savithri came from Hosur by 6-30am yesterday (8-6-2008); she came alone, as Ramesh had left for Haridwar. Today we three (Savithri, Vijaya, and I) left house at 0835 am for Saveetha hospital in Arun's car. I had to fill petrol (Rs 500.00) at Adyar. At Saveetha, Dr Muthu Sekar checked Savithri and told that there is no improvement even after applying Candid for the past 10-15 days, "Surgery is the only way out," he said, and advised a series of tests - ECG, chest XRay, blood test (Liver Function Test). The last-mentioned test fees are Rs 750.00 and unfortunately we were short of this money. We took ECG (50.00), paid for XRay (100.00) but not taken since the eqpt was not working. We waited for Ramesh' friend to come and deliver us the money but he didn't come at all. Finally, at 12-30PM I took a "loan" of Rs 500.00 from the driver, paid 750.00 for the LFT, and Savithri gave the bl...

6 May 2008 to 23 May 2008 Prev : Part 1 Tuesday, 6 May 2008 . CHENNAI . The person from Hosur came at 6-30PM and handed us the sample, and photocopies of all Reports. Sridevi's email says that we have to meet Dr MUTHU SEKAR Wednesday, 7 May 2008 . SAVEETHA HOSPITAL . (1st visit ) Vijaya and I left house by 8-30 am in Arun's car ( we engaged a driver - 125.00 for 4 hours ) and reached Saveetha University and Hospital after an hour's drive. 23 - 24 km from our house. Saveetha is a Charitable Trust (Erode) that runs this University and Hospital. Started in 1986, this was affliated to Dr MGR University earlier; it became an autonomous University in 2005. Located at 162, Poonamalee High Road, Velappanchavadi, Chennai 77. Near the Bangalore by-pass road. We travelled via Adyar - Guindy - Kathipara jn - Porur - Kumanan Chavadi - Saveetha. At the hospital, the OP registration was just 5 rupees. Dr Muthu Sekar is a Professor in the Dept of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; he was n...

21 April 2008 to 6 May 2008 This is the start of a three-months long hospital saga that saw many twists and sudden turns and ended on 12 July 2008. Part 1 (total five Parts) follows: Monday, 21st April 2008. CHENNAI This morning we got a call from Savithri from Hosur; she said she has a growth (white patch) inside her mouth; she had consulted local dentists at Hosur. Ganesh and Sridevi asked her to go to a Dentist at Bangalore for consultation. Sridevi's akka's husband is the Dean of a Dental College and Hospital in the USA and he has suggested the name of Dr SV Kumaraswamy at Jayanagar, Bangalore. Savithri is plainly scared. Naturally. Savithri wants someone to accompany her when she visits the doctor and she wanted to know if we have any plans of going to blr this week. We said "no plans" but Ashok and Neeraja would help her. Ashok phoned Savithri and confirmed he and Neeraja would help her. Wednesday, 23 April, 2008 . CHENNAI Savithri confirmed that the appointmen...