Nobody Thought I Would Survive (4)

I have no idea what possessed me -- I did not want to go to the nursing home. I hid my face in the pillow and kept telling, "plz do not take me to the nursing home .. Granny did not come back from there.. neither will I return"!!
By that time, I was severely dehydrated. My toes were getting stiff and crooked. I could not pull them back. My brother was trying his best to pull and straighten them.
I remember asking my brother the time. It was 4 in the evening I learned.

I felt the need to go to the toilet again -- for the umpteenth time. When I was ready to come out of the bathroom, I stretched my arm to open the door and suddenly my head spun. I somehow steadied myself, but my body felt numb. "This is going out of control now!! I need immediate help!" - I said to myself.

My family was relieved to know that sanity had returned to me. My mother and sis-in-law packed a few essentials for me while I tried to dress myself. Suddenly I felt that, though I had had no urge to go to the toilet, something was flowing out of my body and I had no control whatsoever -- It was as if a tap had lost its washer -- my undergarment was wet! I called out for Ma, told her what was happening and proceeded towards the toilet again. Ma stopped me firmly. She asked me to come down to the car in whatever situation I was. "Do not waste more time" she insisted.

The journey to Belle Vue was a drag. It was a weekday evening and roads were jammed with traffic. I was throwing up non-stop and poor Ma was trying to contain it in a towel. The other outflow which had begun just before I left home was going on without a pause.
The car halted at every traffic signal that fell between our home and the nursing home at Minto Park. My brother tried to jostle through it all, constantly cursing the pathetic traffic scenario of the city.

At the main entrance of Belle Vue, I was transferred to a stretcher and carried to a dark corner. I do not know if it was actually dark - but everything around me seemed dark and hazy.
My father was told that we needed to wait for some time -- the doctor who had been waiting for me had to leave for some place else as we were late.
I was transferred to a narrow bed outside the doctor's cabin. One of the fourth-class staff of the nursing home came to my aid and gave me a couple of tissues and a couple of towels. I was still throwing up.
[later I came to know his name was Santosh - - I have met him numerous times since then - he always has a kind smile -- always asks "didi, how are you?" .. to me he is one of those people whom God sends to people in distress]
I do not know, how much time had passed. I suddenly realized the doctor had arrived and he was asking me some thing. I had to concentrate hard to understand

Nobody Thought I Would Survive (3)

Then:


I kept lying down in my bedroom as the evening proceeded. Around 8 o'clock I felt like going to the toilet. It appeared I had an upset stomach. Just as I was about to get out of the toilet, I puked. Then again I needed to go to the potty.. then again I puked.. then again I went to the potty!! I was inside the bathroom for hours. My brother, sis-in-law and Baba were watching TV and Ma was busy with her evening prayers. When Ma realized I was inside the bathroom for quite some time, she asked my brother to knock the door. The series of outflows had subsided by then and I managed to come out and stumble towards my bed.
In the next couple of hours I went to the toilet a couple of times more. It was past dinner time and bedtime for the family. Everybody had to go to work the next morning ( I was not thinking about work anymore.. I was not thinking about anything anymore)-- so they hurried off to the dinner table and then to bed.
I had not had anything since morning. My mother made some chhana (cottage cheese) (It is her age-old belief that piping hot cottage cheese is very good for you when you have a stomach upset) and fed me a few spoon fulls.Then she shifted to the room beside mine for the night.
The chhana broke all hell lose!! Throughout the night I visited the toilet around 30 times -- I realized my body was losing water at a drastic pace.
At around 5 am, while I was in the toilet, I realized we had run out of water. I called out for Ma, requesting her to switch on the water pump. I hated waking her up, but I was helpless.

When I reported her about my night, she got scared, and woke everybody up!. Baba did not know which doctor to call -- my sis-in-law gave the contact number of the physician who treats her family at her father's place. The doctor was kind enough to give names of medicines over the phone and told when and how to have them. He also advised me to drink water mixed with small amounts of salt and sugar.

My brother hurried off to the druggists nearby and brought the medicines. I managed to have a biscuit and swallow the first batch of tablets and capsules. I had my first peaceful fifteen minutes since the previous evening. I kept my fingers crossed.
I had kept my phone off -- I did not know what to tell people at work .. I knew it was month-end and I was needed desperately.. I felt like shit.

The next couple of hours were more or less peaceful. I had to visit the potty only twice. Feeling assured, that I would soon be okay with time, my brother left for work with Baba. My sis-in-law had left for work early in the morning.
Around eleven o'clock I felt a bit uneasy and threw up. Then I went to the potty, then again I puked, then again I went to the potty. By then, it was time for the second batch of medicines. I had a biscuit and swallowed the pills.
For the next couple of hours, I went to the toilet numerous times - I lost all count - I lost all track of time. I was also puking incessantly.
Ma called up Baba and he rushed home with my brother. Soon my sis-in-law was back too - her school got over in the afternoon.
Baba called up the Belle Vue Clinic, where he had been an architect for long. He was asked to take me there as soon as possible. The best gastroenterologist that they had was present there.