Random Musings

I write about the disturbing moment of time, when my mom suffered a heart attack, on the morning on Feb 14, 2004. We did not realise it when it happened, and we took her quickly to the hospital across the road from our home, where after an ECG, the cardiologist gave us the shocking news.. that she had suffered a massive myocardiac infrac (I still can’t spell it right) or simply put, a big heart attack. He also informed that it was going to be a critical 48 hours from there on.

It was the first time that I was in a situation like this. Superstitious to feel that I should not talk about this, I had not mentioned to anyone else, but I did think in my own mind, that at the age of 40, I had been so lucky to have never spent a night in hospital for any reason, since I was discharged from the hospital at the time of my birth. But now this hit us.. My father broke down, and he sat there clutching his head in his hand, not speaking a word, and not moving. As hindsight can now reveal, there were so many decisions to be made in the course of that day, and later for the next several days. And I would have been absolutely ill-equipped to make those without the help that I got from my dear friends.

And all it took was a single phone call..

I called up my friend, Dr. Sunil Keswani first, who was on his morning walk, luckily with my other friend, Dr. Mahesh Jotwani. When he heard me out, he simply said that he is coming down. And they both were at the hospital in a few minutes. Dr. Anand Parihar and Dr. Anil Bradoo came a little later. Dr. Tejal Wagh brought snacks and juice for us after some time, and Prajakti and Vimmi gave comfort in ensuring that we did not have to worry about the kids. Vineet came down soon after.

With so many close friends around, offering the best of help, guidance and suggestions, a load was off my mind. I knew that if I asked their opinions and then took whatever decisions that had to be taken, those decisions would be the best in the circumstances. Beyond that, it was obviously going to be a question of destiny and fate.

These friends were there till late at night when we moved my mother to the Bombay Hospital. They visited the hospital several times, they talked to the cardiologist and comforted all of us in the family, by confirming that the cardiologist was on the right track.

How would it have been without their help? Without their technical support as doctors, without their moral support? I consider myself so lucky to have such great friends who care so much. No great words of thanks were shared, no major feeling of obligations. It came from their hearts, and it was absolutely touching and heartwarming. And all it needed was a single phone call…