Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Lessons at the Labour Ward: Be strong, you never know who you're inspiring...

"You're my little sweetheart... come here baby, 
let me keep you warm. 
Hey you...no! Don't push my sweetie pie. 
How rosy your cheeks are, you pretty little pumpkin.."

I was playing with the newborn babes lying on the incubator.

"Enna daddy feelings ah", the nurse mocked.

It was one of those less daunting days in the labour rooms of JIPMER while I worked there as a Final Year MBBS student. Strangely, the patient load was less and I had a little time for chit chat with the nurses and to play with the newbon babies. 

I walked around the labour room observing the mothers in pain. It was a common sight to see them wailing and weeping with pain. I would always offer my presnece and a word of comfort whenever I could, but most often, I would be too busy and there would practically no time to breathe.

There was one particular lady who impressed me. Mrs. N, I cleary remember her name, though I don't wish to post it here. She was a fair, beautiful woman about 26 years of age. She was well educated. The strange thing about her was that she did not wail nor weep in pain. She did not shout, she did not cry nor did she breakdown in tears. I initially thought that her labour was progressing at a slower pace. I took a keen interest in her and I visited her many times and she noticed that. I would take her readings but I didn't speak with her. She would smile at me and be grateful for what I do. As her labour progressed, I could see she winced with pain at times but she kept herself in control. She would look around the place and see  mothers moaning with pain everwhere, yet she kept her composure.

To me, she was a sign of strength. I knew the pain she was going through yet she reamined strong and that inspired me a lot. She had every reason to breakdown with pain and cry. But she had a charming and plesant smile on her face that showed grit and determination. 

She had progressed into the final stages of labour and she started having stronger contractions and much pain. She couldn't stand it anymore. Finally she let herself cry. She wept silently. I went near her. She looked at me as if she'd expected me. "I'd tried my best, I don't think I can take it any longer", these were the exact words she spoke.

"You've remained too strong for too long" I said. "It's OK. It does pain. It's really OK. In a few mins you've be holding a beautiful baby and all this pain won't matter" I reassured her.

While she was wheeled out of the labour room, she was holding a beautiful baby boy in her hands and she had a broad smile on her face. She truned back to tell me "Thank you Doctor". I waved and smiled. 

In her, I saw the grit and determination to stay strong and the threshold of human strength.



Friday, April 11, 2014

A Sign of Perfect Peace

Today morning, something very different happened, something that never happened before in the past few months. I woke up with so much happiness and enthusiasm! I literally jumped out of my bed ready to conquer the whole world. I felt so much strength in my arms. My heart felt as light as a feather.

What was so strange about today? Did my worries evaporate away? Did my problems vanish completely? Did my life become easier?

Well, NO.

I just felt a sense of "Perfect Peace" within my heart and I could feel happiness in every cell of my body. I remember, last night, I had slept off with a little prayer. "I give everything into your hands, Lord. Take care of me. Help me do your will." 

Was it the effect of the prayer? I was thinking about it, while I walked around my room. How good it would be if this perfect peace remains in my heart continually, I mused. I knelt down, prayed, felt even stronger. I walked into the kitchen.

My mother had just made me a cup of coffee. It picked it up, took little sips and walked out. It was such a perfect blend, I enjoyed every drop of it as I crossed my house. I went out to the veranda. I could see my father watering the garden. The golden rays of the morning sun hit those tiny water drops on the leaves that glittered like little golden balls. I was mindlessly sipping my coffee when a glimmering light caught my eye. On the grill that separated the veranda and the garden, between two rods, was a fine thread of gold.

I went close and saw a spider web. "Nice," I thought and looked away. In a sudden jerk, I turned to the web once again and this time I examined it very carefully and with a lot of wonder. In the midst of a beautifully spun web was a little white spider. There was something strange about this one. It was perfect. Not even a single strand was broken. It was in perfect condition and it was glittering in the morning sun. (You can see the pictures below. Some strands are not seen because the camera could not capture some very thin strands if the angle to light exposure was different.)

It was quite strange because I have never seen an intact web ever before on that grill because the leaves nearby or the water from the garden hose invariably would damage it. For that matter, I have never come across such an intact web anywhere before! I went running to pick my camera and I clicked off lot of pics. And when I was totally into my camera and macro lenses, I heard a little voice whisper...

"If I will keep the spider web intact and perfect, won't I care more for you?"

This is my sign of a perfect and perfecting peace that has taken root in my heart. 
I wish to share this little sign with someone out there who needs it.
 I wish it would put a smile on someone too.

The spidey! F/5.6 | 1/160s | ISO 200 | Canon 550D Abialbon Paul

The perfect web! F/5.6 | 1/200s | ISO400 | Canon 550D Abialbon Paul

Sign of perfect peace! F/5.6 | 1/200s | ISO 400 | Canon 550D Abialbon Paul


Friday, February 21, 2014

Thank you Bernoulli!

At my cousin's house. 

My head on my mother's lap, lying on the comfortable couch, I was fully relaxed. My mind was soaring on the highways on a pan Indian tour! I had just drove from Pondy to Chennai and I always loved driving on the highways. There was a clamour around, I was happily dreaming…

There was a little commotion around the fish tank! The aerator had stopped working and my aunt panicked. She had a valid reason to. Considering the small fish tank and the large fishes, the oxygen content of the water would not be sufficient for a long time to sustain those fishes without proper aeration. Those fishes were already seemed half dead and were settling on the lower portion of the fish tank. My aunt had lost fishes before because the aerator malfunctioned and so she was hullabaloo!

My aunt ordered me to go out with her and get a new one ASAP. I really did not want to move, but I couldn't deny either.

Show me the aerator, let me have a look, I said. I will repair it for you if you just give me 5 minutes.
I was too lazy to change my night dress and leave out on a cold night.
I opened up the aerator. I saw it had a small motor whose fan was propelled by an electromagnet. The motor pumped out water. On the pump outlet was an air vent. Oh, the Bernoulli's principle, I mused. When the water was pumped around the air vent, a negative pressure would be developed that would suck the air in. The problem here was that the air vent was displaced and was facing the opposite side! And that is why there was no aeration but water was being pumped out through the air vent.

I fixed it.

Tada! It works! I exclaimed!
Now don't call me anywhere, I announced!

Thanks to Mr. Daniel Bernoulli! And thanks to my physics teacher who inculcated so much interest in me that I still remember what I learnt 8 long years ago! I thank you people so very much!

Because of you, I go now back peacefully. Back to the couch, back on my mother’s lap, back to the highways lit by the beautiful evening sun, revving a 2000 cc SUV, piercing through the dashing wind, exploring, experiencing and fun !

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

The Angel Wears Raincoat

On a November morning, when the dark clouds crowded over the busy town, when the gravitational pull on me when I'm on my cosy cosy bed went extremely high, it rained.

For some reasons, I have always been in love with the rain all through my life. Turning into a 24 year old, I still had those beautiful feelings for running around in the rain, dancing getting drenched, jumping around in the muddy puddles. It has always been my ambition to be happy with whatever I've got and to be the best I can be. (Well, yes, the rain does bring philosophical thoughts too to me)

Rolling down out of my bed, staggering around I went about getting ready for work. I have to confess by the time I was ready to leave home, I was getting blasé about the day’s work. And to add to that, a little irksome mood kept peeing out as I had to go through the beautiful rain to boring work.

The cold engine revved up and I was on my way to JIPMER.

The road ahead was busy as people were walking with colourful umbrellas, parents accompanying their school going children and college busses on the mundane trips. The traffic did not do me good. I was frowning already.

500 meters ahead, I could see a slender figure standing right in the centre of a busy road and swaying irregularly. Another victim of the effect of alcohol, I thought. As I was moving close to him, I was fuming. There was a little commotion around him.

As I approached near, I realised that the slender not-so-tall middle aged guy was wearing a raincoat and was standing right in the centre of the road and waving to the vehicles to move on either side of him. Curiosity replaced my little irritation completely.

Almost very close to him, I realised that there was an electric overhead cable that was cut and lying on the road. This guy was standing right in front of it and signalling people so that they would avoid it and not run into it. For a moment, his eyes caught mine staring at him so intensely. He waved his hands and I obeyed subconsciously.

I kept moving.

I took a turn and exited the main road and continued on my way…

RESPECT.

For the Angel who wore raincoat.