Those Three months in 2022

Have you heard of the phrase “being Blind-sided”? If there is a way that I can describe, it is that - “I was Blind-sided”. Blindsided means “Getting an unpleasant surprise from a most unexpected or least expected side”

I did (and still do) believe in maintaining one’s health through good exercise and reasonable dietary restrictions (Not overdoing anything and be moderate, even though it sounds a bit boring).

Overall, I have had an interesting life with a lot of physical activities built into it.

The Day I was Blind-sided.

21st June, International yoga day. At Eagleton, the resident’s association had decided to celebrate it on 19th (Sunday) followed by breakfast.

I had planned to go on a breakfast bike ride that morning and changed the plan to attend this. While my wife’s incentive was yoga, mine happened to be purely the nice breakfast that would be served post the yoga session.

19^th June Morning

Generally, I’m an early riser (3.45AM) and on that day reluctantly, I decided to stay in the bed as we would later go to the yoga function. Got up from the bed at ~6.00. As I went to the finish my morning stuff, I had a bout of what I thought was diarrhoea. Quickly it morphed into a nausea, and I felt extremely sick. Called out to my wife to help me. Got back and sat on the bed. I was profusely sweating. I was literally dripping all over ears, nose. It was as though I had just finished a marathon. It was clearly a cold sweat. Second guessing that I might be in for a Heart attack or a cardiac arrest, I thought that I might just have some time to react and had to plan and act quickly. Options - call for the ambulance, call a friend. As ambulance could possibly take time, I reached out to my hand phone and called a neighbour friend (Mr. Ashok Giri) at Eagleton. It was 6.05. Luckily, he picked the phone. Requested him to get his car immediately and that I had a medical emergency. I wanted to be in the hospital. His response was “Yes sir, bande (Coming)”.

Calling out to my wife, I mentioned that I’ll be sitting out at the portico and asked her to hurry up and that Ashok would be here with his car, and I want to get hospitalised.

By the time she came out the car arrived.                        

 

The Rush drive.

Ashok Giri and I quickly discussed, and I asked him to take me to a full-fledged hospital and not any nearby (Bidadi / Ramanagara) nursing homes. Options were limited. BGS Gleneagles hospital (Kengeri) was our choice. Google showed a 20 mins to drive. It was a risk. We took it.

I kept myself cheerful and kept asking Ashok to drive aaramse. “Sir, nanna yede gunDugal iddahaage, yenu aagOlla (I have a strong heart, nothing will happen) ”. Tried cracking some jokes to keep the situation light.

Reached Emergency response (ER) in 17 mins flat. So, that would be ~ 6.22 AM.

ER

At ER on hearing my symptoms, the Doc did an ECG. I again was chirpy and talking and making conversations with the nurses & the Docs. Asked the doc as to what the ECG showed. He was calm “Check maaDtaa iddeevi, Echo maaDbiDtheevi (We are checking, we will do an Echo cardiogram test)”.

Echo machine was rolled in and they stared the Echo….

Next minutes…

From here on  it is a hearsay (I got to know this later in the evening from the cardiologist - Dr. Avinash who came to meet me - Refer CCU).

As the echo started, I had a heart attack followed by two cardiac arrests (Heart attack happens when the blood flow to the heart gets stopped and hence the heart stops working. That is a heart attack. Cardiac arrest may sometimes follow a heart attack. In a cardiac arrest, the electrical impulse to the heart goes haywire and the heart rate becomes high and erratic and finally the electrical impulses stop. In short, Heart attack is a blood flow problem, and the cardiac arrest is a problem regarding electrical impulse to the heart - This is a layman’s definition and to distinguish between Heart attack and cardiac arrest). My pulse shot up to beyond 250 or so and stopped. I was clinically dead.

While a Doctor started the Echotest, the Cardiologist got a few forms signed by Anita. On hearing from the Doc who was doing the Echo and “code blue” (Cardiac emergency), he rushed in to see that I had no pulse.

He started CPR and then used a Defibrillator on me (Shocked me - remember seeing those Bollywood/ Hollywood movies). I was revived…. Only to slip back again and have my second attack (looks like I did not want to get back and the rest in that ER wanted to pull me back). The second shock did the trick, I knocked the door somewhere up there (or down below?) and came back into consciousness.

Now, again... what I remember myself.

I felt like I was submerged in water and was trying push my face up to grab some breath. The cardiologist asked me to relax and instructed to take in some deep breaths, which I did.

I saw one of the lady docs having teared up. I casually asked her “yenamma, nimmanna hedarisdnaa, did I scare you?”, for which she turned away and started to sob!!

Cardio laughed at that and said that this is all normal at ER. He then checked my responses (lift your right hand, left hand, asked me to identify people - Ashok Giri and my my wife Anita). On confirmation, he informed that I’ll be wheeled into the cathlab, where I will undergo an angiogram and if needed an angioplasty.

I smiled at him and said that “you are the doctors. Do what you think is right. I am qualified as an engineer and as an accountant!”. For which with equal jest he replied “we are not asking your permission or anything. Your wife has given us the permission. Just relax”.

The Cathlab

Dr. Ravindranath Reddy, the cardiologist (Interventionist), of whom I only heard his voice then asked me for my name and said “Mohanavare Ondu SaNNA injection (Mohan one small prick)” and put me on a local anesthesia in my right thigh.

I could hear some loud three numbers being called out and repeated by another person (Later I got to know that they were calling out a code for the arteries).

Even before I could realise, I was being taken out and one person (A Paramedic or a Doctor, I do not remember), saying that the procedure was over, and I would now be taken to the cardiac care unit (CCU) and everything was fine. With that, I bade goodbye to the Cathlab and went into CCU.

The CCU

I was cheerful just thinking that I had an angioplasty done and now in the CCU.
The first person to be let in was obviously Anita.
She came near the bed and held my hand. I was so foolish that could not see varied  emotions in her. Grinning at her I asked her if I can tell her a Bollywood movie dialogue. That must have clearly upset her. She snapped “Just shut up and take rest”. I wasn’t too sure as to why she was so upset. She held my hand tighter and said more gently to take rest and walked out.

My brother, Pradeep came next and said that I am now all okay and I have to take rest. Impishly, I smiled. I realised that he was tearing up I assured that I am feeling fine and with that he left. Madan (My Brother-In-Law) came in and nodded at me and I acknowledged. This was followed by Bilwa (Anita’s cousin sister). She tentatively walked and I smiled at her and asked her to come near and then said, “look Anita looked upset. I just wanted to tell her a Bollywood dialogue!”. She looked at me like she was looking at a foolish puppy and asked me as to what it was and that she will tell her. I cheered up and said, “All that I wanted to say was - Main kahaan hoon! (A famous yester years Hindi movie dialogue - Where am I) ”. She smiled, nodded and promised that she will tell this to Anita!!

This was followed with visits by Ashok Giri, Eshwaran and Suresh (The last two being my colleagues at Suprajit). Eshwaran and I have a long standing “Pull each other leg” banter. He saw me and wasn’t too sure how to start. I grinned at him and said that “nanna heart gundukallu iddahaage. GunDiTTu dham anta shoot maadidru yenu aagolla”(My heart is Strong. Even if you shoot a bullet into it, nothing will happen). He must have liked that. He smiled and said “howdu..eega rest thagOLLi”.

The evening the cardiologist Dr. Avinash who had attended to me came and asked as to how I felt. I replied positively and then he said “Sir, you got lucky. You went up somewhere there, knocked the door and came back”. I could not comprehend and asked him to elaborate. He looked surprised and asked me back if I did not know as what had happened to me! He then went on to explain that I had cardiac arrests and that too twice at the ER and I went into what is called a V-Fib state and I had to be shocked back (More like pushing a reset button?). He went on to explain as to why I was so lucky that this happened under a good medical facility and not at home or on my way to the hospital. He went on to explain that I was “Clinically dead” I had no pulse and the electrical activity in the heart had gone haywire and stopped. If I had been in this state for about a minute, the blood supply to my heart having been stopped would probably have reacted to De-Fib process, but the heart would have got weakened. If I had crossed over into the second one minute, the blood supply to my brain would have had stopped and hence I had a higher chance of fatality and the recovery would have been partial depending on to which part of my brain cells would have died (Paralysis, Organ failure, memory loss???)

He went on to explain that me being at the ER when the “Incident” happened saved my life. He went on to mention the case of Puneet Rajkumar (A famous and young Kannada movie actor who was role model for fitness) and a few others.

That is when the enormity of the situation hit me!

I started to look around me anew. Observed that still next to my bed was the Defibrillator (It wasn’t next to the beds of the other patients!).
I thanked the Doctor profusely and he casually mentioned that this is their job and they would have done it for anybody, but asked me to thank the person who drove me in time to the hospital and said “You owe your life to that God Almighty and to the person who got you to us in time and to a very good medical facility”. I had mixed emotions running through me and later in the evening when I met Anita and other people again.

The fate or destiny

If I If I think back, there were a lot that went right that day and a lot that could have gone wrong!

·       . Making a right choice to call a friend to ferry me to the hospital (Instead of waiting for an Ambulance)
·       Sufficiently early in the morning that Ashok picked the call and responded immediately (He travels a lot).
·       Low early morning traffic on Mysuru Road
·       Decision to reach a full-fledged hospital rather than a nursing home.
·       Not having an attack / arrest on my way to the hospital
·       Having the incident when I was in the ER area and in the care of medical specialists including a Cardiologist.
·       That being a Sunday morning, Cardiologists and Interventionist being in the hospital

The odds were stacked against me. Sunday – Morning – Being far from a Hospital and I can go on.
But I survived. What can we attribute this to other than fate and Destiny?

Death and near Death

This has been an enigmatic theme that I am sure would have occurred to many and even during normal times.
This was definitely a time to think about it.
The first question that I asked myself (Which, later has been posed to me many times by many who did dare to open this subject and ask me about it) was ….  Did I have any kind of near death / out of body experience? I would be trying to fool others by claiming anything of that sort. No, I do not recollect any sort of "Out of body or such experiences". “I” did not know that “I” was clinically dead!

“I was there, or I wasn’t there, and I did not know that I wasn’t there or was there!”

In the MaanDukya Upanishad, the concept of “Thurya “or the fourth state is talked about (The first three being the states of awakening, state of dreams, state of deep sleep and the Thurya being the “Self or I” having its own state but existing through these three states).

I wasn’t awake and hence not in the first state, did not have any dreams (where “We” create situations and almost “feel” it real), Was I in that third state of deep sleep? Perhaps not, as my pulse wasn’t there, my heart wasn’t beating, electrical activity was not there in the heart (Hope that we don’t get into that state - when we are deeply asleep!). So, I still wonder where was “I” in that period? I do not have answers and it remains an unanswered enigmatic question.

Why did it happen?

I do not claim to be a fitness freak, but, was always interested in doing some form of exercise. Just around the time of COVID, I was introduced through a friend of mine (Rajesh Babu of WMG group) to Dr. Gladson Johnson, a Physiotherapist of repute in Bengaluru.

Dr. Johnson had explained the difference between “Exercise and Activity” (We confuse ourselves between the two - Walking / Jogging / Running / Playing Tennis / Football / Golf / Hiking / Trekking etc. are all Activities, on the other hand Exercises are those which build Stamina, Flexibility, Stability, Strength).

I was following a good regimen of exercises 4 days a week and the other two days would be some sort of activity (Hiking, Walking, Golfing, Biking etc.).

Finally, more to prove a point that I was not having any warning (As I saw it), Anita and I had climbed up from Khatra (Jammu) to Sri Vaishnodevi just two weeks before this incident. I have not felt more fitter before. Had no Angina nor any sort of breathlessness.

So, was it a surprise? A shock? Were there any symptoms that were warning me that I ignored? Perhaps….

A Flashback

What’s a good story without a flashback? So here it comes… 

A few years back I started to have “Acid Reflux” or GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) was diagnosed and I had an endoscopy done. It turned out as ulcers and sample showed them being benign. I was advised to take some sort of “Proton Pump inhibitors (PPI)” and once in a while, when I have had acid attack, I used to pop them in to get relief.

Mistake one - Neglecting it and not showing to a cardio.

As a person believing in fitness, I used to climb all of the twelve floors to our apartment and sometime 5X times (60 floors!), just as an exercise. I always thought that I was the fittest amongst all the close friends and would talk about it (Shall we say - boast about it too?). My close friends, Amarnath, MS Mohan asked me not to overdo it and suggested that I talk to some good Cardiologists or any other Doctor.

I was into my exercise and activities wearing an Apple Watch more for its fitness apps, to track the pulse levels, energy level burnt etc. I realised that my VO2 Max levels were dropping a bit.

“While I was not concerned, I was curious” and decided more on an impulse to take the screen shots and sent to a Cardiologist friend of mine in USA (More about Dr. Sunil later) and his remarks was “Your VO2 is amazing! But Unfortunately we are all aging too. Puneeth Rajkumar probably had an excellent VO2 also. What I advise for my 60-year-olds who want to function as 30 year olds, is to get a CT coronary angiogram or at least a CT coronary calcium score. You look great. You seem to reverse aging process”.

With this, I felt elated and like all fools do, took what I liked and did not do what I was supposed to do.

Mistake two - Not taking Doctor’s advice seriously and get the checks done as suggested.

I was constantly reminded by Anita, My Son-in-law (Ashwin) and by my boss at Work (Mr. Ajith Rai) to get my annual health checkup done. While I did nod my head, I conjured up excuses not to undergo a comprehensive health check. The last set of excuses were - With COVID, it is better not to visit hospitals, or I am about to turn 60, I will get it done once I turn sixty!

Mistake Three - Not taking annual health checks seriously.

So, all in all, When I look back and do a flashback, there were times that I could have done better and detected the potential disaster and take proactive / preventive action/s.

There is a nice saying in Kannada called “KeTTA mele buddhi bantu” (Realisation happened after the problem occurred).

CCU to the ward and home.

Let’s get back into what went on in at the hospital.

While I was at the CCU, it was informed to me that normally a patient with Angioplasty stays in the CCU for a day and then shifted to the ward, however, in my case as I had an “Incident”, I need to be kept under observation for one more day (2 nights).

Further, the procedure had been done by accessing from my right Thigh / Groin area, I was advised against any kind of movement of that leg (To allow it to heal).

I was promptly moved from the CCU to the ward as there were no further complications and was in the ward for two days, post which I was discharged from the hospital. I was so glad to walkout, and I profusely thanked the entire team at BGS Gleneagles Hospital, Kengeri.

Before sending me, I was advised to take some rest for a week and then slowly resume work and was also advised to come back again in a month’s time for further procedures and I was explained that I have a few more blocks and those were not attended to due to the condition that I came in. An interesting comment made by Dr. Reddy was "You are the coolest couple I have seen and the way you both handled the such a serious situation". We felt so proud of ourselves. Maybe our stay for ten days at a camp (In April'22) to learn Vipassana meditation technique helped us out in facing the situation.

One / Two months later.

The one-month period got extended to two months due to various reasons including the increased levels of COVID in Bengaluru.

In the mean time, I approached two of my Cardiologist (both have done super specialisations) friends. Dr. Jayaprakash Shenthar (JP for short is a renowned Cardiologist with super specialisation in Electrophysiology. Practising earlier at Fortis and now at Jayadeva Cardiology) and Dr. Sunil T Ramaprasad ( TR Sunil is a successful Interventional Cardiologist practising at Morristown, Tennesse, USA).

Got appropriately reprimanded by both for taking things for granted. As friends, they had every right to do so.

Dr. Ravindranath Reddy of BGS Gleneagles Hospital, who did the procedure of Angioplasty for me, was a former student of Dr. JP. Both had discussed my case.

Dr. JP’s comment when I contacted him post his discussion with Dr. Reddy was very straight and sharp. He said “Next time that you see the person who drove you to the hospital and the Doctor who attended to you at the ER - Just fall at their feet! You are alive due to their efforts”. I never felt a sense of such an overwhelming gratitude to Ashok Giri and Dr. Avinash till then and was thanking them in my mind profusely.

After about a weeks rest at home, I started back at work (Working from office from 8.00 AM - 1.00 PM and later from home). Th recovery process from Angioplasty was quick and I felt better.

The Dilemma

After almost two months, we visited Dr. Reddy who patiently explained the situation by showing us my heart blockages using the video of angiogram. He pointed out to us, a couple of more blockages and proposed that we can opt for either an other Angioplasty or go for a Coronary Artery Bypass graft Surgery (CABG or the “Bypass surgery”).

We were inclined to have the Angioplasty done and confirmed to Dr. Reddy that we will proceed ahead with that.

He again asked us to take time and decide and not to rush through our decision. He also recommended that we take a second opinion from Dr. JP.

Sagely advice & the decision

When we speak to a school mate, we can be honest and have a no holds barred chat. While we respect each of us for what we have achieved in life, what makes it more cherished is that we share the same background and grounding.

Dr. Jayaprakash and I got back in touch after nearly 40+ years and we met up at a National High school reunion recently. Once you link up with your NHS batchmates, there is a sense of camaraderie, and we feel free to share our stories with each other. I had no hesitancy in approaching JP for his advice. Promptly on getting back from the hospital, I sent a message to JP requesting him some good amount of time as I had to discuss a bit at length. Nearing 7.00 PM that evening, JP asked me to call him up. He was on his way back from the hospital and was a god time to talk.

I explained the situation with him and told him of my dilemma. He was very clear and mentioned if this had happened to him or to his close family members, he would have opted for CABG and explained further as to why he felt so. Again, we were in a hurry to take a decision and move forward. With a typical sense of School chum talk, JP said, “Guru ooTa aayitha?” I said no, not yet. He continued, “nODo, eega ooTa maaDu, TVnalli ondu OLLe movie nODu. Nidde maaDu, beLigge ninna usual Dhyana, walking mugisu. Aamele decision thogO. Don’t be in a hurry”.

I followed the doctor’s advice. In the morning the decision was clear. It was CABG for me.

Next steps towards CABG

I sent a message to Dr.JP and he recommended two surgeons that he was very familiar with and asked me to approach any of them.

As Dr. Ganesh Krishnan Iyer (Dr. GKT) consulted at Aster and RV Aster was near to my home, we opted to talk to Dr.GKT. As the Aster Hospital had a tie up with (Rashtreeya Vidayalaya) RV Institutions, I sent a message to Dr. Shyam Meda, the president of RV Institutions and a friend from my Engineering college days (At BMSCE). Shyam called me immediately and enquired about my health and when I mentioned my desire to get the CABG procedure done at RV Aster, he put me on to the CEO of RV Aster Dr. Prashanth. I also confirmed to Dr.JP about going ahead with Dr.GKT.

On checking for an appointment with Dr.GKT, we realised that he mainly consulted at Aster CMI, Hebbal. We did not want any further delays and took the first available appointment, which was on the following Monday afternoon.

Dr. Ganesh Krishnan Iyer & RV Aster

A good doctor is not just technically adept but has a charisma and a swag factor to put the patient at ease.

Just walking into Dr. GKT’s consulting room was an experience. We felt immediately at ease. His demeanour and his way of explaining the situation was so disarming. He already had my case history courtesy Dr.JP and he explained my situation and assured that CABG was the right option.

We explained that we would like this to be done at RV Aster and he was candid in explaining that he comes once a week and sometimes more. He works more at Aster CMI. He also assured that the team at RV Aster was good too and Dr. Divakar Bhat and his team will be assisting him and that we were in safe hands.

What we had to decide was the date of Surgery. We dismissed that week Friday as an option as I was on certain anti-coagulant drugs (Post my Angioplasty) and that could have posed a problem. It was decided that I get admitted on Friday, I would go through the necessary pre-surgery checks on Saturday and the surgery itself would be scheduled for on next Monday.

RV Aster

Situated in the Bengaluru South and in JP Nagar, it is hardly 4.5 kms from my home in Bengaluru. We fixed an appointment with the Cardiology coordinator Ms. Ayesha Noor based on the advice of Dr. Prashanth (CEO, RV Aster). She took us through the process, the expenses that we could incur, facilities that we could opt for etc. A very professional approach. We zeroed in on our options and indicated to her. She put her insurance coordinator with our HR Head at Suprajit (Mr. Badarinarayan). With this we were all set for the admission and the surgery.

The admission process was hassle free and I was in.

I reproduce an e-mail that I wrote to Dr. Prashanth post my discharge from the hospital and that summarises my experience at RV Aster and the Surgery itself….

A Thank you

Dear Dr. Prashanth,

At the very outset, let me begin by mentioning that a mere thanks wouldn’t suffice and some thoughts are beyond words and linguistic expressions. 

However, Anita (my Wife) and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the entire team at RV Aster. 

I’m sure that there are many behind the scenes who have made this wonderful facility operate so well under a fantastic team of doctors and administrators. 

While it would be next to impossible to recollect all the names of those who interacted with us, we felt that we should name a few who made such an impact for us and under those trying conditions, I could still recollect some of the names. 

This would also hold me guilty of perhaps leaving out quite many other names that I haven’t been able to recollect or was in such deep pain that it did not register. 

It all started with your advice to contact the Cardiology coordinator Mrs. Noor Ayesha. She was of great help and explained to us in detail and showed us around the wards etc. 

The admission process was very smooth and swift. Later we were guided and assisted by the Coordinator Mr. Jagadeesh during our stay there. 

I now would want to list some names not necessarily any specific order, but as my memory recollects…

I would like to thank Lincy, Yamuna (whom I referred to her as my daughter Maithreyi), Alan, Ranganath, Sonu, Janhavi, Asif, and many more all at the ICU. (Special thanks to Ms. Lincy, Yamuna and Alan who understood the pain and helped me sail through those tough moments)

Ragel, kathrin, Deepika, Anu, Hema, Deepti, Rinku at the ward before I left for the Surgery and on my return were of great moral and physical support. 

Nursing aids Shashikala & Pavithra.The house keeping staff Kanmani, Lakshmi. Attendants Nandeesh & Manjappa. 

The physio therapists, the housekeeping and the catering staff (now my memory falters and my deep excuse for the same) 

Drs. Divya, Dr. Nischith and doctors accompanying them. Dr. Adarsh, anesthesisiologist, who kept me at ease both when going into and coming out of surgery. 

The entire team who did the procedure, Mrs. shebeena, Mrs. Kavitha, Mrs. Pinky, Mr. Shivakumar, Mr. bhoopathy, perfusionists Mr. satish & Mr. Arun and this team lead by none other than stalwarts like Dr. Divakar Bhat & Dr. GaneshKrishnan Iyer

I owe this second life to all of you. 

While, like I mentioned before, a mere thanks wouldn’t suffice, I seek the blessing of that unknown force to bless all of them with good health and happiness. 

With warm regards
Mohan N S   

 

Post-Surgery

The deed was done. I was to be discharged from the hospital. The Physiotherapists came in and guided me and ensured that I can be independent as I go home and do my normal chores. “Dos and Don’ts” were explained.

Physio exercises were taught. I was asked to visit a week later to check on the wounds and removal of the stitches.

Dr. Divakar Bhat

I am grateful to Dr. Divakar Bhatt as much as I am to Dr. GKT, Dr. JP and Dr. Ravindranath Reddy. He continuously instilled confidence in me, right from the time he saw me before the surgery, many times in the ICU, ward and later during my post-surgery period when we visited for consultation. His ready smile and a matter-of-fact explanation made us feel that this was something not too abnormal and I can get back to normalcy much faster. A doctor is not just a person who cures you of an ailment but puts life into you. I can confidently say that Dr. Bhat infused life into me and brought out confidence in me.

The workplace

As Group CEO and Managing Director of a listed company, it carries its own responsibilities and accountability. I was no stranger to taking these work responsibilities seriously and give my best to build shareholder value.

During such periods of medical conditions, one goes to various emotions and feelings and one of them is the guilt that you are not there for your team and as a leader not leading the team. Just staying away from work to focus on one’s own health can become a psychological burden.

It is very important to have that social net to support you at your workplace. Anita and I are indebted to the entire team at Suprajit. My colleagues, my team and my boss who stood by us during this difficult period.

Special mention goes to Mr. Ajith Rai, Founder Chairman of Suprajit Engineering, who stood next to us like a rock and supported us through out. His and Akhilesh Rai’s personal checks to ensure that Anita and I were comfortable, and their visits put us at ease.

Mr Eshwaran, Mr. Suresh, Mr. Badarinarayan were all giving us constant support, both physical and psychological through this entire process of nearly three months.

The entire team consisting of Akhilesh Rai, Ashutosh Rai, Narayanshankar, Medappa Gowda, Akhilesh Goel, Praveen Rao in India and Jim Ryan, Neil Collis and Frank Klinkert were of great support and not even once did I get any kind of demand for involvement. They all have held the fort so strongly in my absence that I am very proud of our entire team at Suprajit.

Family and Friends

While it becomes difficult to say “No” to help being extended, the very act of understanding the situation and acknowledging their readiness to help is of utmost importance to us.

The medical care at the hospitals were superb and that made our lives easier as a support system.

Kids (Maithreyi, Ashwin and Anish) wanted to come from Germany to support Anita and me. We gently put it off and asked them to focus on their lives. We have a good support system here. Both Madan (Anita’s brother) and Pradeep (My brother) were already lending their help to us and that was good enough.

I would like to thank my “Foursome Friends” (Amaranath, Mohan and Sheshnarayan) for their support, discretion and more importantly for a low-key celebration of my 60th year birthday during these three months. Amarnath and his wife Rajashree have been a constant source of strength to Anita and me.

 

Seniors in the family continuously kept checking with Anita about my health and blessed me all along and we are fortunate to have such senior members in the family with their continued blessings.

The End???

There is no doubt that I was indeed lucky to be writing this. It was divine intervention, no doubt, that I got back.

Maybe I am destined to do more and enjoy more on this earth. It is always nice to come out of such cloudy days and enjoy the sunshine and the warmth, thank that almighty (Whoever he is and wherever) to play a second innings. Be grateful to the medical fraternity, set of good friends, great professional colleagues and loving and caring family. A sincere request to those who had patience to read this. Do not neglect your annual health checks and take care of your Heart and such single organs.

It took me some time during recovery period to write this blog and hope that it would be of use for some and rings an alarm for some.

Ujale apni yaadon ko hamare saath rahne do

Na jane kis gali mein zindagi ki shaam ho jaye 

- Poet Bashir Badr.

Sequel to this blog was written after 1 year of the incident