I started today like every other day but today is my day off. Normally my day off is packed with errands to run, things to get finished, and time to socialize. Yesterday I thought to myself, what am I going to do? What I didn't anticipate was socializing today. In the staff quarters/guest quarters there is an Indian-American woman who is staying here tending to her father, who is ill and admitted to the hospital. She left the area over 25 years ago and settled in Arizona. My new friend tried to get her father to move to the US but he insisted on staying in the land where he grew up and where his circle of support lies. Now her father is 86 years old and has been hospitalized since January 7. He was planning to move to the US at the end of March and wanted to get any major medical procedures completed before leaving. Any surgeries would be too expensive in the US and his insurance won't work there. He was admitted for an umbilical hernia repair and has had several complications since then. Doctors found a hair line hip fracture, which they will not surgically repair due to his age, plus a hematoma (a pool of blood in the tissue). His latest ailment is that he is constipated. During my intern year, I was an expert at constipation. I had a full arsenal of remedies to make the bowels move. Here however, it turns out the pharmacy doesn't have senna, colace, docusate or Miralax (stool softners and laxatives). The town pharmacy doesn't even have them. My friend is incredibly frustrated because if she would have known, she could have filled her entire suitcase full of these over the counter medications with one stop at Costco.
I went to visit her dad today to show him that his daughter has a friend here and is staying strong. My first surprise was that he is in the special VIP ward which means he can pay the 700 rupee a day charge for a private room (approx. $12). It is very similar to the hospital rooms at Wake, minus the sailboat picture on the wall, air conditioning, and there is no flat screen TV. My friend has hired an aid to be with her father 24/7 as an extra measure because here the patient attendants have the responsibility for all the needs of the patient. There isn't much I did for her father expect offer reassurance and support. Hopefully he will get well enough soon to make his flight to the US.
The rest of the day was spent recuperating. It seems that I have caught a type of cold virus. Yesterday it started with my left eye watering and a runny nose. Today it progressed to congestion, headache, and a few muscle aches. Nothing very serious just a bit of an inconvenience. There are numerous people with the same type of symptoms and I was told it should only last a couple days. Keep your fingers crossed!
The guys taking care of me we excited to give me a taste of America today for a Sunday treat, Diet Coke.
I went to visit her dad today to show him that his daughter has a friend here and is staying strong. My first surprise was that he is in the special VIP ward which means he can pay the 700 rupee a day charge for a private room (approx. $12). It is very similar to the hospital rooms at Wake, minus the sailboat picture on the wall, air conditioning, and there is no flat screen TV. My friend has hired an aid to be with her father 24/7 as an extra measure because here the patient attendants have the responsibility for all the needs of the patient. There isn't much I did for her father expect offer reassurance and support. Hopefully he will get well enough soon to make his flight to the US.
The rest of the day was spent recuperating. It seems that I have caught a type of cold virus. Yesterday it started with my left eye watering and a runny nose. Today it progressed to congestion, headache, and a few muscle aches. Nothing very serious just a bit of an inconvenience. There are numerous people with the same type of symptoms and I was told it should only last a couple days. Keep your fingers crossed!
The guys taking care of me we excited to give me a taste of America today for a Sunday treat, Diet Coke.
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