They wrote him off, but he lived

This story goes back a few years, when I was a young neurosurgeon.

This story goes back a few years, when I was a young neurosurgeon. Sometimes, specific events stick to your mind. My patient was a businessman, who had come to India from Africa to attend a wedding. While he was waiting to catch his connecting flight, he decided to explore the city.

But on the way, all of a sudden, he started vomiting and experienced a slurring of speech. The taxi driver thought that he was inebriated and took him to the nearest police station.

He had to spend hours there and fall unconscious before the policemen took him to the General Hospital. There, a social worker looked through his papers and called a relative. The relative came and the patient was shifted to our hospital.

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When the physician asked me to see this patient, I thought that the situation was entirely hopeless. In the meantime, another relative arrived and insisted that everything possible be done for him. I pointed out that the chances of his survival were almost negligible. His pupils were fixed and dilated and he was barely breathing. His heart rate was a mere 30 beats per minute. Still, I opted for an emergency surgery, in which a huge blood clot that had formed in his brain due to high blood pressure, was removed. The post-operative period was stormy. Intensive care was needed for three months and then a three-month high dependency care in the hospital.

In this period, what I found most amazing was the devotion of his family. His children were very young, but his wife and his parents stayed outside the Intensive Care Unit for days on end, always praying and always requesting me to do the best.

There were several times when he was close to death, but miraculously, he pulled through every crisis. Of course, he remained very severely disabled and many of my colleagues could not resist telling me, “We told you Sir, it’s not going to be worth it!”

But as the time passed, he continued to improve and miraculously, a few years later, was well enough to invite me for a lunch at a restaurant. He came despite great difficulty and was able to carry out a conversation with me.

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From a doctor-patient relationship, we developed an easy friendly footing. Over the years, I have seen his daughter grow up, get married and have children. His son also has his own family now and my friend and his wife are living happily.

Last year, I was delighted to find out that my former patient and his wife had gone to the US for of three months to be with their grandchildren. I believe that science and technology can only do so much and there are times when faith and belief in God can produce miracles.