The little reminders of life ~

 It just takes an hour or so , sitting in a hospital to remind yourself how cruel and painful life can be at times. Well, if you are a doctor, then it's a way of life for you but if you are a patient or just an observer, you would see a different side of it.
A minor ailment took me to a hospital yesterday for some tests ( to rule out certain things ) and much against my wishes I had to spend a couple of hours there , waiting for the entire ordeal to get over. I am terrified of hospitals, medical tests, the smells that emanates from corridors, the sounds of people groaning and ailing and just about everything that transpires there. I am weak hearted when it comes to this and the sight of blood makes me dizzy. Sitting alone with a book in my hands, I tried to concentrate on the written word and not what was happening around me. It didn't help much . I found myself looking up from the book, trying to observe what was going on. For the people sitting at the reception, handing out receipts and calling you by the numbers allotted was such a mundane thing. They were totally oblivious to the ones who were groaning in pain , needed immediate attention or even the fact that they did not have a vacant seat seemed like it wasn't a big deal.  Just watching people being hauled over on stretchers, some with a broken limb in a cast sitting helplessly, somebody hobbling over to the nearest chair with the help of a walker, balancing the foot that was okay , trying to drag a chair with one hand on the walker and one hand outstretched. It almost made me leave my chair for him but he had managed it before I could offer help.
It is such a blessing to be healthy, to be standing on your own feet, not being dependent on anybody else for anything and I was reminded of this very simple fact  when I saw people being carried on stretchers, or  had to hold on to somebody for support even for taking a single step forward, sick and ailing and some in acute pain and misery.
I waited for my second round of Ultrasound and I was asked to gulp down several liters of water before going in and here was a person lying on a stretcher right in the middle of the passage, desperately calling out for water all in vain. I was wondering why nobody attended to his very harmless request. It then struck me that he was not supposed to have water for some time for a specific medical reason. He kept crying out repeatedly only to be denied repeatedly. It was ironic that I stood right there , gulping down gallons of water , much against my desire and need and here a person, thirsty, his throat totally parched couldn't even have a drop of it. I just couldn't bring myself to putting down another drop through my throat after seeing his misery.
I was full of anxiety and nervousness thinking about my own tests and their outcome but all the suffering around me brought  my own concern several notches down. Thank God , I am on my feet, I have hope in my heart and even if there is a glitch in my report, it can still be handled. Looking at the ones around me, I felt it could have been worse. I have no control over this aspect of life, sadly. In the past few months, I have come across many people who have been in accidents, been through tough surgeries and  my heart has gone out to them, praying and wishing for their better health and progress.
This was a reminder of all the things we take for granted, the benefits of life and good health that come as a blessing and so often abused by us or goes unnoticed, the things that we get abundantly and freely are often recognised and realised when we go through trails and tribulations. I promised to take better care of my own health, something I am really careless about. Maybe maintain a healthier lifestyle ( sleep early and get up early, eat healthy, perhaps take out more time for exercise) and of course be thankful to the almighty for everything.
Thankfully I came home with a 'normal' test report and a big load off my chest but my thoughts will remain with all those people I had encountered during that brief visit there. Their pain, their ailing faces, their discomfort, their encounter with the harsh and painful realities of life, that will stay with me for some time.
 This incident was followed by the weekend right away and I had more than one reason to celebrate life, the joy of having good health, a loving family, ( kids who come running to me asking what I got for them along with how it went, irrespective of the wisening up I went through), a husband who hushes the kids away and tells me to take a bath straight away since I have come back from a hospital ( sigh ! the finicky health conscious guy doesn't even want to know about my test report till I have taken bath ) parents ( who always stand like a rock behind me and are desperately waiting to know what happened ) my home ( that is where I love coming back to ) and now I know the next question going to pop up is " What's for dinner ? "  :D
 So, life is back on track !
Next morning, being a Sunday, I made myself a nice cup of adrak, tulsi, elaichi chai to celebrate . The best way to start a day is with a good cup of tea . A sure indication of how good / bad your day was can be traced back to the first cup of tea you had. Or so I feel :)

Can't believe that I'm ending this very 'thought evoking' post with a picture of a cup of tea but that is so very ME ;) Also sharing some words of wisdom till we meet again ...

When you arise in the morning, think of what a special privilege it is to be alive -
to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love - then make that day count ~ Steve Maraboli .