Monday, April 25, 2011

This Gas is no Laughing Matter

While most posts are tweaked versions of reality, this one is true. As true as true is. Really.

Once upon time in mallu land, Dr Mary Magdaline was less heavily pregnant than her heavily pregnant patients. She was in the theatre performing the third C Section for the day.
The thing about an overcrowded, under resourced developing country is that safety takes a back seat and casualty is the driver. The anesthetic gases developed a leak. Unaware, Dr Mary continued her day. She remembers feeling euphoric and giggly.

Eventually word did get around about the gas leak. It was time for the pregnant doctor to turn into an emergency patient. She took her stethoscope and listen to her own belly.

Nothing.
She waited a while and still nothing.
.
.
.
N o t h i n g.
.
.
.
She went home, lay on her bed with the stethoscope still dangling from her ears, a part perched on her belly.
N  o   t   h   i   n   g  .

With nothing better to do, she went to sleep.
Next day morning she was woke up late. That’s when the baby kicked.
It’s alive!”

Alive…but NORMAL??” was her next thought. Side effects of the anesthetic gases she inhaled ranged from Death to Down’s syndrome to well ... nothing.
A month and a half later I was born. Mom recollects counting my fingers and toes. Ten. Ten. (check)
She then groped to feel my head. My head was extra tiny. (uncheck)  “Like that of a rat’s” she thought. She frowned, sighed swaddled her retard and slipped into sleep.

While the debate on my retardation rages, there is one unmistakable effect off the day of the anesthetic gas leak. I often feel euphoric and giggly. 

The anesthetic used in those days is knockout mixture of nitrous oxide – laughing gas. 
NOW: Dr. Mary with Baby
 

THEN:  Dr. Mary with Baby
 
Really!!! This is true as true gets... Here is the scan report of mom's tummy

11 comments:

  1. I think despite the odds you turned out quite well :)) and the head size improved as you grew ;))) now you are beautifuuuuul :))

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hana :) that comment rings true for India as well

    despite all the odds and the gods we have turned out quite well

    hopefully the head is improving too
    and def beautiful

    miss u nd hugs

    ReplyDelete
  3. i often wondered where the euphoric and giggly came from...
    now i KNOW!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, the story speaks the 'totality' of your existence. :-) I will read your blog on yoga later. Am traveling in Mysore right now and will be back home tonight. Great stuff, articulate and full of expression!

    ReplyDelete
  5. thanks mystic!
    enjoy ur journey
    smiles n light... u may like the black cat white cat brown dog post :)

    god bless

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is too funny! Well written! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. :) thanks sweets. hugs light n giggles

    ReplyDelete
  8. As a Mom of two lttle girls myself, I shudder to think about the anxiety your Mom must have experienced. As an NRI planning to return to my roots,the healthcare system in India is definitely something to worry about.

    ReplyDelete
  9. haha....oh now I know why u laugh all the time...:) The pic is so sweet u and mom....very nicely written.

    hugs!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  11. And then Dr Mary saw her little lamb grow...

    ReplyDelete