The Past

I was talking to someone about something that happened to me. She said I am ‘filmi’. I thought about it. A couple of people had told me that before. May be I am.

So I thought I would write something on my blog that’s filmi. Like me. About me.

I never felt like writing about something that’s very personal to me. I keep things to myself. Because, I think everyone in this world has problems. No one is interested in someone else’s.

Today, for the first time, I felt like writing that’s personal to me.

In December 1998, when I was in Hyderabad (enjoying my semester end recess from the engineering college), I was supposed to join my college back on the 11th of December.

I was supposed to board the bus on 10th. But, the morning of 10th December changed everything.

I met with an accident, and broke my left leg (below the knee joint) very badly. Maybe because I was too young, I could take the sight of my leg turned completely around, very easily. The car that hit me, took me to the hospital, and I was given first aid immediately.

Well I was operated on the next day. Okay the worst part now! On the 11th, I slipped into a coma (yes a coma), due to a long bone fracture complication (called thrombo-embolism). Well then I was in that comatose for 4 days.

Cut to one year later, the steel rod in my lag had turned into a beautifully bent bow, which had to be taken out and another one put.

Cut to one more year later, my leg had been operated 6 times (each surgery more painful and recovery slower than the last one). It had marks of a total of 65 stitches altogether. Both my thighs were deprived of the top most layer of skin (for plastic surgery), and a small piece of the pelvic bone was also grafted to avoid any shortening disability or a handicap.

All in all, hospitalization of over 2 years and a bed-ridden period of about 2 years, made me a different person altogether.

I used to wallow in self pity. People used to come to see me and show pity and when I used to complain about any pain, my doctor used only one word… Tolerate. I did.

Side-effects:
• Due to the fact that I was bed-ridden for so long, I had bed sores all over my back. (trust me they are far more painful than even a fracture)
• The left foot (the ankle), in spite of a lot of physiotherapy, lost its movement. I can’t say permanently, coz I’m still alive and there’s still hope.
• After those 2 years, I was addicted to sedatives (sleeping pills), for over one year.
• It really affected my engineering

The good part:
• I developed an interest in reading. Couldn’t do much more, lying on the bed.
• I became more patient. Had no choice.
• I always knew parents were selfless and their love, unconditional. In those 2 years, I experienced both the facts.
• Of course the girls. Where? The pretty nurses. From the warm sponge baths to even warmer get well wishes with roses, they did everything to make me feel better. (Some of them were really pretty. They used to come ‘off duty’, decently dressed in jeans and all, with flowers). Won’t tell you any further.

Well there’s so much more filmi stuff that actually happened, like when I was being shifted to another hospital (in a coma), there was no oxygen left in the cylinder etc etc… but I decided to cut that out. So I am really sorry if you don’t get the 70mm experience. 35mm is guaranteed.

The doctor said there will be a permanent handicap and that I will never be able to walk properly, all my life.

Today, I run… to leave my past behind. (ohh is that filmi…??? Will change it wait)

Today I run… to catch the train! (really)