Report of 22 Jan 2006
Hello from Chennai -
The night is dark and I am home. Hope all of you are well.
The week was ok. One of my patients at the Banyan came in complaining of her jaw locking when she yawned or opened her mouth, and of not being able to open her jaw very wide at all. I wanted her seen by a dentist - one of the local ones sees our patients either for free or at a reduced rate - and so stated. Some of her symptoms are part of a condition called Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ), and is best evaluated by a dentist. The young lady had a very serene face, and no dot on the forehead (bindi), which I asked about. The bindi started out as a religious symbol in Hinduism, and has since evolved into a quasi-cosmetic. Usually, Hindu widows do not wear the bindi, and Muslims and Christians eschew it if their religious beliefs are strong. The pt told me that her husband had died, which I was sorry to hear about and even more sorry when she worded it as "They told me my husband had died." She had apparently gone to her mother's house to recover from an illness, and when she returned to her in-laws', they told her about her husband's death earlier. They appear to also have told her that they felt no need to inform her as soon as it happened, and that she need not continue in their house. (I was very sorry to hear this, and again felt bad for those who do not have good in-laws/marriages, or who for any reason are separated from their husbands. One of my heroes, Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, has been under house arrest by the military junta for 10 years and could not even attend her British husband's funeral.) I saw the same lady a few days later, carrying water up the stairs, and she told me she had been to the dentist and felt better. I was very happy to hear this.
The Banyan is adept at using patients to help other patients. Everyone does what she can. So we have residents cooking, sewing, cleaning, helping at the front desk, all of it. We had a young woman come in to comb the sick room patients' hair, and they loved it. There is something very therapeutic about having your hair combed and a little makeup applied. The young beautician has since scaled the wall of the Banyan and "escaped," and I fervently hope she is safe.
Tutoring went on without me this week as I was out of town. Naren informed me that several students came, and both tutors and students enjoy the activity. I was in Madurai, my hometown and where my parents live, to go to the cemetery to commemorate the anniversary of my brother Manu's demise. My mother's left knee does not permit her to move freely, and so she does not go to the cemetery; my father usually falters at the entrance and I feel sorry to see that. So I go, and accompany my father to the grave. This year, we cleaned it off, as usual, and put a large garland of roses on it. We avoided each other's eyes, blinked furiously and talked little, as both of us would have burst into tears. The visit is therapeutic for me as I feel that I have perhaps been, for a little bit, with my brother - robust, handsome, laughing, w/ a great love for his sisters and a fine appreciation of his brothers-in-law.
We went to see a cricket match played by blind players today. Regretfully, the newspaper got the time wrong and the match was over by the time we went, but the prize distribution ceremony was on. It started w/ an invocation by one of the players, and he sang a Tamil song. His voice was melodious and soothing, and the song was in praise of God w/ words to the effect of "Even in darkness, there will be light." This was especially poignant considering the players' blindness, and I was so moved by the singer's faith even in the midst of his hardship, his tremendous belief in God, and the beauty of the song, that I got teary. Naren and Navin remarked on this later, but not in a bad way at all.
The Governing Committee of the apartment complex had its meeting today, and has come out strongly against the carnival. Some objections were petty, and we are going to counter all of them. I have some support from other residents, and the new President is a cardiothoracic surgeon who will at least give us a listening ear, so we will not give up the carnival without a fight. Caste, shmaste.
Let me wind up. Have a very good week, all.
"Why are they called apartments when they're all joined together?" - Ron Cousins
Unw -
Renu
The night is dark and I am home. Hope all of you are well.
The week was ok. One of my patients at the Banyan came in complaining of her jaw locking when she yawned or opened her mouth, and of not being able to open her jaw very wide at all. I wanted her seen by a dentist - one of the local ones sees our patients either for free or at a reduced rate - and so stated. Some of her symptoms are part of a condition called Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ), and is best evaluated by a dentist. The young lady had a very serene face, and no dot on the forehead (bindi), which I asked about. The bindi started out as a religious symbol in Hinduism, and has since evolved into a quasi-cosmetic. Usually, Hindu widows do not wear the bindi, and Muslims and Christians eschew it if their religious beliefs are strong. The pt told me that her husband had died, which I was sorry to hear about and even more sorry when she worded it as "They told me my husband had died." She had apparently gone to her mother's house to recover from an illness, and when she returned to her in-laws', they told her about her husband's death earlier. They appear to also have told her that they felt no need to inform her as soon as it happened, and that she need not continue in their house. (I was very sorry to hear this, and again felt bad for those who do not have good in-laws/marriages, or who for any reason are separated from their husbands. One of my heroes, Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, has been under house arrest by the military junta for 10 years and could not even attend her British husband's funeral.) I saw the same lady a few days later, carrying water up the stairs, and she told me she had been to the dentist and felt better. I was very happy to hear this.
The Banyan is adept at using patients to help other patients. Everyone does what she can. So we have residents cooking, sewing, cleaning, helping at the front desk, all of it. We had a young woman come in to comb the sick room patients' hair, and they loved it. There is something very therapeutic about having your hair combed and a little makeup applied. The young beautician has since scaled the wall of the Banyan and "escaped," and I fervently hope she is safe.
Tutoring went on without me this week as I was out of town. Naren informed me that several students came, and both tutors and students enjoy the activity. I was in Madurai, my hometown and where my parents live, to go to the cemetery to commemorate the anniversary of my brother Manu's demise. My mother's left knee does not permit her to move freely, and so she does not go to the cemetery; my father usually falters at the entrance and I feel sorry to see that. So I go, and accompany my father to the grave. This year, we cleaned it off, as usual, and put a large garland of roses on it. We avoided each other's eyes, blinked furiously and talked little, as both of us would have burst into tears. The visit is therapeutic for me as I feel that I have perhaps been, for a little bit, with my brother - robust, handsome, laughing, w/ a great love for his sisters and a fine appreciation of his brothers-in-law.
We went to see a cricket match played by blind players today. Regretfully, the newspaper got the time wrong and the match was over by the time we went, but the prize distribution ceremony was on. It started w/ an invocation by one of the players, and he sang a Tamil song. His voice was melodious and soothing, and the song was in praise of God w/ words to the effect of "Even in darkness, there will be light." This was especially poignant considering the players' blindness, and I was so moved by the singer's faith even in the midst of his hardship, his tremendous belief in God, and the beauty of the song, that I got teary. Naren and Navin remarked on this later, but not in a bad way at all.
The Governing Committee of the apartment complex had its meeting today, and has come out strongly against the carnival. Some objections were petty, and we are going to counter all of them. I have some support from other residents, and the new President is a cardiothoracic surgeon who will at least give us a listening ear, so we will not give up the carnival without a fight. Caste, shmaste.
Let me wind up. Have a very good week, all.
"Why are they called apartments when they're all joined together?" - Ron Cousins
Unw -
Renu
posted by Renu Weiss at
2:53 AM
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