Report of 25 Nov 2015
Good morning!
Here comes the sun. Happy sight. The rains have been relentless and flooding is ongoing. The Banyan's team sailed out (sometimes literally) to deliver food and succor to folks in rain-inundated areas. I had stayed home on severe rain days, and went to work yesterday, not fully knowing that it had rained heavily and for a long duration on Monday. It was slow-going and I ignorantly thought I'd get there anyway. Very close to the B, the roads were closed and I had to take a detour. Ahhh - those roads were flooded and water on the roads was almost until my window. Our car is a quasi-SUV and sits higher than other cars. This was the first time this monsoon I was driving in such conditions and I was sweating. The detour worsened to streets similarly flooded and when I asked for directions, the few individuals who were there could not tell me; thus, I turned around, and drove through the same flood that I had just gone through. As I mulled over going home, I found that the prior road closure had been revoked, and cars were going through; the thought, "Halleluia, I can get there after all," started to evaporate as I ploughed into a similar deluge. Ohhhhh. I don't often pray but did yesterday. Taking public transport was even less of an option as I saw that a bus had broken down in front of me and all the passengers had stepped out into the water and were pushing - de rigueur here. Somehow, thanks to all the Heavenly powers and a vehicle that had just been serviced, I got to the B. One of the drivers came out to park my car at a suitable spot and I was extremely relieved to see him. And all of the B.
Now I know firsthand the troubles of rain-ravaged areas. No food, water, milk for babies; dry clothes? Relief centers in Chennai continue to operate, after closing joyfully in anticipation of cessation of rain.
The sea is a pale blue today. We can see it. No sheets of rain blocking the view.
The Banyan is wonderful. As I told Scott, all of us work together, we age together and are one giant family. I now wear glasses to read and write, several young colleagues have married and bred, and we have also buried/cremated patients.
Kovalam clinic was busy on Monday. I had the assistance of SMF's doctor (doing Family Medicine residency at SMF), and was relieved: these docs are fine folks, and can see children, whom I am not trained to treat. Schools were closed again and the children of our patients continued to romp about; this was a treat. As always. One of them came to see me of his own volition, which I love - he has a boil on the side of his face and we treated it. The fathers of these children are not in their lives: uniformly, all the mothers have been abandoned. Interestingly, the children are none the worse for wear: I don't mean to disparage fathers - I am plentifully grateful that my father and Scott are in their children's lives - but do see the tremendous contribution that others make in raising a child. Colleagues see that the kids are bathed, fed and attend school regularly; any deviation from the norm as set by the B - good grades, respectful behavior, no sassing - causes the wrath of Khan and the children are spoken to. Daily, my regard for my colleagues increases: as I age, I don't do things like disciplining children well or willingly.
Adaikalam was great. We have brought a Kovalam patients who was so debilitated she could not walk. I suspected reactivation of tuberculosis, but that is not the case - halleluia. I have treated her for a presumed lung infection (I do not have her chest xray results), and she is better, wheezing less. At this point, I need allied health personnel to swing in - make her walk, do some physical therapy, get her out of bed. When there are staggering physical signs - like inability to walk - we must pay attention to medical causes; after those are treated, I need assistance to emotionally equip the patient to participate in recovery.
We saw "Spectre." Yep. All that fuss about the Bond girl being 52; Daniel Craig looked about 80. We are going to talk about an older Bond girl? What about an ancient Bond? Oooooh. He is a fine-looking man, with an enviable anatomy, but I can't say I enjoyed the flick. All have their favorites - Bond, the women, the gadgets - and for me, it is the villain that makes the flick. Javier Bardem really ruled; what an actor. I cannot say I like Christoph Waltz's villainy: like Jack Nicholson, he appears to have the same expression for all his villains. Still, it was an ok flick.
At a different theatre, we saw "Burnt" and enjoyed it. There is a little snack shop outside that theatre where we eat before or after the flick, the theatre fare being very expensive. The gentleman there and his son are lovely folks, and they had invited us to the son's wedding also; I attended the reception. On going there last weekend, I found someone else sitting in the father's spot and the son at his usual place; the son told me his father had passed away. We were rocked. Like a close friend passing. We condoled with the son, who got teary at recollections, and left.
Life goes on, does it not. With joys and tears.
We are extremely happy to see that some of you donated to the Banyan's Family Day. We can, this year, have ice cream for our patients, staff and staff families. Thank you, thank you! It makes me very happy when treats can be given to the Banyan family.
Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate it! We have much to be thankful for, including the fact that our sons will be with good people (Naren with Peter Carley and David Gere and family, and Navin with my sister-in-law, Diane Wuensch, and her family) at T-g.
Unw -
R
Here comes the sun. Happy sight. The rains have been relentless and flooding is ongoing. The Banyan's team sailed out (sometimes literally) to deliver food and succor to folks in rain-inundated areas. I had stayed home on severe rain days, and went to work yesterday, not fully knowing that it had rained heavily and for a long duration on Monday. It was slow-going and I ignorantly thought I'd get there anyway. Very close to the B, the roads were closed and I had to take a detour. Ahhh - those roads were flooded and water on the roads was almost until my window. Our car is a quasi-SUV and sits higher than other cars. This was the first time this monsoon I was driving in such conditions and I was sweating. The detour worsened to streets similarly flooded and when I asked for directions, the few individuals who were there could not tell me; thus, I turned around, and drove through the same flood that I had just gone through. As I mulled over going home, I found that the prior road closure had been revoked, and cars were going through; the thought, "Halleluia, I can get there after all," started to evaporate as I ploughed into a similar deluge. Ohhhhh. I don't often pray but did yesterday. Taking public transport was even less of an option as I saw that a bus had broken down in front of me and all the passengers had stepped out into the water and were pushing - de rigueur here. Somehow, thanks to all the Heavenly powers and a vehicle that had just been serviced, I got to the B. One of the drivers came out to park my car at a suitable spot and I was extremely relieved to see him. And all of the B.
Now I know firsthand the troubles of rain-ravaged areas. No food, water, milk for babies; dry clothes? Relief centers in Chennai continue to operate, after closing joyfully in anticipation of cessation of rain.
The sea is a pale blue today. We can see it. No sheets of rain blocking the view.
The Banyan is wonderful. As I told Scott, all of us work together, we age together and are one giant family. I now wear glasses to read and write, several young colleagues have married and bred, and we have also buried/cremated patients.
Kovalam clinic was busy on Monday. I had the assistance of SMF's doctor (doing Family Medicine residency at SMF), and was relieved: these docs are fine folks, and can see children, whom I am not trained to treat. Schools were closed again and the children of our patients continued to romp about; this was a treat. As always. One of them came to see me of his own volition, which I love - he has a boil on the side of his face and we treated it. The fathers of these children are not in their lives: uniformly, all the mothers have been abandoned. Interestingly, the children are none the worse for wear: I don't mean to disparage fathers - I am plentifully grateful that my father and Scott are in their children's lives - but do see the tremendous contribution that others make in raising a child. Colleagues see that the kids are bathed, fed and attend school regularly; any deviation from the norm as set by the B - good grades, respectful behavior, no sassing - causes the wrath of Khan and the children are spoken to. Daily, my regard for my colleagues increases: as I age, I don't do things like disciplining children well or willingly.
Adaikalam was great. We have brought a Kovalam patients who was so debilitated she could not walk. I suspected reactivation of tuberculosis, but that is not the case - halleluia. I have treated her for a presumed lung infection (I do not have her chest xray results), and she is better, wheezing less. At this point, I need allied health personnel to swing in - make her walk, do some physical therapy, get her out of bed. When there are staggering physical signs - like inability to walk - we must pay attention to medical causes; after those are treated, I need assistance to emotionally equip the patient to participate in recovery.
We saw "Spectre." Yep. All that fuss about the Bond girl being 52; Daniel Craig looked about 80. We are going to talk about an older Bond girl? What about an ancient Bond? Oooooh. He is a fine-looking man, with an enviable anatomy, but I can't say I enjoyed the flick. All have their favorites - Bond, the women, the gadgets - and for me, it is the villain that makes the flick. Javier Bardem really ruled; what an actor. I cannot say I like Christoph Waltz's villainy: like Jack Nicholson, he appears to have the same expression for all his villains. Still, it was an ok flick.
At a different theatre, we saw "Burnt" and enjoyed it. There is a little snack shop outside that theatre where we eat before or after the flick, the theatre fare being very expensive. The gentleman there and his son are lovely folks, and they had invited us to the son's wedding also; I attended the reception. On going there last weekend, I found someone else sitting in the father's spot and the son at his usual place; the son told me his father had passed away. We were rocked. Like a close friend passing. We condoled with the son, who got teary at recollections, and left.
Life goes on, does it not. With joys and tears.
We are extremely happy to see that some of you donated to the Banyan's Family Day. We can, this year, have ice cream for our patients, staff and staff families. Thank you, thank you! It makes me very happy when treats can be given to the Banyan family.
Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate it! We have much to be thankful for, including the fact that our sons will be with good people (Naren with Peter Carley and David Gere and family, and Navin with my sister-in-law, Diane Wuensch, and her family) at T-g.
Unw -
R
posted by Renu Weiss at
11:30 PM
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