Report of 24 Feb 2019

Hello from Chennai!

The sea was blue when I started at the computer and - on finishing emailing - is now white.  A weird white in parts, and grey in parts. 

It was good to get back to work.  "Medicine is a jealous mistress," says my father, who has never taken much time away from the job.  I started my short week with private practice and saw a young lady who likely needs a brain MRI; she is 32 years old and the mother vetoed the MRI.  For the first time in practice in India, I had to brandish patient autonomy and state that this was the young lady's decision; said young lady agreed but the mother was not at all happy.  This can happen in India, that the parents take all manner of decisions for the children. 

Adaikalam was wonderful.  Lots of chatter with the staff and sharing of some candy that I'd brought from the U.S.  One of our patients who is mentally challenged has had repeated seizures; I feel terrible.  Treatment for the seizures is being addressed by our psychiatrists: this is not uncommon in India, as many psychiatrists also train in neuro sciences.  I feel relieved that the patient is with us: with her mental challenge and her seizures, it is possible that her family would not have taken care of her. 

The rest of the week was spent recovering, but Scott and I did manage to get to an organic food store, and a festival where several craftspeople brought their wares.  Such festivals are unfailingly fun, and we had a good time. 

The young men are likely also recovering from their weekend of travel, and we will talk next week, hopefully.  It was nice to see them in San Diego.  The wedding was in the Museum of Natural History, and many of the exhibits were wonderful. 

I hope to talk to my Dad this evening.  I spoke to him on my return and he is well, thank goodness.

Unw -

R   

Report of 20 Feb 2019

Good afternoon!

We are back after a wedding in San Diego.  A college friend's daughter got married and it was nice to be there in the midst of the merriment, seeing other college friends.  We had a nice time and were particularly delighted that Naren and Navin managed to come, too.  Flights in the U.S. are notoriously unpredictable - actually, I suppose flights anywhere are - and we are glad the boys reached.

That said, the service on American Airlines was (surprisingly) good.  Their movie selection was also extensive and made for some fairly comfortable travelling - hooray. 

We had a long layover in Hong Kong en route the U.S. and went in to the city.  We saw some nice sights and ate at the Y.  We also saw the Big Buddha; views on the sky lift heading to the Big Buddha were neat.  On our return, we went to Macau and that was cool, too.  I like checking places off my list.

After Macau, we returned to Hong Kong and ate street food.  Either that or the airline food proceeded to upset my stomach and I am recovering.  It is nice to be home.

The Banyan is good, and I hope to be back there tomorrow.

Unw -

R  

Report of 10 Feb 2019

Good evening!

There are birds flitting about at lower altitudes and the sea is darkening. 

We are well and hope the same with you.  It was a reduced work week for me as I was ill; this is happening more often than I'd like and I think comes from inhaling germs at public places.  I do believe this one came from the Kathak performance.  One day, I just had to stay in bed and felt better for it.

The Banyan is good.  I could not miss clinic, so off I went.  It was the usual frenzied activity, with several people from a nearby old folks' home coming in to be checked out; one of them had no complaints and had to be coerced to say something by her fellow resident - easily 60 years old - who said, "Say what's ailing you, the doctor is like our mother."  Ahem.  My assistant and I donned masks, and got through the day.  Private practice is fine, and I had to put in a reduced week there, too. 

Scott and I were privileged to see our friend, Meenakshi, this week - visiting from the U.S. and making arrangements to sell her late parents' apartment.  That could not have been easy, and yet Meenakshi made time for us.  It was a nice visit, catching up with each other's family news and getting a few chuckles in. 

After the days of plopping on the sofa, I felt well enough this weekend to attend the wedding reception of my school classmate DR's daughter.  Several former schoolmates had made the trip, and it was fun to see everyone + several spouses.  The food was delicious and there was also one of my favorite foods - chaat - available at dinner.  Chaat is a savory snack food, with sweet and sour chutneys (relishes), and all manner of fun foods in it - green mango, yogurt, spicy liquid.  There was also a Baskin Robbins counter and my husband was happy.  Not having daughters, I am living vicariously through those whose daughters marry.  I asked our sons a few weeks ago if we ought to be making some plans towards their weddings, etc., and they said they were not currently interested in nuptials.

Scott and I also saw a good movie called "Sarvam Thalamayam," featuring classical Indian music and touching on the caste system.  It was a good flick; it's nice when flicks are.  I thought the young man next to us was going to start recording the movie illegally on his phone - the instrument was pointed at the screen - and stepped up and said something.  He said he was not recording it.  We have a son in the acting business, and even otherwise, let's not be pirating things.

Unw -

R

Report of 3 Feb 2019

And it's February already.

There are birds either trying to migrate or going for a joyride.  We live near backwaters and there are several migratory birds roosting nearby.  Very cool.  The sea seems tranquil, and we have got to see it clearly for the first time in days.

The Banyan is nice.  Clinic on Monday was busy, as usual.  One of my favorite patients came to be examined and then said, "You should live to be 100 years."  I said, "So should you."  And she said, "I have done nothing, you help people."  I said, "When you come in here, you make all of us very happy."  Indeed, she does - serene, grateful, accepting.  She collected her medicines and left.

When pleasant patients come in to the clinic, it truly does make the day better.

Adaikalam is also good.  A former patient came to celebrate her birthday with us, paying to feed the Banyan biryani (an expensive dish) and cutting a huge cake.  She is HIV +, undergoing treatment.  She would like to come to the B to work and we are investigating it. 

We are the Banyan family.  Several patients elect to stay on with us, instead of going home to their families, as the care at the Banyan is better than something their families might dish out.  It is a magnificent organisation and the 2 ladies who founded it, Vandana and Vaishnavi, knew what they were doing when they emphasized dignity of the patient first.

Private practice is also fine.  We had a meeting with the leaders of the transgender community - historically ostracised - and that was illuminating and fun.  My boss is an endocrinologist and plans to do gender medicine also.  This group of folks were men wishing to become women; on Friday, I saw a young woman who has taken active steps to become a man.  She has had her breasts, uterus and ovaries removed, and my boss started her on testosterone treatment.  The patient and I had an extremely informative conversation; he mentioned being an only child and his mother not yet having fully accepted his decision.  I spoke up for mothers everywhere, telling him that her love would always be there, that it was her setting a milieu that helped him be free to voice his gender identity crisis. 

Scott and I toodled off to have our eye exams by my former schoolmate and that was good.  As I age, new things are happening - dry eye, now.  Already the hearing appeared to be on the wane, and then I realised that the men in my life are a foot taller than I am and speak at that altitude.  Thus, I am hopeful that the hearing ain't an issue, but the dry eye is.  Ostensibly, the distance between my right upper and lower eyelids is vast, and thus, the eye surface is drying out quicker.  Big eyes used to be an advantage, but not as we age: eye drops are going in now. 

We then went to a beautiful Kathak dance performance.  The dancer Kumudini Lakhia is 89 years old and she has a dance troupe, which performed.  Ms. KL has experimented with fusion and other maneuvers and the result is most pleasing to the eye.  We enjoyed the performance immensely, though we were a wee bit late getting there from the ophthalmologist.

We hung out with both boys individually this weekend and that was fun.  Lots of chatter. 

Have a very good week, with chatter in it!

Unw -

R