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When God turned my switch off

Yesterday, I was rushing from my home to the university as it was already late and only 5 minutes remained before my midterm exam started at 9:30 in the morning. I crossed the highway and was walking past a series of parallel-parked cars on the footpath beside a busy road. I could almost see the building then: and quickened my pace to reach the classroom.

The next thing I remember, paramedics were bending over me and asking me what happened. I found myself tied to the bed inside an ambulance (EMS) van being rushed to a hospital, with a full set of oxygen tubes being forced near my nose, people asking me to relax, etc. And I was bloody confused, bruised and really really unsure what was happening!

As far as I understood later, this is the series of events that happened: at about 9:25 when I was on my way to the class, I had suddenly collapsed and fainted. Now, don't ask me why --- neither I nor the doctor have the slightest clue. I lay there on the road, between 2 parked cars for about 40 min when some passers-by noticed me and called 9-1-1. The firemen had come first, and I am told that even unconsciously I was putting up a hell of a fight with three firemen. Soon after, the paramedics came and talked to me and I calmed down finally. Then they strapped me onto the stretcher and rushed me to the hospital.

Now, when you go unconscious, you don't know that you were unconscious. So when I sort of opened my eyes again, and the paramedics were asking me "Do you know what year it is?", I thought for a moment that I had somehow managed to pull off a Rip-Van-Winkle! :) I replied "2007", but was half-expecting them to speak like Morpheus and tell me that it was indeed 2017 or something. But, thankfully --- it wasn't so bad. I had lost only 45 minutes of my life to that state. The worst part was that I didn't know what had actually hit me or happened to me --- it took me some time to understand that I had been unconscious for some time.

Once in the hospital, a thousand scans and exams happened. ECG, EKG, blood sugar, X-rays, CAT scans and other such things --- they did try to explain all that but it did not make sense and so I did not bother myself with them too much. My room-mates and some friends had rushed to the hospital as soon as they got the news. They took turns coming in to visit, with everyone asking and inquiring what had happened. Concern was writ large on their faces... but I believe I cheered them up with my own jokes! :)

The best part of it were of course the theories people came up with behind this happening: did I happen to get drunk again? Did I starve myself on a diet? Did I do some drugs? Was I stressed out? Did I eat/sleep drink properly? Was it a sunstroke? And all of these appear funny to me --- because none of them can be true. I had had proper lunch, dinner and sleep the evening before. People who know me will know that stress is the last thing that can cause me to go unconscious. Drinking I've quit after I understood what getting drunk was. And drugs? Come on... give me some leeway here: I'm not all that bad! :) The only leftover feelings I have right now is a funny body-ache; the sort you get after you suddenly go to a gym one day and work out excessively.

I was really humbled, though, by the love and support of everyone --- my room-mates, friends, professors, everyone! My mom was worried sick, and therefore I got one of my friends to reassure her on the phone that I was really okay. To quote the doctor who examined me, I'm "as healthy as a bull". So as of now all I can say is that I am a medical mystery on the move: your chance to figure out what happened is all over me!

To end the post, let me quote what my room-mate wrote in an email to a local group of friends:
Hi

Thanks to everyone for pulling through for Sudipta...

I just got back from the hospital and spoke with a cute nurse and it seems he is doing well...anyway, if you guys want to reach him, you can call him on his cellphone. He is in Brackenridge Hospital in the company of many cute nurses...

I will keep you updated on his condition....

--Das

p.s. : he is still alive so please don't break out the champagne and start celebrating until they officially pronounce him dead...

p.p.s : i'm hoping that they let him come home later today so for everyone that wants to see him, please feel free to stop by today...

p.p.p.s : due to the intense grief and pain that his roommates are going through, they will accept large gift-baskets of chocolates and sweets...please don't bring flowers... in fact, please only bring edible items...

DISCLAIMER - this email is mostly to bring a smile to Sudipta's face so any offense caused to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental

Comments

  1. "Drinking I've quit after I understood what getting drunk was." -- Consider the possibility that it MIGHT be the reason u actually fainted :D :-). Maybe its too long your brain went without Beer buddy - dont treat it that bad - UTa is a tough place! :P.

    And umm... I notice your friend was very observant about "cute" nurses - were they hoping u stay there longer so they could u know... check them out :D

    S

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  2. Hey am glad you're fine or what could have happened to my daily dose of your blogs...lol !!!!Anywayz you shouldn't hide what EXACTLY happened to you...naughty !!:)-Ms NMA

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good to knw God turned ur switch on quickly :)
    sayad stress hee reason hoga; may be cuz of mid-term :)
    anyways do take a bit extra care of urself ... :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hm... quite strange. I hope you're ok now. Too bad you missed that examination. However, health is very important...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Supremus, naa naa sir... kabhi to seedha soch liya karo! :) Yeah the 'cute' nurses were very helpful!

    Ricercar, :)

    Miss NMA, long time no see. And so my good health matters just because your daily dose of entertainment might be threatened? :-> And honest to God I swear I haven't the slightest idea what happened to me.

    Varun, yes, bhai... thanks!

    Hari, yeah very strange! The prof has agreed to reschedule my exam, kindly. I know about the health, man... am trying to be more careful

    ReplyDelete
  6. Are you alright now?

    Most people fall ill during exams like me :D

    The letter was cheering :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hmmmm.... are you sure you are telling us the whole truth and nothing but the truth....we know you hid the "Infamous video" and now we have only your words....and then there are accountings of Cute nurses....btw -one dictionay says...following -

    Cuteness is usually characterized by some combination of infant-like physical traits, especially small body size with a disproportionately big head, large eyes, a small nose.

    Hmmmm-everone to their own preferences....he he he lol...!

    Tkcare and enjoy the ministration and TLC...till it last...!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AH MY GAAADDDDDD!!!!
    GET OUT AND SAVE YOUR ROOMIES!!!!

    *erm. please dont die yet*

    ReplyDelete
  9. Manasa, I'm quite all right --- fit enough to have been riding roller-coasters all day long. And yes, the letter was very cheering indeed :)

    R, the cuteness in my dictionary is defined in a separate manner. Lets just say that they were indeed cute :)

    And believe me: I am hiding nothing :)

    Grafxgurl, naah, not planning to die anytime soon ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Do you have space for one more person in your room :D ? Wish I could join your roommates for celebrations :))

    ReplyDelete
  11. are bhai ye kya hua.. saale bataaya bhi nai mujhe!!!! not fair... !!! kamine mil tu online

    ReplyDelete
  12. Gundu mama, you're more than welcome! :)

    And of course, welcome onboard!

    Birdy, dost maaf kar do... waise uske baad tu mere se online mila bhi tha kya?

    ReplyDelete
  13. I just laughed soo much reading that email - specialy the last line.

    You live with good humans!!

    cheers
    mohan!

    ReplyDelete
  14. It happened to me. Paramedics, ambulance, IVs et al. I did not faint. Just felt terribly sick and landed at UHS at the right time. Somthings I can't write on Edulix - but US healthcare - what an experience! It happened during winter-break, I have to get a blood test done every week until I'm alright. Vampires!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Salma, really? :O Thats scary... I hope you are okay now. About the blood test every week: that is strange. Maybe you should proclaim that you are okay and stop all this.

    I understand that you cannot write on Edulix about these -- maybe you could continue to write on the Edulix blog and put in a reference there. And yes, I too have to admit --- US healthcare is surely what one would dream about.

    ReplyDelete
  16. OMG!! visited here after a longggg time and saw this! i am sure it is way too late to ask but still, are you ok? hope you are feeling fine and are back in your amrikan gf's arms ;) take care

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  17. Life Lover, thanks, ma'am... I'm really okay now. You did see the videos, didn't you?

    Oh, BTW, the American girlfriends are really helpful --- they never fail to call me at the right times and leave voice messages :D

    ReplyDelete

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