Hey, ever been to an ICU, and, not as a patient?! I have, once, about 6 years ago! What an illuminating and hilarious experience! Think I’m off my rockers? Read on, and see if you still feel so. But then, the topic is an offshoot, and a Bloody Red one at that!
The Occasion: I’d been in hospital, “Couldn’t find much good red blood” in me, they said! To spice up, a surgery was ordered! Problem! The hemoglobin (well, he’s the one who brings in the ‘Red’s to any layman blood) was so low they had to look real close to see the red on the glass slide! Lo n behold, enter the Blood Bank, and pint units of frozen blood. Now all that was left was to pour this ‘good red’ into my ‘Red, eh?’ and the table’d would be set to carve me like turkey!
Unfortunately, the nurse in my ward had the noon off. But then, a coupla beds happened to be free, in the ICU! “Let Thy Venue Change” was decreed and I was all set to grace an ICU bed!
The Way We Do It: ICUs see folks brought in – horizontally, vertically or some other ‘ally’, but hardly would they have opened doors to a smiling young man (with ‘patient’ neither an apparent status nor a major trait in him) in T-shirt and colourful shorts walking..rather, sauntering in, with a ‘gait’ spelled as ‘gaeity’! I could even select my own bed – one with a view! Some humour, small talk and fiddling-with-recline-controls-of-the-bed later, we settled down to business. Rather, I settled down, to let them conduct business, but not before analysing my prostrate & actually-Intensively-Cared-For ICU-mates! One, an oldie with not much of Pathology left out of his case sheet, another with more bypasses than arteries flanking his sanctum sanctorum (that’s medical for heart!), a 3rd unable to make out differences in body fluids lost, by colour or any other attribute and with 2 tubes going up from his body (not without reminding me of Catch 22) and the 4th, a poor sod who had a certain coloured brew and rode a bike (that’s bad in itself, but hold on..) onto an electric pole he believed was a short cut from MG Rd to his first floor bedroom. Now, if you think I’m sadistic or comic, it’s ok. Just couldn’t figure out another way to have you read so far without logging off, cos, this past is vital for the future I’m to describe.
Pumpin’ The Reds {pron. TransFusion, like the kind that finally happens in hippie-druggie-drinkie-lots morie rave parties): It was a quickie I’d with the nurse! The petite bird cutely painting spirit on a male arm, poking a quick needle (more pain on her face than I felt), taping the gizmo in place and connecting up the umbilicals to the Red once-frozen-now-thawed pack above. In 20 sec, this Comradely fluid was making its way down, into more familiar abodes of human vein.
Now What?: When blood is transfused, generally, the receiver (no, not the ‘phone’y one) is unaware/groggy. Here was one with 3.5 hrs to go, with just tubes, near-human forms and a recliner-control for exclusive company. I discovered the addiction of staring at a fluid dripping (would Newton have become famous, if it were a drop rather than apple?) at a steady rate! Then I studied the full wine-redness of its colous (of drop, not Newtonian head) and brushed up basics of viscosity, which makes a drop a drop, leaving home.
That was, until matters turned bloodier, livelier and redder. “Whose heart must have created these drops?” I wondered. “How did this life-giver end up in this pack, leaving its warmer home and flowmates?” “Would every receiver be so lucky as to savour such ‘origin’al and deep thoughts or be dependent on the blood itself to resurrect their thoughtmaker?”.
A tinge of proud moisture lined my staring eyes, in reflection of the multiple times I’d been at the other end of the tube, giving; of the many cities, times and people when me and my pals had dunnit, often persuading ‘lookers’ to turn ‘givers’, never contemplating the powerful magnitude of the deed. The known Clubs, the Defence fraternity & the Red Cross - those who organized the Camps were known for highest safety standards, thus dispelling any thought of threats or pain.
The Factfile: Donating blood involves lying on your back, enduring a millisecond of pain, a 10 min wait for blood to fill a pint-packet, and a bit of ‘plaster’ing on your arm. Refreshments follow, then a 2 min pause, and you are ready to go! For who can and where, links below will help. The quantum donated is made up in a couple of days, with no extra effort. Personally, I’ve dunnit at 10 am, played a soccer game at 4pm, walked home and, lived to tell you this! The joy and gains are beyond words. Then, imagine the emotions when you are faced with a true-life situation as above, when you are at the receiving end!
Rev Me Up More, Please:: Would you donate a cuppa blood if I were your bro/sis//dad/mom/hubby/wife/kid/fiancé(e)? If NO, well, donate to charity then! If YES, you’ve your reason. It actually may help one of them, sometime, cos most Red Cross folks give you an exchange card which you can redeem in need. Remember, ‘the hand that giveth the rose…’? But then, roses never saved lives, at least, male ones!
The End?: I do it ‘cos I care. All those I know who do it do it for the same reason. Multiple ‘giving’s and 2 ‘getting’s later, I’ll leave you with this true thought – Donate Blood, It’s the Fastest, Safest and Surest Way to Create a Blood Relative; and for once, they will be just grateful and never ever crib!
Donate Blood! Who knows, maybe, some day, you may well be your own blood relative! Kya?
Until then…. adios amigo, and, Lal Salaam!
Would be a pleasure to hear your comments on this subject!
Useful Links:
http://www.youandaids.org/About%20HIVAIDS/Blood%20Safety/index.asp
http://www.indianredcross.org/sb.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment