Sign Language

CONQUEST OF DEATH 17

(SIGN LANGUAGE)

After completing the consultation to a patient I instructed my receptionist to send in another patient.

Walked in a middle aged lady. For quite some time she would not talk. I asked her

“What brings you here for my consultation?”

Instead of replying to the question, tears over flew her eyes. A little while later an elderly gentleman walked in.

“I am her father-in-law” He introduced himself.

“I asked her what brings you here. Instead of replying, she started shedding tears.” I told him.

“She is dumb and deaf since her birth. She reads our lip movements; but is unable to talk to us. This is agonizing. Unable to contain her sentiments, she sheds tears.’ He explained.

“I am sorry” I apologized

“She communicates by ‘sign language’. Even I can’t decipher her signs. My son is also dumb and deaf since his birth. Hence we got both of them married. I have two grand daughters. Fortunately both of them are normal. Her elder daughter can communicate with her mother. She was going to come here directly from the school and join us. I was waiting for her out side. In the mean time you called us.

Any way. For more than three to four months my daughter-in-law does not take adequate food. Most of the time she does not eat because she is not hungry. Most of the time she chews and chews the morsel; may or may not swallow. Quite often she spits the food.

It seems her mind is grossly disturbed. She is loosing weight rapidly.

Kindly guide us.”

“Ummmm----- unless I understand her complaints ------“

As we were conversing her daughter entered.

She started communicate with her mother by ‘sign language’

“For last three to four months my mom gets pain in the stomach” she said

“In which region?” I asked

“In the lower region”

“Can she describe it?”

Her daughter said

“The pain is intermittent, of griping in nature, at times severe and unbearable. On many occasions she feels like vomiting but does not vomit because there is no food in the stomach. She has no desire to eat. She does not feel hungry at all. She is losing weight rapidly. She is bone and skin now. She gets tired even with little work. For last fifteen days she is prostrated and bedridden”

“Does she get low fever?”

“No”

“Are her bowel habits altered? Like----she is sometimes constipated, sometimes gets loose motions-----?”

“No”

“Are her menses regular?”

‘She just finished her period two days ago”

“Let us help her lie on the examination couch so that I can examine her properly.”

We helped her lie on the couch.

She was emaciated. Her pulse was rapid. Her B.P. was normal. She had a cadaverous look: deathly somberness of the face, vacant expression, sunken eyes, dark rings around the eyes, pale conjunctivae, pale tongue and having lost the sheen the skin was pallid ------

Her abdomen was scaphoid, there was tenderness in the region of the lower abdomen. I could not arrive at an appropriate diagnosis, though I suspected a pathological appendix (commonly known as ‘chronic appendicitis)

After completing my examination I said

“Let us get her barium meal x-rays of the abdomen, some blood tests and urine examination done”

“OK” Said her father-in-law

After a week they came to me with all the reports.

On viewing the investigations I said

“She has ‘chronic appendicitis’. She needs surgery for that”

Her daughter communicated with her. She consented for the operation.

“Doctor, one of my friends is a senior surgeon. Can he attend the operation?” asked her father-in-law.

“Why not?” Said I.

I used to perform operations in The Karve Hospital, Thane, Maharashtra, India. Since the hospital was far off from my residence, her father-in-law said

“Well I shall arrange a vehicle for him. I shall pick you from your residence.”

“OK. Fine”

On the day of operation the car arrived on time at my residence. I saw the senior surgeon in the car.

“Good morning sir” I said.

“Good morning”

“Sir you were my teacher in the St. George’s Hospital”

“Really? I don’t remember”

“But sir I do. Sir you are my guru. If you want to take over and operate please go ahead. I shall assist you.” I made an humble request.

“No----no. I have seen this case. I could not diagnose correctly but you have! Kudos to you! This is your case. You operate I shall observe.”

“Very kind of you sir.”

As we reached the hospital I assured the relatives of the patient of a successful operation and went in the operation theatre.

I opened the abdomen. The coils of the intestines were adherent. To separate the adhesions and remove the appendix was a Herculean task. My guru was watching. With a great patience I completed the job. Huuuum. I breathed a sigh of relief. An ordeal was over! It took me three and half to four hours to complete the operation.

“Well done young boy! You have done a great job!” Patted on my back and said my guru.

“Thank you sir for your compliments and blessings. I have passed your exam.”

“You have scored a distinction!” He said.

The anxiety and worry was discernable on the faces of her relatives because the operation took a very long time. As I was shifting the patient in the ward my guru told her relatives

“It was a difficult operation. It took a long time but the operation is very much successful. There will not be any complication. He has done a good job.”

The relatives felt a relieved.

Two days later early in the dawn my telephone was ringing. Her daughter was on the line. She said

“Doctor my mama is asking for tea. Can I give?”

“Do give” I said.

That day I went for the hospital round early. She greeted me with a smile. She beckoned suggesting she was hungry.

“Give her liquids today, light diet tomorrow, and full diet there after.” I instructed her daughter.

Both of them were joyous.

“After months my mama is asking for food!” Said her daughter.

On the tenth day I removed the sutures and sent her home. She was improving progressively. In three months she regained her pristine health.

Her husband was an artist. He owned a small factory for ceramic printing. Her father-in-law took me to the factory. They presented me a tile on which was printed Lord Ganesh. I appreciated the art work.

On one auspicious day her father-in-law came to my house with a mason. The mason fitted the inscribed tile above my entrance door.

After chanting the prayers they went away.

Every day the mute monument of that life saving operation greets my entry in my house!!

A TRUE STORY IN REAL LIFE!

A DRAMA IN MY LIFE!!

DR. HEMANT VINZE