Ageing and hospitalisation

 

13 July 2025   Day 23220

On Wednesday the 2^nd of July, Nirmala’s mother and my mother-in-law Shyamala Gopal (she turns 95 next month on 17^th August) was admitted to the Emergency Ward and then subsequently into the ICU @ GKNM Hospital. She had tremendous weakness of her lower limbs, breathlessness and tremendous amount of dry coughing during the days leading up to 02 July. Through the GKNM’s homecare system (of which both our mothers are members) A Geriatric Doctor (Dr Dinesh) and his medical team came home for a check up on 2^nd July, drew a blood sample for culture and testing and advised immediate hospitalisation. An ambulance arrived at around 1730, and she was moved to the emergency ward there. After a triage, she was admitted to the ICU there later that night.

The initial diagnosis was UTI, some infection in the lungs, indicated by higher retained CO₂ levels and very poor O₂ levels. We found GKNM’s professional services to be quite efficient especially at the Emergency Ward. Medical Care for geriatric seniors at top hospitals like GKNM is frightfully expensive though. One day’s charges at the ICU can set you back close to ₹ 60 k.

Despite this, we found the waiting hall outside the ICU Ward 43 filled with many folks from the rural countryside, for whom this sort of an expenditure was a visible strain. One could hear many of them speaking over the phones to their kin about scrambling and arranging money for the treatments at GKNM.

After one night at the ICU, I pit together a small kit to make the overnight stay reasonably comfortable for the attendant. (A jamakaalam, a porvai, a cushion, battery pack and charger, water bottle, mosquito spray etc.) The three-seater steel benches seemed like a good idea initially to stretch and sleep, but one could feel the ribs of the seats and the slope made it difficult to keep the body stable. Plan B was to grab a 6 ft x 2 ft space on the floor to spread the jamakaalam and lie down.

The entire housekeeping staff at GKNM is mainly Assamese boys and girls. The stretcher staff at the entrance to handle incoming patients in ambulances, is also only Assamese boys. Some contractor has smartly established this manning process and seems to be providing workers to GKNM. Wondered about the compulsions of these young Assamese people who are adventurous enough (and compelled to also, I guess) to seek work and a means of earning money in a state which is far away from their hometown. Different language, cuisine, culture….but adapting well.

Pondered about ageing and the advancement in medical technology and hospital care. The various tests, the quick diagnosis, the different sensors and medical equipment to provide real-time data to the nursing staff and Doctors. Was also wondering about the real “quality of life”. What should one do to avoid complete lack of control of your bladder, incontinence, loss of strength in the lower limbs etc. And when would you decide that aggressive medical care to sustain life in an ageing body is enough. It is like putting new spare parts into a 1930’s car and keeping it humming, but moving at a snail’s pace on the road.

As on date, she has been in the hospital for 11 nights now. While she came out of the ICU (to a very comfortable room #B407 in Ward 50) after the first three days, she had to be rushed back to the ICU on 06^th July as her O₂ levels plummeted. Root cause was that the BiPAP machines output probably did not reach her lungs on account of her neck position!!  A probable medical negligence by the nursing staff at Ward 50? Another two nights in the ICU.

As I write this post, she has been out of the ICU now for 5 days. The physiotherapist advised her on some basic muscle exercises, and she has taken to them seriously. So as of now it is a wait and watch situation and eventually must gear up the home-front with suitable technology to make her comfortable. A BiPAP machine, O₂ cylinder, reclining bed etc must be organised soon.

Living Life To The Maximum!