As most of you know.. I fell down in Dubai and fractured the ring finger of my right hand on the 3rd of August! Luckily God was kind (as always) and I was with close friends who took me to the hospital.. were incredibly thoughtful and took the greatest care of me through it all.. Thank you so very much Suhas and Medha!
The ring finger of the right hand.. doesn’t seem like
a big deal right? Wrong? Super wrong! The struggles and challenges of the last
24 days have convinced me that the human body is truly a miracle in motion in
which every part does it’s duty and is truly indispensable!
When I used to teach in pre-school.. there was a song
about all the fingers and it went like this.. “Thumbkin he can dance.. Thumbkin
he can sing.. Thumbkin he can dance.. and Thumbkin he can sing.. We all go
merrily up together.. We all come merrily down together.. We all clap hands.. we
all clap hands!” and so on for “Pointer” (index) “Tall Man” (middle) and “baby”
(little) and this was sung with accompanying smiles and happy actions..
Surprisingly in the song when it came to “Ring Man” (ring) it went “Ring Man he
can’t dance and Ring Man he can’t sing.. Ring Man he can’t dance and Ring Man
he can’t sing.. We don’t go merrily up together.. we don’t come merrily down
together.. We don’t clap hands.. we don’t clap hands”! This particular verse is
sung with sad faces and I have experienced firsthand why..
When my middle finger and ring finger were taped
together (buddy taping in medical parlance”.. it meant needing to keep the
buddy taping dry.. typing a plastic bag over my hand while bathing.. needing my
helper to scrub my back and wash my arms and left hand.. It meant feeling
awkward and clumsy while performing even the simplest of tasks.. It meant
having to focus with full concentration and attention while signing a cheque..
Most of us agree that food is comfort but with a
fractured ring finger that didn’t hold true.. It meant not being able to enjoy
the simple joy of breaking a roti and scooping up sabzi with it.. it meant not
being able to savour the inexplicable joy of eating “dal-chaawal” with your
hands.. Indian food is not meant to be eaten with forks knives and spoons! If
it’s finger licking good.. it’s GOT to be eaten with the fingers!
I realized that it’s important to try and be
ambidextrous with simple things like texting on your cellphone.. eating with a
spoon.. taking a tablet.. pouring a glass of water.. Most of us allow our
dominant hand to dominate completely (and I am guilty of this too) and when we
get into a situation like this.. everything becomes very difficult! I had to
made a genuine effort to be patient and not berate myself for being clumsy and
slow while doing things!
Although the prescribed 4 weeks of the “buddy taping” weren’t
up yet (three days short) I got an x-ray done today and FINALLY the doctor
agreed to remove it since the healing is complete! Mere words are woefully
inadequate to express the jot I felt when I saw my fingers again.. and looking
perfectly normal this evening! I FELT “whole and complete” once again which was
such a lovely feeling!
Taking a shower without help.. getting dressed
completely on my own.. being able to take my clothes out of the cupboard by
myself.. tying and untying my shoelaces.. writing a birthday card to a friend..
and finally.. being able to type this blog WITHOUT pain or discomfort are just
a few of the blessings I have experienced today! Heartfelt gratitude to Dr.
Mohit Kukreja for his care treatment and kindness.. to my helper Savita who has
been a rock solid help and support the past many days.. to my friend Lavina who
took me to Swati Snacks to celebrate getting my fingers back.. and to everyone
who expressed care and concern for my wellbeing!
I was super lucky not to fall on my head spine or knee
and got off relatively lightly with just a fractured finger.. What has been
interesting is how much this experience has taught me to be kinder more patient
with others as well as myself.. since a number of activities were restricted it
gave me a great deal of time to do some serious soul searching.. and in the
bargain.. I got some insights about myself that I could have possibly missed
had I been on the usual merry-go-round that is called my life!
Deepest gratitude to my parents for building a strong
constitution that ensured a speedy recovery and for the comfort of being to
avail of the best medical care available! A solemn promise to myself to slow
down.. look where I walk.. be careful.. and lots of excitement since I’m going
to my “HAPPY PLACE”.. THE Willingdon Club swimming pool tomorrow! Am never
going to take my body for granted again.. and neither should you!
Thank you as always for reading and do add your name
at the end of your comment (should you choose to write one)!!