The operation

When I was brought to the hospital, I was shifted to the ICU. Then they gave me some drug to stop the pain. I was asleep and they performed many tests on me during that. They took many blood samples, they performed my Doppler Test and may more that I dont even know about. After all the tests were performed and after Operation Theater was ready, they took me there. I was given Anesthesia and procedures started.


When they were taking me out of ICU, I could see a lot of people. My parents, my friends, my sister and her friends and even my father's friends. Some faces I could recognize and some I couldn't. (I thought 'Great, I have not lost my memory'). Then when they took me to other floor for operation, again I could see the same people. I thought my mind was playing games but later on I came to know that they had used stairs.

I was brought crushed and all my skin from thigh till ankle was gone. All blood vessels, muscles, bones etc. was crushed and mangled. The Doctors knew that I will have to be amputated to save my life but as I was young and a girl(that is how they told), they wanted to take their chances. They first removed the pea-sized clot(which was later shown to my parents) from my artery. They performed many emergency procedures like Embolectomy, recanalisation, etc.  They fixed my femur, Tibia , Fibula and patella (which was crushed). They fixed an external rod by drilling into my bones. They gave me a central line on my neck.  Performed debridement i.e. removed dead skin and then stabalized my knee.

This operation was unsuccessful and still even after removing clot, blood was not flowing in my leg. Thus, they required another operation. They took an hour break to plan it. That day the doctors did not have their dinner. My life was saved now their priority was to save my leg.


During one of the procedure I had woken up and I started asking for water. I was thirsty and I pleaded  for water.  The nurse told me that I was under Anesthesia and drinking water would make me vomit on the operation table. I told I would control my vomit and I wouldn't  let the table soiled. Then a nurse told me to open my mouth, I opened as wide as I could.  My plan was to drink as much water in one go as I could. She gave me two drops. Can you believe just two drops? That much quantity just made my lips wet and was absorbed by my tongue. Nothing went ahead in my throat. I asked for more. NO was their answer. 

They started my another operation after thorough planning. They again did Embolectomy, Exploration of  popliteal artery  and placed two grafts. One above knee and one below knee. This operation was a success as they could see blood flowing below knee during the operation. So then they stopped further procedures and waited that blood would flow normally.


Doctors told my parents that I had lost a lot of blood and that I was shivering during last hour as my body was exhausted.  I had my leg fixed and they transferred me to ICU. There I would wake up and see the miracle. see that my leg was still there with me.


That day nobody had slept except for me. not  my parents, not my friends not my doctors. They all were praying for me, for miracle to happen. My operation started at around 5pm and ended at around 6am with one break in between for one hour to plan. I lay unconscious the whole time and had one great sleep.


That day a team of Orthopedic docs, team of cardiologist, a team of neurosurgeons and a team of Plastic surgeons along with an anesthesiologist were working in unison to mend my broken leg. They did their job in the best possible way. They must have gone home and taken a day off later thinking that they had performed a complicated operation. 


In the morning when I got up, I saw my leg till toe. I was very happy and thanked all the doctors. I would smile at everyone who would visit me and talk as if I was the healthiest in the room. My life was saved and even after an accident, I had my leg attached. I thought, I would take some time but would be on my legs soon.

The Operation(My side of the story)

When I was brought in the hospital,  I was shifted to the ICU. I don't remember what happened after that. I guess I had fallen asleep. When I was in my senses, I opened my eyes, I was in the Operation Theater and a doctor told that he was giving me anesthesia and I should not control myself. I must fall asleep as soon as he gives me the drug. I remember saying something to him but I don't remember what I told him.

When I opened my eyes, I was still in a room. I could see the huge room with white walls, glassed shelves which holds all the instruments and a stream of light falling directly into my eyes. I could see three flat screens of around 21 inches joined adjacent to each other like the three mirrors of an antique dressing table and mounted on a pipe and someone was staring at random images in it. He was masked and his head was covered. He wore a blue robe and then I realized that I was still in the Operation Theater. When I lifted my hand, I could see lumps of blood dripping from a wound. I got scared and kept my hand on operation table as it was before. I had no idea why there was blood there. Because previously, I had no wound on my hand, just broken bones.

I was utterly confused. Nobody had noticed that I was conscious. So I said 'Doctor' in a faint voice. Someone heard it and came near my  face. He introduced himself to me and so did some others. I dont remember any of their names. The doctor sitting and staring the screen was least interested in knowing what was going on at the table. He just kept staring and changing the views. 

I asked the people around me that what was going. They told me there was nothing to worry, I was getting well. They informed me that my Angioplasty was taking place. Suddenly I felt something very hot flowing in both my lower limbs. It was very hot and it felt like a snake crawling inside me. I asked them about it and they told me that it was a normal procedure which removes blockages in blood vessels. The looked at each other and then explained me the whole procedure. (Why were they explaining me the procedure  to me, I knew it. I wanted to know why were they doing it on me?)

They told me that there was blockage in my arteries that supplies blood below the knee. That they had removed the clot but still my arteries had contracted thus not allowing normal blood flow in my leg. They convinced me that it was a normal procedure and would be finished in minutes. 

But the doctor who stared at the screen had not spoken to me. He was a very serious man. Then I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. Then again that hot liquid started flowing inside me. I could feel it in my right leg till my toe but i could not feel anything below my thigh in my left leg. I told the masked people around me that. Then they asked me about my accident to divert my attention and I told them the whole story in a very cute voice. I felt that I had the cutest and the sweetest voice.(That was still the anesthesia speaking). 

I felt that people are so nice inside Operation Theater. I just saw their eyes, but I knew that they were the most beautiful people there. They heard my stories like children. And then later on two of them found me and came to meet me when I was in the General ward. They told me that I was one of the bravest girl they had seen in their life in Operation Theater. I feel very nice when someone says that to me. 

My encounter with 'The System'

I never bothered about  the administration or how the things around me work. I was happy in my own life with my own boundaries and my own thinking. I went to School, college and even work without thinking about how the things really work. Until one day this accident strike me.

I lost my limb because of no proper administration and no proper management of trauma victim.

1. I have never ever broken a signal.  I am a law abiding citizen . Well to tell you the truth, my scooter is new and I don't want any kind of trouble for my newbie . That day  at the busy junction near R-Center signals were not working. I wanted to take a turn and out of nowhere, a truck came and it hit me. BANG and I was on the road.
2. the traffic police noticed me on road from the chowkie below the flyover and instead of coming to my rescue, went inside. he came after 15 minutes and by that time many people had come to my rescue. I wanted that traffic police to do something like catch that truck driver (I still dont know if the man escaped or was put behind the bars). 
3. I was taken to hospital in a dirty stretcher in police van (I was more concerned about catching infections from it rather then the from surroundings in the van). In police van my father , two constables and Swarnima (A girl who helped me throughout) kept silent.  I was  lying on floor with my injuries covered by my red bandhani dupatta .  
4. I was taken to the nearest hospital which was never prepared for a situation like this. The head doctor saw me and was perplexed to see me in such condition. some interns gave me first aid and kept me busy talking so i wouldn't lose my consciousness . some doctors were kind, some didn't know what to do and some were to afraid to even touch me. one intern  made a video of me shouting and crying in pain when they were washing my injured leg. (he had Kolavari Di ringtone which annoyed me every time it rang). In this hospital, i was administered first-aid and after one hour of drama, I was told that "We do not have proper equipment and a qualified surgeon to operate you" .
5. They wanted to transfer me to a hospital in Vashi, Navi Mumbai. I wanted an ambulance and the Hospital had a shortage. Hence, a state of art ambulance meant for trauma victim was called for me. Well that was what I was told. I waited for around one hour in that causality bed waiting for  those four wheels. But to my disappointment, the ambulance that came was a Maruti-Van which lacked even a hanger for my intravenous drip. I wanted to shout at them, i had lost around three - three and a half  hours in that hospital.
6. Atlast somehow I reached New-Bombay hospital and doctors again saw my wound, asked about it and then i was booked a bed in ICU. The doctor who had my video, showed it to all the doctors present and i could hear my own voice. I felt that one more girl is shouting in a voice like mine. (you do not like ur own voice in a video).
7. due to procedures and protocol of a hospital , my operation started at around 4:30pm. I had lost a lot of blood and TIME and was critical on  admission. Doctors and nurses were kind to me but at that time i wanted something else, that was - the TIME I had lost and thus a LIMB.

The system is still not efficient and lives are lost daily because of non-availability of basic infrastructures. I dont expect air-lift but atleast availability of information to everyone about nearest hospitals which cater to emergency cases. 

Whatever happened after that was out of the world. I  witnessed kindness from the people who came to my rescue on a busy Friday morning. I remember their faces and I thank them daily in my prayers. Well i never experienced carelessness from anyone but i witnessed lack of training to handle issues like this. 

When I was sitting on the road , my whole life was flashing in front of my eyes. I remembered each and every person who was a part of my life; people who helped me, people whom I helped . And I had just two things : Faith and Hope : that everything is going to be alright : That i am loved .